“As [Jesus and His disciples] went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ And stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.” [1]
If Jesus was to appear before you at this very moment, asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?” what would you say? What I’m asking is for you honestly to acknowledge what the one thing is that weighs most heavily on your heart. What one need is so great in your life that you dare not mention it even to your best friend because what you have desired for such a long time seems so out of reach, seems so preposterous? Alternatively, perhaps the need that presses down on you is so sensitive in your mind that you cannot mention that particular need even to your spouse? Everyone has one such need, though few of us will feel the freedom to voice that need to others.
Right now, let me ask each of you to take a moment to write in your bulletin, or to write a brief notation in the margin of your Bible next to our text for this day. Write, “Lord, above all else at this time, I want You to…” Write out in full what weighs on your heart at this hour. Then, date the request you have written as a statement of what you want God to do for you. Perhaps that desire will be different by the conclusion of the message; almost certainly, since life always introduces change that great felt need will be different at some point in the future. What I am challenging you to do is to witness the manner in which God answers the deepest longing of your heart. He may change your deep desire, or He may give you precisely what you are now longing to happen. What is important for you to know as one who follows the Master is that He will not ignore you.
I don’t want you to share your request with anyone else at this time—it is your request to the Saviour. In most cases, the great need that we ask Jesus to answer will be for health concerns for ourselves, of perhaps for a member of our immediate family. That should not be surprising; we are physical creatures, and we live in the physical world. If our health suffers, it becomes difficult, and at times almost impossible, to focus on anything else when we are experiencing pain or physical distress. Of course, we will ask the Master to relieve our distress. And if the pain is experienced by one we love, we will not give ourselves rest until the Master answers our request.
Throughout the Gospel accounts we witness people who came to Jesus asking Him for various needs. What is astounding to me is that the need of the individual almost inevitably pushed aside what Jesus was saying at that moment. We have to read the Gospels rather carefully in order to see what Jesus was teaching. The requests that were being made of Him pushed aside what He was teaching. It is much like that today, isn’t it? Our needs are so pressing that we sometimes fail to actually hear what He says.
I know that the statement may seem harsh, but stop and think of the requests we make when we ask others to join us in prayer. When did you last hear a fellow worshipper ask you to pray with her for a better understanding of the Word of God? When did you last hear a request that God would enable a brother to have greater insight into the promises of God? We ask for health concerns to be addressed, for financial problems to be resolved, for family relationships to be healed.
I’m not suggesting that such requests are illegitimate or unnecessary; I’m only taking note that our immediate needs can crowd out our need to hear the Master speak. And what is encouraging is that Jesus never dismissed or demeaned the request made of Him to address these personal needs. He knew, and He knows, that the press of daily cares can crowd out the desire to hear Him. Therefore, when the pressure that we feel is at last relieved, we are able to listen for His voice. So, let’s be careful to ask the Master to hear our cry and to answer in accordance with His will for us.
THE SETTING OF THE PERICOPE — Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He had just told the disciples what would happen there. We read of this immediately before our text. “As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day’” [MATTHEW 20:17-19].
That conversation must surely have been sobering for these men who travelled with the Master. However, it was not sobering enough to keep them from jockeying for prominence in what they imagined to be the Kingdom Christ would surely soon establish. We read in the verses that follow, “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” [MATTHEW 20:20-28].
You see, these disciples couldn’t allow themselves to admit that Jesus could die. They had witnessed His power over the elements. He stilled storms and calmed raging seas. They had seen Him give sight to blinded eyes, enable deaf people to hear again; they had even seen Him raise the dead to life. They knew that He had power over death itself. How could such a Person even speak of being killed? Such a thought made no sense. And you and I would have done no better had we been there at that time. These disciples were caught up in the excitement that came from witnessing the power of the Master. They were focused on what He could do, and not on Who He was. And isn’t that true of us in too many instances?
You may recall the conversation of people who were attempting to comfort two grieving sisters. Lazarus had died, and even after He had been told of the serious condition of His friend, Jesus had delayed going to his side. Of course, Lazarus had died. The two sisters were devastated. Unlike this present day in modern Canada, there was no pension plan, no welfare to assist those in need. These two sisters, whom we can assume were unmarried, were facing a bleak future.
