Two Blind Men Healed - Bible Reflections - Why to Repeat the Short 'Jesus Prayer' Often

By Tony Joe:

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:27-31:

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”  

When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, 

"Do you believe that I can do this?" 

"Yes, Lord," they said to him.

Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."

And their eyes were opened. 

Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."

But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Two Blind Men Healed - Bible Reflections:

Why to Repeat the Short 'Jesus Prayer' Often:

Chapter 9 of the Gospel According to St. Matthew is a glorious one packed with several miraculous healings of Jesus.

These miracles happen during the beginning of His ministry in Galilee, soon after the first disciples are selected, and soon after Christ teaches them as well as the crowds that used to gather around Him or follow Him, about almost all His core lessons about the Kingdom of God. 

These teachings, including the Beatitudes, are described in Chapters 4 to 7.

It is in Chapters 8 and 9 that we find Him doing many of his famous healings. While His healings are mentioned in earlier Chapters too, it is here that the healings attain momentum, causing St. Matthew to record in Chapter 9 that "every sickness and every disease among the people" were healed by Him.

This is a specific pattern that Jesus set - first repentance and then healing - which is a pattern later followed by his disciples as seen in the Acts of the Apostles.

Coming to today's specific Bible verse too - about two blind beggars getting healed - we see this pattern getting repeated. But more about it, shortly.  

The first thing that attracts attention about the two blind beggars is their camaraderie. Despite being struck with great misfortune, they have found solace in each other's company, so that they can explore even rare possibilities. Having each other for company, had helped them to keep their hopes alive.

It is a lesson in life that many of us might find useful. We need human support systems too.

Also, as Christ Himself has put it elsewhere in the Gospels, requests as a group are taken more seriously by God. As Jesus has put it, even when groups of two or three pray, He has promised to be amidst them!

Next to note is the alertness of these blind guys. Despite having unlucky lives, see how alert they are to opportunities.

Their alertness prompts us all to ponder whether we have been similarly alert when God gave us divine inspirations, when He was passing by our lives! Most believers would have experienced such junctures in their lives, that are now worth only rueing about.

If the blind beggars were alert to this opportunity, they would have exhibited this level of alertness on many previous occasions too.

However, after hearing from neighbours about which prominent person was passing by, they would have kept quiet during such previous occasions. Down, but not out.

But this time it is different. God is passing by. Make no mistake about the beggars' conviction that it is God.

Why, you may wonder. Just observe how they address Him - "Son of David..." Nothing less. 

For community members living one thousand years after King David's death, this salutation meant only one thing - that they regarded Jesus as the Saviour that God promised mankind, the Messiah, the Son of God.

This is the next lesson from this Gospel passage.

Let us get that point straight without any confusion. If we want to request Jesus anything, we have to acknowledge our faith, and address Him as Son of God.

Next comes their persistence. They just don't request once, and leave it at that. They run after Jesus, enter the house He enters, and repeats their request.

Again, as Jesus has said elsewhere in the Gospels, persistence in prayer is vital for our requests to be granted by God.

The most important message from this incident is, however, the nature of the blind men's request. And this is what I promised to revisit, earlier on in this reflection.

What did they request to Jesus, really? Nothing but, "...have pity on us!"

In other words, show kindness to us, show forgiveness to us, have mercy on us.

That is the most powerful key to prayer, embedded in this reading as well as several other Gospel passages.

Don't just request Jesus for whatever you want. Seek His compassion first. Beg for forgiveness. Plead for leniency.

Why is God so particular about this? Because, no other form of prayer - be it thanks, or adoration, or praise - acknowledges the basic truth that we are all horrible sinners before God!

Acknowledge that first, before seeking anything else, and you greatly raise the chances of your prayers being heard.

To put it differently, it is our unpardoned sins that prevent God from granting our prayers.

This is a spiritual truth of great mystery for most people, but something that these poor beggars were naturally aware of due to their innate humbleness.

This same power is exemplified in one of the greatest prayers or chants of Christianity, popularly known as the 'Jesus Prayer', which reads, "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner."

Next in this reflection, let us see whether the blind beggars asked for restoration of sight. No!

There is no need either, as God knows our most urgent needs, even before we ask, as Jesus Himself has taught us. This should give us confidence to speak less during our prayers.

Finally, we arrive at another important lesson from this Gospel passage, which is the necessity to have faith.

We see Jesus checking them whether they have the requisite faith. The message is loud and clear - only if they have the faith, He could heal them.

Whenever we too pray for anything, we can be sure of this same question from Jesus - "Do you believe that I can do this?" 

What would be our reply be? 

If we believe Him to be Son of God, our answer would surely be as the blind beggars - "Yes, Lord!"

How to bring together all these lessons in a simple way?  

Turn to the famous 'Jesus Prayer' which indeed brings together the acknowledgment of our faith and our need for mercy, in a short, power-packed cry - "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner."