Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
New Vision
Luke 18:35-43
Vs. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has
saved you.”
God often uses the most simple and unlikely people to teach us the
most profound spiritual lessons. And the same holds true in this passage
where we are able to learn from the blind beggar that Jesus heals as he
approached Jericho. In order to learn from the blind beggar, we must all
admit that we are spiritually without vision and spiritually impoverished.
Without Jesus in our lives, we will remain in darkness, in a state of
spiritual blindness. Not only will we be rendered blind, but we will be
reduced to being spiritually destitute, left without anything of real spiritual
value to bless and enrich our lives
In this passage, the blind beggar intrinsically realized his need
for both physical and spiritual healing. Thus, when he heard that Jesus
was passing by, he immediately began to shout and cry out for help, for he knew
that Jesus was the only one who could provide what he needed. Even when others
tried to discourage him, he cried even louder to draw Jesus’s gracious
attention. The blind man’s humble plea for help and his faithful
persistence imply that he was truly hopeful that Jesus could actually save and
heal him.
What we are to understand is that Jesus still provides this
great hope for each and every one of us today. All that Jesus requires is
that we come to him humbly and faithfully, admitting our spiritual poverty.
When the blind beggar calls out to Jesus saying – “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!” – he is confessing that he is in desperate need of God’s
grace and mercy. Thus, we are called to confess the same, so that when we
experience the healing of God’s grace and mercy, we will be humbled by it and
not become haughty.
When the blind man received God’s grace and healing, he was
humbled by it and responded gratefully to it by immediately following Jesus and
glorifying God. We have to remember that are recipients of God’s grace and
mercy each and every day of life. The question before us is this: how do we
respond to God’s grace? Often times, we consume divine blessings without
even an afterthought of appreciation. We have to remind ourselves that we
actually do nothing to merit or earn God’s grace and blessings. These are
offered to us freely out of God’s great and unconditional love for us.
Thus, we should be humbled and should be led to following Jesus and
serving him with our whole hearts so that we can faithfully and fruitfully live
for the glory of our Lord.
PRAYER
Loving God, we pray
that you provide us the vision to see your loving-kindness in all instances of
our lives. Help us to be thankful for all the times that we have been
healed by your mercy and grace. Enable us, O Lord, to faithfully respond
to you with hearts of humility and implant in us the desire to serve you all
the days of our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
we pray. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“For grace is given
not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do
them.” (Saint Augustine)
Luke 18:35-43
Vs. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has
saved you.”
God often uses the most simple and unlikely people to teach us the
most profound spiritual lessons. And the same holds true in this passage
where we are able to learn from the blind beggar that Jesus heals as he
approached Jericho. In order to learn from the blind beggar, we must all
admit that we are spiritually without vision and spiritually impoverished.
Without Jesus in our lives, we will remain in darkness, in a state of
spiritual blindness. Not only will we be rendered blind, but we will be
reduced to being spiritually destitute, left without anything of real spiritual
value to bless and enrich our lives
In this passage, the blind beggar intrinsically realized his need
for both physical and spiritual healing. Thus, when he heard that Jesus
was passing by, he immediately began to shout and cry out for help, for he knew
that Jesus was the only one who could provide what he needed. Even when others
tried to discourage him, he cried even louder to draw Jesus’s gracious
attention. The blind man’s humble plea for help and his faithful
persistence imply that he was truly hopeful that Jesus could actually save and
heal him.
What we are to understand is that Jesus still provides this
great hope for each and every one of us today. All that Jesus requires is
that we come to him humbly and faithfully, admitting our spiritual poverty.
When the blind beggar calls out to Jesus saying – “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!” – he is confessing that he is in desperate need of God’s
grace and mercy. Thus, we are called to confess the same, so that when we
experience the healing of God’s grace and mercy, we will be humbled by it and
not become haughty.
When the blind man received God’s grace and healing, he was
humbled by it and responded gratefully to it by immediately following Jesus and
glorifying God. We have to remember that are recipients of God’s grace and
mercy each and every day of life. The question before us is this: how do we
respond to God’s grace? Often times, we consume divine blessings without
even an afterthought of appreciation. We have to remind ourselves that we
actually do nothing to merit or earn God’s grace and blessings. These are
offered to us freely out of God’s great and unconditional love for us.
Thus, we should be humbled and should be led to following Jesus and
serving him with our whole hearts so that we can faithfully and fruitfully live
for the glory of our Lord.
PRAYER
Loving God, we pray
that you provide us the vision to see your loving-kindness in all instances of
our lives. Help us to be thankful for all the times that we have been
healed by your mercy and grace. Enable us, O Lord, to faithfully respond
to you with hearts of humility and implant in us the desire to serve you all
the days of our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
we pray. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“For grace is given
not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do
them.” (Saint Augustine)