When Jesus at last came to Bethany and both Martha and Mary came to Him, He asked to be taken to the tomb. The sisters led Him to the tomb, followed by the mourners who had gathered at their house. Before the tomb, we read, “Jesus wept” [JOHN 11:35]. Those who had been attempting to comfort the sisters saw Jesus’ tears, and they said, “See how he loved him” [JOHN 11:36]! But some of those present at that time, perhaps more perceptive than others, or perhaps questioning why Jesus had not come sooner, wondered aloud, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying” [JOHN 11:37]? The point for us to seize upon is that Jesus knew what He would do, though He had said nothing to others gathered there that day.
Well, you recall the remainder of that account. Jesus did raise Lazarus from the dead. He did demonstrate that He was God of the living, and that in Him life was to be found. You see, the disciples witnessed His power and His authority, and when He spoke of dying… Well, who wanted to allow himself to think such an absurd thought?
So, you understand how Jesus’ statement of what was shortly to happen in Jerusalem seemed so outlandish and why the disciples would quickly put such statements out of mind. Then, all talk about His death was dismissed when a mother rushed up to Jesus with a request that set the rest of the disciples back on their heels. This mother asked the Master to ensure that her boys would be numbers one and two in His coming Kingdom. Whatever else you may say concerning this mother, she did believe that Jesus was a King and that He would soon establish His Kingdom. And when He did so, she wanted to make certain that her boys featured prominently in that Kingdom.
I’m left with the impression that the other disciples were miffed because they hadn’t thought to be so crass as to push their interest, or even to speak up for themselves so they could promote their advancement in the coming Kingdom. Jesus was talking about His death, and these men were jockeying for position! It appears to have been a rather common discussion as they neared that day when Jesus would offer Himself as a sacrifice. For instance, much later Peter recalls how the disciples were jockeying for position. The Big Fisherman related the account to Mark, who wrote in the Gospel that bears his name, “[The band] came to Capernaum. And when [Jesus] was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest” [MARK 9:33-34].
Right up to the time of Jesus being arrested, these men were still jockeying for position, attempting to position themselves to be promoted over the others. Doctor Luke, drawing from what Mary likely told him, informs us, “A dispute also arose among [the disciples], as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And [Jesus] said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves’” [LUKE 22:24-27].
In the midst of all this drama, the little band of disciples and Jesus moved through Jericho. As they were exiting the town, they were surrounded by a great crowd. That’s the way it seems always to have been when Jesus was around. People were drawn to Him, pushing, and shoving to get as close as possible, hoping to hear something that would change their life, or anticipating that they would be able to witness some dynamic miracle as someone was healed, or possibly even see someone raised from the dead.
Well, here they were, the hubbub of the crowd drowning out any possibility of hearing those on the fringes should they say something. But, we read in the text, “As they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed [Jesus]. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David’” [MATTHEW 20:29-31]! Frankly, I doubt that you or I could have heard these men; but Jesus heard them. The noise of the crowd, the constant drone of multiple voices, would drown out all sound for most of us.
But that isn’t the case with Jesus! He hears the faintest cry when it is addressed to Him. Perhaps you have heard the beautiful Gospel song, “He Knows My Name.” That song goes like this:
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in His hands
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call [2]
Isn’t it true! He knows your name; and you know He hears you when you call. Amen.
Such an event might be easily overlooked in our hurried lives. As Jesus passed by, surrounded by a crowd, these two men understood that if they didn’t call out now, they might never have another opportunity. They had heard about Jesus, but they had never been close enough to call out. They had heard that He could do miraculous things, even causing blinded eyes to see. So, they cried out for mercy.
As they were crying out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” the crowd responded as religious crowds almost always respond. The people around them were embarrassed for them, I suppose; they told the men to shut up. Or perhaps the crowd didn’t like to see the disorder introduced by people crying out for mercy. What is fascinating is that the more the crowd tried to shush these two men, the louder they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
All at once, it happened—Jesus heard them. He stopped, and He called them. How their hearts must have leaped! He had heard them, and now He was calling for them to come to Him. I recall a time when I witnessed something that perhaps speaks of how these two men must have felt. Shortly after our family had arrived in Canada, in March of 1983, I was invited to be in the receiving line for Queen Elizabeth. I would serve as one of the ministers of religion in New Westminster that would greet the Queen.
