When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
—Luke 18:36-37
One day as Jesus traveled, a large crowd followed Him. Beside the road was a blind man. Since there was no system to care for the disabled and chronically ill, the man had to resort to begging on the street corners.
When he heard that Jesus was in the crowd, he immediately began to shout. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
At first, the crowd ignores him, so the beggar gets louder. He begins to shout as if his life depends on it. The crowd tells him to quiet down. They criticize him.
He turns a deaf ear to these words. Today, he cannot stop thinking about the power of Jesus. If I can only get the Rabbi’s attention, he thinks.
Finally, the crowd quiets, and someone says, “Come forward.”
His heart pounds as he stands and makes his way to Jesus. He’s dreamed of this moment his whole life. He grew up hearing the Messiah would come to give sight to the blind.
When Jesus asks him for his request, he licks his cracked lips, “Lord, I want to see.” His words are simple, a beggar hoping for table scraps.
“Your faith has healed you,” Jesus says as blinding light fills the man’s visual field. He falls to his knees, overwhelmed by all of the colors and shapes around him.
If you’re seeking a miracle, don’t give up. Like the beggar, be persistent. Keep calling out, keep seeking Jesus. Just as Christ had mercy on the beggar, may He have mercy on you.
God, help me to be persistent even when it feels like my prayers are going unheard. You are listening, and You see me right where I am. Help me to believe this and walk in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
