There are moments in the ministry of Jesus when His words fall like a key into the lock of the human heart—turning something, opening something, revealing something that changes everything about how we relate to Him. Matthew 9 contains one of those moments. It is only a sentence, only a breath, yet it holds the power to reshape how we think about faith, how we understand relationship with Jesus, and how we experience His transforming presence.
The words are simple:
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
They are not spoken to a crowd.
They are not part of a sermon.
They are not addressed to the religious elite or to a skeptic or to an enemy.
They are spoken privately—intimately—to two blind men who have followed Jesus inside a house.
Matthew tells the story with remarkable stillness. The chapter is full of movement: Jesus crossing the sea, healing a paralytic, calling Matthew, eating with sinners, raising a young girl, healing a woman with a hemorrhage, restoring speech to the mute. The pace is rapid, the scenes vivid. Then suddenly, everything slows down. Two blind men follow Jesus into a house, crying out with a title loaded with meaning:
“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
This is not casual language.
“Son of David” is a Messianic title—a declaration of Jesus’ royal identity, His promised authority, His covenant lineage. These two men have no physical sight, yet they see Jesus more clearly than most of the people who can see Him.
But recognizing who Jesus is does not yet constitute faith.
Believing He is the Messiah does not yet constitute faith.
Following Him into the house does not yet constitute faith.
Faith has not yet begun, because faith requires something deeper than belief.
It requires trust.
It requires attachment.
It requires surrender.
It requires what the first sermon in this series uncovered—
faith wants Jesus’ heart, and gives Him yours.
Now Jesus turns to them and asks the question that exposes the human soul:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
If we pause long enough, we can feel the weight of that question. Jesus is not testing their theology. He is not asking them to describe the mechanics of healing or articulate their doctrinal positions. He is not probing their intellectual beliefs. He is asking something far more personal and far more revealing:
“Do you trust Me?”
Not “Do you believe healing is possible?”
Not “Do you think miracles happen?”
Not “Do you believe God can?”
He brings the question into the realm of relationship:
“Do you believe I am able…?”
This is the dividing line between belief and faith.
Belief affirms facts.
Faith attaches itself to a Person.
Belief says, “God can.”
Faith says, “Jesus, I trust You.”
Belief observes possibilities.
Faith entrusts the self.
Belief is about information.
Faith is about relationship.
The journey from belief to faith always requires this question.
It is the question Jesus asks every heart that comes close to Him:
“Do you believe I am able?
Do you believe I am trustworthy?
Do you believe I am enough?
Do you believe I can do what you cannot?”
What happens next is stunning in its simplicity. They answer Him with only two words, yet these two words contain the entire posture of biblical faith:
“Yes, Lord.”
There is no negotiation.
No hesitation.
No explanation.
No justification.
No self-defense.
No attempt to prove worthiness.
Just surrender.
Just submission.
Just trust.
“Yes, Lord.”
This is the confession that moves mountains.
This is the confession that opens blind eyes.
This is the confession that welcomes grace.
This is the confession that reveals allegiance.
These two words are the shortest prayer of true faith in Scripture.
They declare:
“We trust Your ability.
We trust Your authority.
We trust Your heart.”
They do not merely believe that Jesus can—
they believe that Jesus will.
They believe He is not only powerful but willing.
Not only capable but compassionate.
Not only sovereign but merciful.
Their “Yes, Lord” is the bridge between belief and faith.
And then comes the sentence that becomes the centerpiece of this sermon:
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
Jesus does not say:
“According to your desperation…”
“According to your need…”
“According to your suffering…”
“According to your words…”
“According to your good behavior…”
“According to your emotions…”
He says:
“According to your faith…”
That is a breathtaking statement.
Jesus is saying:
“What I do in your life is connected to the trust you place in Me.”
Not because faith earns the miracle—
but because faith opens the heart to receive what Jesus delights to give.
The miracle is not a reward.
The miracle is a response.
Faith is not currency;
it is connection.
It is the posture that receives grace.
It is the open hand that accepts what Jesus is already willing to offer.
It is the “Yes, Lord” that gives Him access to our deepest need.
When Jesus touches their eyes and says these words, heaven breaks through. What they could not do—what no doctor could do—what their families had stopped praying for—what years of darkness had convinced them would never change—changes in an instant.
But Jesus insists on tying the miracle to the faith, not the moment:
“According to your faith…”
Because Jesus is not simply opening their physical eyes.