It was quite an honour for a man who had only arrived in Canada a short while before. So, my wife and I, dressed in our finest, took our place in the receiving line. I was astonished at how very close we were to the Queen and Prince Philip as they moved to the steps of the city hall where she would give a brief speech.
As the Queen walked towards the city hall, she was being ladened with flowers from multiple children who were present that day. Situated directly in front of my wife and myself was a little girl in a wheelchair. She didn’t have a bouquet as did all the other children who were on the opposite side of the street. Somehow, that little girl held a single yellow daffodil that had been dropped on the ground and trampled. Someone had picked it up and gave it to the child, and she held that flower out, clearly hoping that the Queen might take notice of her and accept that bedraggled flower from her hand.
The Queen was walking on the south side of the street where almost all the children present that day were lined up. Quite naturally, she was focused on those who were immediately near her as she walked down the street. As she passed beyond where we were standing, an attendant noted that little child holding the lone daffodil that was somewhat worse for wear, and he drew the attention of the Queen to that little girl. To our astonishment and delight, the Queen turned back and walked across the street to where the child was eagerly watching her as she approached. Then, bending down, the Monarch received that single wilted flower from the hand of the child, thanking her. What a change in the child, who was transformed from a disappointed little girl to a child thrilled because she was noticed. There is a video of the event, and if you look carefully, you can just catch a glimpse of my wife standing to the left and slightly behind the child as the Queen graciously accepted the flower the little girl held out to her. [3]
Something like the excitement and joy registered on that child’s face must have burst from the heart of these two men when Jesus demanded that they come to Him. They found their way to Jesus, guided no doubt by the same crowd that had earlier attempted to silence them, and when they at last stood in front of Him, He asked them, “What do you want Me to do for you” [MATTHEW 20:32]? Without hesitation, they exclaimed, “Lord, let our eyes be opened” [MATTHEW 20:33]. Jesus wasn’t just making small talk; He asked, and when they told Him what they wanted, we read, “Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him” [MATTHEW 20:34].
THE ONE GREAT NEED OF THOSE CRYING OUT TO JESUS — The urgent cries of these two blind men in our text revealed that they perceived their greatest need was to have their sight restored. We don’t know how long they had lived in darkness, but we do know that when given the opportunity to ask Jesus for anything, they asked that He give them sight. Undoubtedly, given the chance, you would have no difficulty determining the one great thing for which you would ask Jesus. Well, here’s your chance!
No doubt some among the followers of Jesus today consider themselves to be super spiritual beings, and I suppose they would argue that these two men should have been more concerned for their spiritual welfare. However, none of us have ever put aside our physical needs in order to pursue our spiritual needs. Frankly, I’m not certain that we would have asked the Saviour to do anything different had we been in the position of these two men. We live in the physical realm, and we are physical creatures. Therefore, it is natural that we address our physical needs. Could it be otherwise in any case?
In many instances, there will be no ability for people to hear our plea for them to receive Jesus as Master over life until their immediate physical need has been addressed. A starving child isn’t likely to be overly concerned about his spiritual condition until he knows that we care for him and give him a meal. A mother struggling to feed her family will have a hard time believing our message of God’s grace if we don’t seek to assist her in addressing this great need to care for her children. A father working at two jobs to keep a roof over the head of his family is far more likely to listen to our testimony if we show concern for his need to care for his family. Isn’t this the thrust of James’ argument? You will undoubtably recall how James has challenged us as followers of the Lord, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” [JAMES 2:14-17].
I’m not suggesting that we should be solely concerned about the physical needs of those to whom we testify of God’s grace, but I am suggesting that we must not ignore these needs either. It seems as if we Christians living in the First World tend to function with an either/or mindset in our service before the Master, when in truth we need to cultivate a both/and approach to our ministry before the Lord. Listen carefully, I know that in our service in the Name of Christ we can become so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. If our focus is so fixed on eternity that we fail to see the needs staring us in the face here on earth, we are of no eternal good to the work of the Lord.
We must acknowledge that this works both ways, though. If we become so focused on attempting to address earthly needs that we forget to care for eternal values, we are no better than are the lost of this world. Surely, that is the meaning of the Master’s words when He taught us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” [MATTHEW 5:43-48].
The world seeks to show compassion, and the compassion they imagine they are showing turns out to be a curse. Here is an example from current sociological trends. Parents are challenged, “Do you want a living daughter or a dead son?” when a medical professional advocates for transitioning a male child to become a female through administering hormone blockers and advocating surgical removal of male genitalia. Such statements are cast as compassionate for the young lad who is confused as result of the instructions received from a teacher or through the messages delivered via social media.
