As we open up this dialog, we see Jesus is about to pick another disciple to follow him on this journey into ministry as we know it too be, as it has been sat before him and this disciple that he is about to choose is named Matthew.
In the earlier part of this passage we hear Jesus discussing some valuable issues. Within these scriptures we observe four examples of people who had some desperate and hopeless needs and with these needs being met by Jesus we see two important things being demonstrated.
1st we see Christ beyond question that he is the Messiah, "the Son of David"; and 2ndly we see Christ has the power to meet our desperate, and hopeless needs, in fact, he even has the power to conquer death. In verse 9 it says, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him”. In verse 10 it said; “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with the publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”.
And then in verse 14 it says “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
And While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. But while he was on his way he interrupted by a woman in verse 20, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, she came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And his journey continued as he went to Jarius house 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, they were absolutely obstreperous, yes they were loud. And the bible said that 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land about what he had done.
Now when his daughter had been restored Jesus departs from the house of Jarius and started back to the place of his abode. And according to scripture it was then when two men, two blind men started trailing him.
Now the scholars and theologians suggest that they were able to follow Jesus because they had received some aid and some assistance from someone else that could see. They were able to trail him and eventually get to him, because somebody helped them that had sight and that could see better than themselves. And I must be fair when I tell you that I too made it to Jesus because someone that had better sight than I that led me to the Lord, and you made also too the Lord with the help of someone that could see spiritually better.
QUESTION:
Now Jesus knew that they were following him, and Jesus knew that they desired their sight. So, the question is why didn’t he stop so that those that were blind and those that followed him could reach him?
Well, I believed he didn’t stop because he wanted to see how much they wanted him. And I am here telling you that sometimes he will try us, and I believe that the master wants to see, just how passionate we are about our breakthrough.
Because there are times some people allow some peccadilloes, a little disadvantage, a little heart ship, a few draw backs, some short comings, some difficulties and weaknesses to deter them and they give up to quickly on getting to Jesus. And so many of us miss out on our breakthrough because we give up, give in and quit too soon. But I’m here too tell you that you’ve got too want your deliverance, you’ve got too want your breakthrough to the point that you don’t care how strenuous it might be; you’ve got to say to yourself that you are going to hang on, and hang in there no matter what comes my way I’m going to stay in there until my deliverances come.
Yes, they kept on perusing him. Now Charles Spergeon the British theologian suggests that in the process of them being blind that they walked in a clumsy fashion. But I need to tell you that sometimes you might be tripping and stumbling over things, but you’ve got to keep on going, sometime you might veer in the wrong direction but you got to keep striving for the right direction.
In other words, don’t you ever let a fall stop you, don’t you let a fall stop you from missing you’re blessing, don’t allow a fall to keep you from obtaining what God has for you. You’ve got to pull your self up, you’ve got to dust your self off, you got to encourage yourself and go on in the right direction. I believe that we must strive to go where Jesus is, and I’m here to tell you that if you are headed where Jesus is, count it not strange to encounter some heartaches, don’t feel bad when you endure some despair, some despondencies, miseries, distress, sadness, anguish and some sorrows. Because you’ve got to know reaching Jesus will make it worth it all.
Yes, they kept on going and they cried out have mercy on us, but the master kept on walking; they would continue to cry out have mercy on us. And I feel that somebody in here has requested the master too have mercy on you, and maybe you have come to the junction that you have started entertaining the idea that God does not hear you and he’s going to keep on walking and that he is never going to hear your plea, but I dare you to keep on calling him, keep on perusing him; because I’ve heard somebody cry out that he may not come when you want him too but he’s always on time, and I heard Dottie people say that he’s an on-time God yes, he is. And can I go a little father and say even in the pandemic he’s an online God yes, he is.
What we must understand is there is a uniqueness about Jesus and that is that he never arrives too early, and he never arrives too late for whenever he comes, he right on time.
The report is that they were calling him for mercy, they were crying for clemency, they were seeking benevolence, sympathy and relief, but he kept on walking and he made it to the house, and as he arrived we noticed that these two blind men made it also. And I commend them so much because they didn’t remain on the outside, but they went on in, they would have missed their blessing if they would have failed to go in., they would have missed their blessing if they would have gave up. They would have squandered the opportunity to received what was in stored for them if they would have stayed outside, but instead they went into the house.
And I am mighty afraid that there are too many folks that are satisfied with a perimeter religion which always keeps them on the outside, a that’s good enough for me religion I’m afraid that that they are satisfied with an out skirt, outer limit, an edge, an boundary and a border line religion.
And you can always tell when people are operating in a perimeter relationship with the master; they sing but it don’t have any fire, they pray but there is no anointing, they minister but it don have any power they preach but it don’t have any oil, they are operating on the out skirts, they are operating on the perimeter. To many people missed what God has for them because they won’t go in the house.
But I need to let you know that I’ve decided a long time ago that I was going all the way in, I can’t stay on the outside there are to many demons and imps for me too stay on the outside, too much hell and high water for me to be on the outside, the veil has been rented, it has been torn and now we can go into the holy of holies for myself. My brothers and sisters I don’t know about you but I refuse to operate on the outer perimeters because I need deliverances, I need a breakthrough, I need a miracles, and I need doors to be open, I need devils to be bound and I can’t get it on the outside.