He is opening their spiritual vision.
He is teaching them—and He is teaching us—
that the way into transformation is not through belief alone,
but through trust that relinquishes control,
trust that confesses “Yes, Lord,”
trust that holds nothing back.
This is the very heart of the sermon.
This is the movement from belief to faith.
Belief brings you into the house.
Faith brings you into surrender.
Belief says, “I know who You are.”
Faith says, “I trust who You are.”
Belief follows Jesus.
Faith places your helplessness into His hands.
Belief recognizes His identity.
Faith rests in His ability.
Belief sees what Jesus can do.
Faith believes Jesus can do it for me.
The journey from belief to faith always travels through the doorway of “Yes, Lord.”
This is what distinguishes the blind men from the crowd.
The crowd believes.
The Pharisees believe.
Even the demons believe.
But faith is different.
Faith attaches.
Faith surrenders.
Faith obeys.
Faith says “Yes, Lord,” not “Yes, doctrine.”
And Jesus always responds to faith.
Always.
This was the message of the grateful leper.
This was the message of the woman who touched His garment.
This is the message of the two blind men.
This will be the message of every heart that moves from belief to faith.
Because Jesus still asks this question today:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
The “this” will be different in every life.
But the question is always the same.
Your “this” may be healing.
It may be forgiveness.
It may be freedom from something that has chained you for years.
It may be courage for a step you’ve been avoiding.
It may be restoration in your family.
It may be strength for grief.
It may be clarity where you have been confused.
Jesus asks not because He doesn’t know—
but because He wants your heart.
He wants your trust.
Your surrender.
Your “Yes, Lord.”
And the miracle, the breakthrough, the transformation—
they all begin there.
Let's take a deeper look into the heart-level transformation that happens when a person moves from belief to faith. Because this moment with the two blind men is not an isolated miracle. It is a revelation of how Jesus relates to every one of us.
And to understand it fully, we must look at the path the blind men took to reach this moment. Their journey reveals what faith does—the movement, the posture, the surrender that belief alone does not produce.
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THE JOURNEY OF FAITH: FOLLOWING WITHOUT SEEING
The story begins with motion.
Matthew writes:
“Two blind men followed Him…” (Matthew 9:27)
Think about that.
Blind men… followed Him.
Following Jesus is difficult enough when you can see.
Following when you cannot see—
when every step is guesswork,
when every movement risks stumbling,
when every moment requires dependence—
that is a picture of faith.
Belief stands still.
Faith follows.
Belief evaluates.
Faith obeys.
Belief watches from a distance.
Faith moves toward Jesus even when vision is limited.
These men do not wait for Jesus to notice them.
They do not wait for perfect conditions.
They do not wait for the right moment.
They do not wait until they have answers.
They follow.
That is the first step from belief to faith.
Faith moves, even without sight.
Faith follows Jesus into spaces that are unfamiliar.
Faith is willing to walk into a house with Him even when the path is unclear.
It is no accident that the miracle happens inside the house.
Not outside with the crowd.
Not in the chaos of the street.
Not in the noise of the public.
Faith follows Jesus into deeper places.
Jesus often performs miracles privately because faith is intimate, not performative.
He wanted to meet these men heart to heart, not simply grant them public spectacle.
Some miracles Jesus performs in public.
But the greatest transformations often happen in quiet spaces—
inside houses, inside hearts, inside the places most people never see.
Faith follows Jesus into those spaces.
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THE CRY OF FAITH: MERCY, NOT MERIT
As they follow, they cry out repeatedly:
“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
This cry is the language of faith.
Faith does not come demanding.
Faith does not come bargaining.
Faith does not come boasting in its worthiness.
Faith comes empty-handed.
Faith comes without credentials.
Faith comes without conditions.
Faith reaches not because it has something to offer, but because it has nothing left but trust.
“Have mercy” is not a phrase of theology.
It is the cry of a heart that has come to the end of its resources and the end of its excuses.
Many believe Jesus can help.
Faith says, “I need Your mercy.”
Many believe Jesus is powerful.
Faith says, “I surrender.”
Many believe Jesus exists.
Faith calls Him “Lord.”
You cannot move from belief to faith until you let go of merit and hold onto mercy.
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THE QUESTION THAT DIVIDES BELIEF FROM FAITH
When they finally reach Jesus inside the house, He asks:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
It is not a test of fact.
It is a test of trust.