There is nothing compassionate about the irreversible effects of such medical tampering with the individual. There is nothing compassionate about the confusion and pain engendered for the remainder of that individual’s life. There is nothing compassionate about the pain induced through destroying relationships, or through the creation of an illusion of new relationships that have no roots. It is not compassionate to act as if the mental distress and mental imbalance the young person is going through is natural. Contemporary idealisation is destructive; it is extremely unhealthy.
Similarly, it is not compassionate to play along with the mental distress of someone who chooses to be homeless, refusing to take the medication that will permit that individual to achieve a measure of normality. There is nothing compassionate about giving drugs to an addict who is struggling to cope with life. There is nothing compassionate about urging abortion on a frightened young woman who has no idea how she is to cope with a child when the man who impregnated her is no longer in the picture, and she has no idea know how she is to manage. Compassion, as presented within modern society, is often cowardice because those claiming to be compassionate don’t want to be burdened with making a hard decision. The Faithful face some hard decisions, and they must not adopt the view of this dying world if they will honour Christ.
Let’s step aside from the message for just a moment to consider how Jesus arrived at this particular statement to those who would follow Him. As followers of the Master, we need to take seriously our responsibility to so live that we reveal the power of Christ through our walk in this world. Perhaps you will recall Jesus’ words when He taught us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” [MATTHEW 5:14-16].
You represent not just yourself as you conduct yourself through the course of each day, neither do you represent your church in your daily life, but ultimately you represent the Son of God. When people interact with you, do you glorify the Name of Christ, or do you turn people away from wanting to know Him?
Perceptive listeners will recall that Jesus continued by speaking of the reason for His coming and the impact He would have on those who received Him as Master over life. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” [MATTHEW 5:17-20].
This raises the question of how meticulous you are about knowing and doing the will of the Saviour. How concerned are you about knowing what Christ expects of you? The question is especially pertinent in light of the message this day. When you consider the great need you have, how are you doing in terms of your relationship with others? I will not attempt to dissuade you from asking the Master for relief from some physical ailment, or seeking relief from some situation that oppresses you and hinders you in doing the things that are in your heart. Neither will I consider turning you from pleading with Him for restoring some relationship that seems at this moment to have been fractured beyond all hope of repair. What I will do is plead with you not to forget that if He answers every request and you have neglected knowing His will, you will be impoverished beyond all comprehension. Don’t neglect asking for that one great thing that presses down on your heart, but as you ask for Him to do that thing, ensure that you also ask Him to reveal His will to you and that He give you grace to fulfil that divine will.
WHAT DO YOU WANT JESUS TO DO FOR YOU? The text before us reads, “Stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you’” [MATTHEW 20:32]? We could be crass and respond to this verse by saying, “Isn’t it obvious that they want to see!” Should we be so crass, it would only reveal our ignorance. The Master knows what we want, and He knows what we need. These men needed to say aloud what weighed upon them. We, when we come to the Lord, need to tell Him what we want. It is not to inform Him, but it is rather to clarify in our own mind what is our greatest need. Our desire is not always our need, and we need to be clear about what we seek.
I caution all who hear me this day: do not play coy with the Living God! While it is true that the Lord stands ready to bless His people, remember that the only thing holding Him back from delivering His blessing is our unbelief. God spoke through His Prophet when urging Ahaz, the uninspiring King of Judah, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven” [ISAIAH 7:11]. Perhaps the king thought he was being super spiritual when he responded, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test” [ISAIAH 7:12]. It became evident that his refusal to ask for a sign was an offence to the Lord GOD. Just so, our refusal to ask the Master for what He longs to give us is offensive. Our God wants to bless His people.
Calling His people to obedience, the LORD promised, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” [MALACHI 3:10]. God calls His people to obedience, promising that He will fulfil His promises, richly blessing His people.
You know very well that the Saviour has promised to bless His people, giving them what they ask. He promised, “I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” [MARK 11:24].
His gracious promise is repeated when the Master said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it [JOHN 14:12-14].
You may remember that Jesus also promised those who follow Him, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” [JOHN 15:7].