So, I see them at the house, asking them that help them, where is Jesus and their response was, he’s in the house and I can here them saying well that’s where we need to be. I can hear them saying will you please take us on inside. And I can see them feeling their way on in. (Act this out) and I know some of you have came here this morning feeling distress and feeling low and you have had to feel your way through the doors, feeling your way to your pew, feeling your way through the A&B selection of the choir, feeling your way through the worship and then even feeling your way through the sermon.
But now you can tell somebody I was hurting but I made, come on tell somebody it was ruff last night, somebody had a sleepless night but thank God that you’re on the inside, tell them I’ve had some heartaches and some pains but I press my way through this morning.
And let me throw this in, I don’t care what you’re short coming are if you want too you can come on in, I don’t care what you have been dealing with, what you’ve been going through, and I don’t care how many mountains that you have had to climb, I don’t care what’s been working against you and what’s been gnawing at you if you want to, if you want it bad enough please come on in].
So, when they made it on the inside, as they got on the inside, they continued with their plead they said have mercy on us. The bible tells us that their request was for the master to have mercy on them, yes, their request was an urgent request, their need for help was so important to them that it made it urgent. So, they were crying have mercy on us.
CLOSE: So, as Jesus heard their urgent request, the master stopped and he asked them a very soul-searching question, and the question was do you believe that I am able to do this. I hear you crying out for help and you need me to give you sight but my question is do you really believe that I can do THIS [repeat this 5x] and I need to let you know that everybody has a THIS. What is your this? They needed sight but what do you need. I know that you are sitting there looking good, but you’ve got a THIS, I can see you sitting there with your legs cross and you’re arms folded, but you’ve got a THIS. Somebody’s THIS kept them up late last night, somebody’s THIS made them cry last week, and somebody’s THIS wanted them to take their own life on this week.
But I urge that you don’t leave here this morning without knowing that Jesus can handle your THIS. So, after Jesus asked them the question they responded, they didn’t wait and respond 2 or 3 verses later they responded right away, and they’re respond was yea Lord.
And this yes Lord would be all that Jesus needed to step in action. And somebody today need to say yes Lord, because your failure to say yes Lord is could be blocking someone’s breakthrough, your failure to say yes to the Lord could be blocking your miracle, tell him yes Lord. And you need to be just as loud with your yes Lord as you do with your Lord, I need a miracle.
Every now and then when I’m riding in my car, I say yes Lord, every now and then when I’m in the shower I say yes Lord, now someone here this morning needs to let a yes Lord be in your spirit. And when you tell him yes doors can open, when you say yes prayers can be answered, when you say yes deliverances are available, when you tell him yes the crooked places can become straight. When you tell him yes God is able to make the rough roads smooth.
I’ve got to leave you, but they told him yes Lord and immediately Jesus done something that would change their lives forever. He had already raised Jarius daughter, he had already healed the women that had the issues of blood. And I can hear the two blind men say that we know that you can do this because we have already heard you in action. And we thought that we would call out for help since you are already on a roll.
Lord you have done it for others, and we know that you can do the same thing for us.
In fact, someone wrote a song that says “it is no secret what you can do for what you have done for others you can do the same thing for me. So, we are asking you too to lay your hands on us Jesus.
So, Jesus laid his hands on their eyes and when he laid his hands on them something began to happen. And Brothers and Sisters Jesus is able to touch you.
And I’m glad that we serve a master that can lay his hands on us. Is there anybody here that can say that they have felt his touch? Is there anybody that can testify that he laid his hands on you? Tell your neighbor if the Lord has touch you, that he touched me, if he’s ever made a way, testify that he’s made a way for me.
So, I heard that when he touches them that the blindness left their eyes, and they received their sight he gave them 20/20, and how I know that he gave them 20/20 is because God don’t do parcel work.
So, I heard that they received their sight, I wish that you could have been there and seen them rejoicing, I wish that you could have been there and seen them celebrating over their breakthrough.
And I need to tell you this morning don’t let anybody intimidate you out of rejoicing; don’t let anybody keep you from praising God name. If the Lord has blessed your soul, jump your jump. If the Lord has touched you clap your clap, shout your shout, and dance your dance. If the Lord has open doors for you praise his name. I don’t know about you, but I thank God for a touch.
Well, if you have been touched every now and then you ought to have a touch flash back. If you’ve really been touched every now and then you ought to be able to sing that song how I made it over, my soul looks back and wonder how I made it over: Something ought to just come all over you:
So as I leave you this morning if you know that the Lord has touch you tell somebody these words, excuse me if I get emotional, excuse me if I get excited but I just want to tell you that; one day I was in bad shape.
I’ve had some days that I thought wasn’t going to make, it but the Lord stepped in and touch me.
I thank him for power, and I thank him for his love thank you Lord.
I know that you don’t know how good the Lord has been to me but let me testify.
I was down and he picked me up
I was out and he brought me in
I was lost and he saved me
I’m reminded of a story about of two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service and where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods when his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The man by the window described the park and the lovely lake outside. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. The young lovers who walked arm in arm among the flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
One afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. The gentleman by the window used very descriptive words to paint a picture for the other man.
After the man by the window died, the other man asked if they would move his bed next to the window. The request was granted and the man’s bed was moved next to the window. The man painfully propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world. He discovered that the window faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse how his former roommate could describe such wonderful sites.
The nurse said the other man was totally blind and could not even see the wall. She went on to say that the blind man had thanked God for replacing his sight with the keen sense of imagination and descriptive words so that he could enlighten the life of people around him.
The nurse said the blind man told her God had blessed him just to live on a little while longer.
Every person is blessed regardless of their physical condition. God deserves to be thanked for each one of these blessings.