Belief answers the question: “Is this possible?”
Faith answers the question: “Is Jesus enough?”
Belief is about capability.
Faith is about relationship.
Belief says, “I know He can.”
Faith says, “I know He will.”
Belief acknowledges truth.
Faith entrusts the heart.
And their answer is immediate, unembellished, and deeply profound:
“Yes, Lord.”
Those two words overturn the entire architecture of religious striving.
They are the shortest but strongest confession in all of Scripture.
“Yes”—You are able.
“Lord”—I yield to Your authority.
Not “Yes, Teacher.”
Not “Yes, Miracle Worker.”
Not “Yes, Rabbi.”
Not even “Yes, Son of David.”
But:
“Yes, Lord.”
This is what moves a person from belief into faith.
Not simply believing facts about Jesus,
but bowing the heart beneath His Lordship.
Faith is always relational.
Faith is always surrendered.
Faith is always personal.
The miracle flows not because of the words they speak,
but because of the heart posture those words represent.
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THE TOUCH OF JESUS: FROM INFORMATION TO TRANSFORMATION
Jesus then touches their eyes.
Never underestimate the significance of touch in Scripture.
Jesus could have healed with a word.
He could have healed from a distance.
He could have healed in silence.
Instead, He touches their blindness.
He touches the place of deepest need.
He touches the place of suffering.
He touches the place they could not fix on their own.
This is what faith allows Him to do.
Faith gives Jesus access to what belief keeps hidden.
Faith says, “Here, touch the place where I cannot see.
Touch the place where I am still broken.
Touch the place where I am helpless.”
He touches the need—
then speaks the truth:
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
Not according to:
your need
your desperation
your history
your worthiness
your pain
your efforts
your knowledge
But according to:
your faith.
This is the turning point in the sermon.
Jesus is teaching them—and us—that He works in proportion to the heart we surrender, not in proportion to the circumstance we face.
He is not measuring their strength.
He is measuring their trust.
He is not rewarding performance.
He is responding to faith.
He is not looking for impressive belief statements.
He is looking for hearts that lean entirely on Him.
“According to your faith” is Jesus saying:
“I will fill as much of your life as you are willing to open to Me.”
Faith is the opening.
Faith is the invitation.
Faith is the vessel that grace fills.
And then—just like that—
light floods eyes that have known nothing but darkness.
They see.
But it is not just physical sight.
It is spiritual revelation.
The miracle confirms what their hearts already knew:
Jesus is Lord.
Jesus is able.
Jesus is trustworthy.
Jesus is worthy of surrender.
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THE WARNING AND THE WITNESS
Jesus tells them not to tell anyone.
This is not because He wants secrecy.
It is because He wants purity of motive.
He does not want to be reduced to a spectacle or a miracle vending machine.
But Matthew tells us:
“They went out and spread His fame everywhere.”
Their faith becomes witness.
Their transformation becomes testimony.
Their healing becomes proclamation.
This is the natural progression of true faith:
Faith ? Transformation ? Testimony.
Belief does not produce witness.
Faith does.
Belief does not produce obedience.
Faith does.
Belief does not produce devotion.
Faith does.
Belief says, “I received a miracle.”
Faith says, “I cannot keep Jesus to myself.”
Their eyes are opened—
their hearts overflow.
This is what happens when a person moves from belief to faith:
the heart becomes so full of Jesus that the mouth cannot stay silent.
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THE HEART OF JESUS IN THIS STORY
Above all, this passage reveals something astonishing about Jesus:
He is not just healing eyes.
He is shaping faith.
He is not merely solving problems.
He is forming disciples.
He is not granting blessings.
He is deepening relationship.
He is not asking for belief.
He is asking for hearts.
When Jesus asks, “Do you believe I am able to do this?”
He is not seeking information—
He is seeking trust.
When He says, “According to your faith…”
He is not measuring them—
He is inviting them into deeper relationship.
Faith opens the door to intimacy with Jesus.
Faith clears the space for His presence.
Faith draws His compassion.
Faith reaches His heart.
And faith—always—receives sight.
Because the greatest miracle in this passage is not that two blind men see,
but that they come to know the One who sees them.
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Let's consider what this story means for us right now. Because this passage is not simply about two blind men—it is about the way Jesus works in every willing heart.
The real miracle in this passage is not only the restoration of sight.
The real miracle is the unveiling of how faith operates—how grace flows—how transformation becomes possible for ordinary people who respond to Jesus with trust, surrender, and obedience.
