Word@Work Luke280 - Luke 18:40-43
Published: Thu, 01/27/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
CONFIDENT CRYING
Luke 18:40-43 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. (NIV)
Prayer is not complicated. The word simply means a 'cry'. This blind man cried out to the Lord, the Son of David, to have mercy on him (Luke 18:35-39). The beggar was not a theologian or known to be religiously pious, but his heart told him that he could and must cry out to Jesus. His heart told him that although he was not holy, and Jesus was, he could shout to be heard above the crowd and ask for mercy. So when Jesus called the blind man to Him, he knew that Jesus was already responding to his cry. When Jesus asked what he wanted, He got a straightforward reply.
The desperate man was quite clear - he wanted to be able to see. There was no discussion of his sin, social isolation or religious ignorance. Jesus had heard enough - the man's desperation for Jesus, his heartfelt cry for mercy and a request which only Jesus could grant. He may have been a blind beggar, but he believed in Jesus. He had faith that Jesus was a person with enormous compassion - so it was safe to cry out to Him: He was the Messiah who would be merciful to sinners, so it was essential to confess sin and be put right with God: He was the King who could do anything - and so it was wise to ask Him to do what nobody else could.
Faith in Jesus is still about that wholehearted commitment to seek Him, ask for mercy, be honest with Him and expect His sovereign response. Hebrews 4:16 puts it like this, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." True faith will dare to cry out to the Lord, trusting Him alone and willing to receive whatever response He knows is best; in the same way that a child will cry out to a parent. Alas, all parents are faulty in one way or another and therefore will disappoint our children sometimes, allowing some to build uncertainty about future parental responses. But Father God is perfect in every way; He never disappoints and is totally consistent in His character. So, whatever our experiences of other people may be, let us determine that we can and must cry out to the Lord in faith. We will be amazed at His wise and compassionate response. And don't forget to tell others to come boldly to Jesus and do the same!
Prayer: Most loving and merciful Heavenly Father. Thank You that You never despise the heartfelt cry of faith. You are so wonderfully compassionate and yet I often ignore the vastness of Your mercy and the largeness of Your grace. So I ask for Your forgiveness for the times when I worry, despair and try to manage life by myself instead of crying out to You in faith. Forgive me for assuming that You are like the people who have disappointed me. Help me to relearn the simple art of crying out to You, laying myself at Your feet for mercy and being honest with You about my need. And as I do so, please help me to encourage my friends and family to do the same, because only You have all power and authority over everything. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Prayer is not complicated. The word simply means a 'cry'. This blind man cried out to the Lord, the Son of David, to have mercy on him (Luke 18:35-39). The beggar was not a theologian or known to be religiously pious, but his heart told him that he could and must cry out to Jesus. His heart told him that although he was not holy, and Jesus was, he could shout to be heard above the crowd and ask for mercy. So when Jesus called the blind man to Him, he knew that Jesus was already responding to his cry. When Jesus asked what he wanted, He got a straightforward reply.
The desperate man was quite clear - he wanted to be able to see. There was no discussion of his sin, social isolation or religious ignorance. Jesus had heard enough - the man's desperation for Jesus, his heartfelt cry for mercy and a request which only Jesus could grant. He may have been a blind beggar, but he believed in Jesus. He had faith that Jesus was a person with enormous compassion - so it was safe to cry out to Him: He was the Messiah who would be merciful to sinners, so it was essential to confess sin and be put right with God: He was the King who could do anything - and so it was wise to ask Him to do what nobody else could.
Faith in Jesus is still about that wholehearted commitment to seek Him, ask for mercy, be honest with Him and expect His sovereign response. Hebrews 4:16 puts it like this, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." True faith will dare to cry out to the Lord, trusting Him alone and willing to receive whatever response He knows is best; in the same way that a child will cry out to a parent. Alas, all parents are faulty in one way or another and therefore will disappoint our children sometimes, allowing some to build uncertainty about future parental responses. But Father God is perfect in every way; He never disappoints and is totally consistent in His character. So, whatever our experiences of other people may be, let us determine that we can and must cry out to the Lord in faith. We will be amazed at His wise and compassionate response. And don't forget to tell others to come boldly to Jesus and do the same!
Prayer: Most loving and merciful Heavenly Father. Thank You that You never despise the heartfelt cry of faith. You are so wonderfully compassionate and yet I often ignore the vastness of Your mercy and the largeness of Your grace. So I ask for Your forgiveness for the times when I worry, despair and try to manage life by myself instead of crying out to You in faith. Forgive me for assuming that You are like the people who have disappointed me. Help me to relearn the simple art of crying out to You, laying myself at Your feet for mercy and being honest with You about my need. And as I do so, please help me to encourage my friends and family to do the same, because only You have all power and authority over everything. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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