St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:34b, Touched by Compassion.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Blind men of Jericho) Part 10. 

Christ asked them what would they have him do for them.  They wanted more than anything else to have their sight.  They wanted to experience all that they had heard, all that they had smelt, all that they had tasted without their eyes.  And they wanted more than anything else to be able to not be beggars.  They wanted independence where they could provide for themselves.  They wanted to see.

All their lives they lived in darkness.  They sat by the roadside and begged for their living not being able to provide for themselves.  All their lives they were dependent upon what ever the passersby gave them, be it a penny or not, a crust of bread or not, a rebuff, a curse, a kick or not.  They were dependent upon the mood of the passerby.  They had no choice.  They were like children who were not loved, children without parents, children lost.  But Christ was there.  He came by their road.  He heard their cries.  He was moved with compassion for his lost children.  And he:  "Touched their eyes." 

Many times we are like the two blind men, lost in the world, trying to find our way.  We get caught up in the whirlwinds of life not knowing where we are going, being blown by the whims of the wind that comes our way.  Our friends, our relatives, the media, where we live all provide the environment that move us one way or the other.  We are led and influenced by what comes our way and like the two blind men, we follow where we are led.

Some may say that they are in control of their lives.  Some may believe that they are independent of the winds that surround them.  They believe that their lives are together and do not worry like those less fortunate then themselves.  How blind are they?  Do they have direction?  Do they have purpose?  Do they have the knowledge that comes from within?  Christ touched the eyes of the two blind men, but even more he touched their souls.  He opened their hearts that they might know that they were not lost even though they were blind.  He let them know that they were loved and cherished by their Father in heaven.

Have you been touched by his compassion?  Do you know his love?  Have you felt the truth of who you are in him?  His love will change you.  His touch will give you life.  His compassion will change your life forever and you will know who you are in him.  The world we live in, is death.  The world he lives in, is life.  Come!  Know the life that is within you and you too will be free.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:34a, Compassion.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The blind men at Jericho) Part 9. 

How do you see someone without seeing them?  How do you hear someone without hearing them?  How do we know someone without knowing them?  Christ was surrounded by people on all sides.  He did not see the two blind men.  He could not hear them over the din of the crowd.  But in his spirit he knew that their hearts were calling him.  They could not make their way to him because of the crowds.  They could not move closer to him because they could not see.  They could only stand by the wayside, out of the crowd and call to him with their belief, call to him with their hope, call to him with their faith in the words they had heard of him.

And he heard the sorrow in their hearts.  He heard the belief in their minds that he was the one who could transform their lives.  He heard the pain in their lives that they had endured in the darkness all of their life.  And he was moved.  And Jesus, moved with compassion for them.

He is the Son of God, our Father.  He lives in heaven.  He is Lord of all.  And yet he gave up all, that he might become like man and walk among us.  He became flesh and blood like us.  He laughed and ate with us.  He walked and talked with us.  He taught us how to live and he gave us an example of how he died for us.  He loved us then and he loves us now. 

I think of all the homeless and lost souls who wonder the streets, hopeless, living day to day, by any means they can.  I think of those who are trapped in the vicious cycle of addiction, not only to drugs but to any addiction that compels them to do the same things over and over again expecting the different results.  Even those who are stuck in the financial rut striving to find a way out of that cycle, wishing and hoping for something better.  They search for that one big opportunity to hit it big that will change their lives forever. 

I was there.  I ran the cycle.  I was lost.  I cried out to the Lord and he had compassion for me.  He heard my cry.  He heard my sorrow.  He felt my pain.  He rescued me from the depths of my hopelessness and brought me back from the abyss. I am a witness of his love, of his compassion, of his mercy.  I am no longer on the path to destruction.  Today I have a new path to follow, a path given me by my Father.  Today, I am saved and have the knowledge of who I am in him.  My spirit rejoices in who I am.  My heart is filled with the happiness of the life that is within me, the life given me by Christ.  His love overwhelms.  His love fulfills.  There is nothing that I want or need that he has not provided.  My life is full, my purpose is clear, my task is at hand and I rejoice in its completion. 

Christ loves each and everyone of us the same.  He is the reason that we have life today if we choose.  Without him we are dead, without a soul.  But with him we have the light of life within us and the Holy Spirit to guide us along the way.  And with him there is no sorrow, no pain, no regrets.  There is only the last day to go home to be with him for all eternity.  Come, join the party and be with those who love you.  Christ Jesus loves you.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:33, Open our eyes.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The blind men at Jericho) Part 8.