Recall yet again how Jesus has promised, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another” [JOHN 15:16-17]. Did you notice that in asking, as the Lord answers the prayers of His people and as they produce fruit that abides, we grow more deeply in love with one another. Even in the act of seeking what He wants to give, we grow in love.
I know that I have pointed to multiple occasions when the Master promised that He would give us what we asked, but perhaps one more instance will encourage someone to ask for some great thing this day. Jesus, looking forward to His sacrifice and His conquest of death, told His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also, you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” [JOHN 16:20-24].
That day when Jesus presented His life as a sacrifice lies far in the past. Likewise, that day when He conquered death and rose from the dead is behind us. Now, He has ascended into the glory where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Now, the remainder of what He promised prevails. Therefore, we are promised, “Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”
We are needy people. We may not always realise how needy we are, but before the Lord we know we are needy people! Our needs are greater than we can imagine. We are tripartite beings—each of us is a living soul, we have a spirit, and we possess a body. I understand that theologians argue among themselves whether we are tripartite or whether the soul and the spirit are synonyms for the spiritual aspects of an individual. Leave it to the theologians to argue over such matters. What is important for us to understand is that we have an eternal soul that lives on throughout eternity, either in the presence of the God Who gives us our being or separated from Him because of our own brokenness. We have a spirit that is given by God—a spirit that returns to Him upon our death. And we are in a body that is dying from the moment of birth.
The spiritual is not bounded by time after it is freed from the physical, though the physical facet of our being is decaying from the moment of birth. In this present world, entropy still prevails, though we are taught that entropy will no longer prevail in the world that lies beyond this one. Just as the joys of Heaven are unending, so the fires of hell shall never be extinguished. The soul separated from God continues on endlessly in that separated state that includes torment and darkness and memories of missed opportunities and memories of what might have been. The redeemed soul continues on in a state of eternal bliss in the presence of God Who redeemed that person. Beyond this life, there is no decay, no degradation, no dissolution.
Because we are physical creatures, it is natural that we should focus on that particular parameter of our being. If you question whether this is so, listen to the prayer requests that are made during the times when we receive the prayer requests of those who share in our services. We hear requests for healing of our bodies, we hear petitioners ask for provision to meet the financial challenges faced both in our own lives and in the life of others whom we know, we ask for the Lord to provide things that will allow us to serve unhindered. The physical aspect of our being is almost always our primary focus. We make far fewer requests to be content with our lot in life or that we can find peace. Though we are deeply concerned for the salvation of lost friends and family members, our requests for their salvation are less frequent than are requests for their physical health or for the relationships we long to enjoy. Perhaps we can justify this by adopting the position so long as they are alive, there is hope for their salvation. My point is that we are physical creatures and the condition of our lives forces itself onto our consciousness.
How humbled I am at the knowledge that the words James penned apply to me. You do recall how the brother of our Lord has written, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” [JAMES 4:2b-3]. Having read James’ assessment of my prayers, let me consider the requests I present before the Master. Let me dare ask boldly for some great thing of the Master, for He is a great God, able to do far more than I could ever imagine. How dare I demean God by making some piddling request for some trifling desire that I could probably do myself or by asking Him to do what any mere mortal could do! Haven’t we spent enough time asking God to bless soggy cornflakes rather than asking Him to do some great thing?
What great thing do you want the Lord to do for you? What great thing would you ask so that when He answers it will be obvious that the Lord alone has done that thing, so that He receives glory? Dare ask God to do something worthy of a God so great that He can do anything!
And that is my challenge to you who hear me in this hour: ask the Lord for some great thing! Make the request so audacious that it seems impossible for anyone other than the Living God to deliver the answer. It may be a request for a matter of your health, or the health of a loved one. It may be that you are making a request concerning a relationship that seems fractured beyond all repairs. Perhaps it is a request for the Lord to use you to minister to a family member or to serve the need of a dear friend. What I’m challenging you to do at this hour is to imagine some great thing that God alone can do. Then, boldly come before the Throne of Grace to present that request before the Lord, daring to ask Him to act as He alone can act.
Encourage your heart by recalling how we are taught, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” [HEBREWS 4:14-16]. The Son of God is passing by now, and as He passes, this becomes your opportunity to cry out. Hear Him as He asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Tommy Walker, “He Knows My Name,” 1996
[3] Queen Elizabeth II visits New Westminster 1983 - Bing video, accessed 25 May 2023