In this final movement, we look at the larger implications:
Why did Jesus ask the question?
Why did He tie the miracle to faith?
Why does this matter to us today?
Because every one of us comes to Jesus blind in some area.
Blind to ourselves.
Blind to our calling.
Blind to God’s goodness in the midst of pain.
Blind to the patterns that hold us hostage.
Blind to the next step we need to take.
And Jesus is still asking,
“Do you believe I am able to do this?”
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THE UNIVERSAL QUESTION JESUS STILL ASKS
Jesus asked the blind men what He still asks every human soul. The wording changes depending on the circumstance, but the heart of the question remains the same.
To the person struggling with addiction: “Do you believe I am able to free you?”
To the person carrying shame from years ago: “Do you believe I can forgive you fully?”
To the one grieving a deep loss:
“Do you believe I can walk with you through this valley?”
To the person carrying guilt, regret, or self-hate: “Do you believe I can restore the parts of your heart that feel beyond repair?”
To the person who has been praying for a breakthrough for years: “Do you believe I am still able?”
To the person afraid to take the next step: “Do you believe I am able to guide you?”
To the person whose faith has grown tired, thin, or mechanical:
“Do you believe I can renew the fire in your soul?”
Behind every question stands the same invitation:
Trust Me.
Surrender to Me.
Lean into Me.
Jesus never asks, “Do you believe you are able?”
Faith does not begin with self-confidence.
Faith begins with Christ-confidence.
He asks,
“Do you believe I am able?”
Because faith is not about what you can do.
Faith is about who He is.
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THE GENTLE CONFRONTATION OF FAITH
That question forces a holy evaluation of the heart.
Because many people believe Jesus exists—
but don’t believe He is able.
Many believe Jesus is powerful—
but don’t believe He is willing.
Many believe Jesus works miracles for others—
but don’t believe He would do it for them.
Many believe Jesus saves sinners—
but struggle to believe He could save them.
The question confronts the hidden places of unbelief we carry:
the wounds that whisper “God forgot you”
the disappointments that mutter “God doesn’t care”
the failures that suggest “God can’t use you”
the fears that warn “God might let you fall”
Yet Jesus stands before the trembling heart and asks:
“Do you believe I am able?”
Not as a test—
but as an invitation into freedom.
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WHEN JESUS SAYS, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH,” HE IS REVEALING A LAW OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
This sentence is more than a moment in Scripture.
It is a principle of how God’s grace flows into the human soul.
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
Not to your status,
your education,
your spiritual résumé,
your performance,
your heritage,
your emotions,
your achievements,
your track record.
Jesus ties His work to one thing:
Faith.
Why?
Because faith opens the heart.
Faith makes room for the presence of God.
Faith replaces fear with surrender.
Faith removes the barriers that unbelief raises.
Faith releases the grip of control.
Faith says, “I give You permission to touch the places I cannot fix.”
This is why Scripture says:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
“The just shall live by faith.”
“We walk by faith, not by sight.”
“Your faith has made you well.”
“Be it to you according to your faith.”
Faith is the atmosphere where the Spirit moves.
Faith is the soil where miracles grow.
Faith is the posture where grace flows freely.
Belief acknowledges truth.
Faith activates truth.
Belief informs.
Faith transforms.
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THE TWO BLIND MEN BECOME A BLUEPRINT FOR US
Their journey is our journey. Their confession is our confession. Their surrender is our surrender. Their miracle is the picture of what faith will always do—open the door for Jesus to reveal His power and His compassion.
Let’s trace their steps again, this time through our own hearts:
1. They followed Jesus.
Faith always begins with motion.
You take the step before you have the sight.
2. They cried for mercy.
Faith admits its need.
Faith does not hide brokenness.
Faith knows where to bring pain.
3. They entered the house with Him.
Faith accepts intimacy.
Faith steps into the private places where Jesus does deep work.
4. They answered His question.
Faith gives voice to trust.
Faith speaks surrender.
Faith says, “Yes, Lord,” not “Yes, possibly.”
5. They received His touch.
Faith allows Jesus access to the wounds and weaknesses.
Faith invites transformation.
6. They became witnesses.
Faith cannot stay silent.
Faith always overflows into testimony.
This is not simply their story.
It is the pattern of spiritual life.
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WHY THIS SERMON MATTERS TO MODERN HEARERS
Because we live in a world overflowing with belief—
but starving for faith.