What would you have me do for you is the question that Christ asked the two blind men?  What do you want?  He heard their cries.  He heard their sorrows.  He heard their hearts calling out to him over the din of the crowd.  He did not see them.  He did not know them.  But through all the noise and all the people that followed him he heard their hearts calling out to him.

They were two blind men sitting by the roadside begging for their daily needs.  They had no work.  They had no income.  They had no way of providing for themselves.  They were blind.  They depended upon the mercy of those who passed them by.  They depended upon the goodness in the hearts of men and women who had pity upon them.  Many thought that they were sinners and did not deserve their help.  Many thought that they had sinned or someone in their family had sinned.  But here they were sitting by the roadside asking for help that they might survive.

And then the word came to them.  The word that spread throughout the land of Christ's deeds and his miracles spoke to their ears.  The word traveled by mouth, from one person to another.  The mouth spoke the word and all listened.  The mouth spoke the word and the two blind men heard.  They believed the word.  They hoped in the word and what it could mean for them.  And the will of God came their way.  Their hearts were filled with joy.  They believed that they might have the opportunity for their dreams come true.  And when they heard that he was there, they cried out.  He heard them and asked: "What would you have me do for you?"  They said to him, "Lord, that our eyes be opened."

Lord open our eyes!  This, more than anything else was their hearts desire.  They wanted to see.  They wanted to know.  They wanted to be delivered from the darkness, from the endless despair, from the hopelessness.  They wanted to live in the light.  They had their hearing.  They had their sense of smell and taste and touch, but they could not see.  They could not experience all that was, without their sight.  And they could not provide for themselves without their sight.

Do you live in hopelessness?  Do you live in despair?  Are you on the merry-go-round of life not knowing your purpose or place in this world?  We see so much joy and happiness in others in the media.  Our appetites are fed with the material pleasures that we could have in our lives.  Yet we live our lives in momentary pleasures that are here today and gone tomorrow and then we fall back into the daily grind of life.  Most of us live by the wayside like the two blind men.

Why do we hurt?  Why do we feel such pain, such anguish?  Why is it that we are not happy within ourselves?  What more is there to life that we are missing?  Our joy, our happiness, our peace is not real but only fleeting.  Is there more?  Is there something that is real that we can latch onto?  Can we not feel true joy within?  Can we not be truly happy within?  The two blind men only wanted to see.  What is it that you want?  Lord open our eyes that we may see!

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:32b, Jesus responds.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The blind men at Jericho) Part 7. 

The two blind men sat by the roadside and heard that Jesus was passing by.  They cried out for his help.  They cried and they cried and they cried out and would not stop.  All the crowd told them to stop.  All the crowd tried to stop them.  All the crowd would not help them.  So they continued to cry out because they believed that he could help them.  They believed that this was their one opportunity to end their pain and suffering in the darkness.

Christ did not hear them over the din of the crowd.  Christ did not see them because of the large crowd.  Christ could not help them because the crowd would not let them get to him.  But over all the noise and all the people that followed Christ heard their hearts crying out to him.  He heard their faith.  He heard their belief in him: and called them, and said, "What will you have me do for you?" 

What would you have me do for you was his response.  What would you say to this response?  What would you ask him to do for you?  What would you want Christ to do for you today?  The two blind men wanted to see more than anything else in the world.  They did not want gold.  They did not want power.  They did not want prestige.  They did not want to be popular.  All they wanted was to be able to see.  What would you ask Christ for today?

Would you want to have your bills paid?  Would you want to have money?  Would you want to be powerful?  Would you want to be popular like an actor or actress?  What more than anything else would you want in your life to ask Christ to do for you today?  I cried because of the mistakes that I made in my life.  I cried because of the failure that I had become.  I cried because of the wrongs that I did to others.  I cried because I was a sinner and did not want to be left out of the kingdom.  What did I ask for?  I asked to know that he loved me and that he would forgive me for my sins.

Many are lost today.  Many are sitting by the wayside not knowing what to do with their lives having lost their ability to see.  Many have taken to dark roads to get what their hearts desire.  They have been blinded into believing that material things can satisfy their hearts desires.  What do you believe?  What do you want?  Do you know what will bring you peace, what will satisfy you in your life?  True satisfaction can only through Christ.  True peace can only come through his wisdom.  True knowledge of the love of the Father brings joy and happiness that no earthly prize can give.  For he is the source of all happiness, the source of all joy, the origin of true peace.  What do you want in your life today?

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.