Millions believe in God.
Millions believe in Christ.
Millions believe in Scripture.
Millions believe in the possibility of miracles.
But belief has not changed them.
Belief has not healed them.
Belief has not anchored them.
Belief has not brought them into intimacy with Jesus.
Belief that never becomes faith leaves people stuck, blind, and spiritually exhausted.
Faith, however—
real faith—
faith that trusts, surrenders, moves, and responds—
faith that says “Yes, Lord”—
changes everything.
Faith restores spiritual sight.
Faith breaks chains.
Faith brings you into the house where Jesus heals privately.
Faith draws His touch.
Faith unlocks grace.
Faith opens a future that belief alone cannot enter.
This sermon matters because too many people live on the porch of belief and never step into the living room of faith.
And Jesus stands at the doorway asking,
“Do you believe I am able to do this?”
That question is the doorway.
“According to your faith” is the pathway.
Healing is the outcome.
Relationship is the reward.
Testimony is the overflow.
Sight—true, spiritual sight—is the miracle.
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BRINGING THE MESSAGE HOME
Everyone here has something they’re facing—
something they need Jesus to touch.
A need.
A wound.
A fear.
A burden.
A prayer.
A mountain.
A weakness.
A longing.
And Jesus does not ask whether they think it’s possible.
He asks whether they trust Him.
Faith does not deny the impossibility.
Faith magnifies the One who stands in front of it.
Faith looks at the mountain and then looks at Jesus and says,
“Yes, Lord.”
Faith sees no path but follows Him anyway.
Faith sees no cure but seeks Him anyway.
Faith sees no hope but cries, “Have mercy!”
Faith sees no reason why it should be blessed but trusts His heart anyway.
Faith is not sight.
Faith is movement in the dark toward the One who is Light.
And when faith opens the door,
Jesus does what only He can do.
He touches.
He heals.
He restores.
He transforms.
He reveals Himself.
And the words spoken in that quiet house become the words spoken over every trusting heart:
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
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APPEAL
There is a moment in the story when everything becomes still—
when the blind men stand before Jesus,
when their entire future hangs on a single question:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
And they answer with two words that changed everything:
“Yes, Lord.”
Today, Jesus asks you the same question.
Not because He needs information,
but because He desires your trust.
Every heart in this room has a “this.”
Some have carried it for years.
Some have hidden it behind a smile.
Some have prayed until the words ran dry.
Some have tried to manage it alone.
Some have grown weary of asking.
But the question stands:
Do you believe He is able to do this?
Able to break what binds you.
Able to forgive what haunts you.
Able to restore what was lost.
Able to heal what has been wounded.
Able to guide where you cannot see.
Able to renew what has grown cold.
Able to lift what feels too heavy.
Faith does not begin with strength—
faith begins with surrender.
Faith begins with “Yes, Lord.”
Not “Yes, if…”
Not “Yes, when…”
Not “Yes, unless…”
Not “Yes, after I fix myself…”
Just: “Yes, Lord.”
That is the doorway from belief into faith.
That is the moment grace flows freely.
That is where Jesus meets you—
in the honesty of your need
and the simplicity of your surrender.
So today, I ask you gently, lovingly, earnestly:
What is the “this” you need to lay before Him?
Where do you need His touch?
What door must you follow Him through?
Where is He asking for trust?
Let your heart answer Him now.
Let your faith speak.
Let the miracle begin where the words form on your lips:
“Yes, Lord.”
And hear Him speak back to you:
“According to your faith be it unto you.”
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CLOSING PRAYER
Father in heaven,
we come to You as those blind men came—
following without seeing,
crying out for mercy,
needing what only Jesus can give.
We confess that many times we have lived on the edge of belief
but have not stepped into the fullness of faith.
We have believed You could work in others’ lives,
but we have struggled to trust You with our own.
Lord Jesus, today we bring You our “this”—
our wounds, our fears, our unanswered questions,
our hidden battles, our broken places.
We place them in Your hands.
Teach us to pray those two small but powerful words:
“Yes, Lord.”
Yes to Your will.
Yes to Your ability.
Yes to Your presence.
Yes to Your touch.
Yes to Your transforming power.
Open our eyes, Lord—
not only to see what You can do,
but to see who You are.
And may it be done unto us
according to our faith—
faith that You awaken,
faith that You nurture,
faith that rests in Your love.
In the holy name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
