THERE are several helpful thoughts which can be found in this record of the healing of the two blind men. The first is the sovereign gracious way God works in his purposes of salvation. Everything was against these blind men ever believing is Jesus. Being blind they had no means of witnessing the miracles of Jesus. Also because they were blind their ability to move about and hear things would also be limited. Yet they came to faith. When the more religious and able refused to see who Jesus was, these two blind men believed he was the Messiah. When they came to Jesus they addressed him as the Son of David. They were not simply saying that he could trace his family back to David. In fact there would be no way they could have obtained such knowledge. When they called Jesus the Son of David it was an expression of their faith. They just knew he was the Messiah, and so the title Son of David was appropriate. Together with the healing of their sight, they were believing unto salvation. Here is an example of the sovereign grace of God in the bestowal of faith unto salvation. Physically these two men were disabled through their blindness, but they were blessed by being given by God's gracious bestowal spiritual sight which made them seek the blessings of eternal life.

As we look at this short history we can learn so much about the character, attitude and action of a soul on whom God has set his love. Firstly, these men had a great sense of their need. If there is anything lacking in the United Kingdom these days in the spiritual realm it is that people do not have a sense of their great need. It is true that these men had a physical need, but their sense of need must have been deeper because they came to Jesus as the Son of David, and so would know Jesus as a Saviour for a greater need than physical blindness. That greater need is spiritual blindness. People today do not realise how spiritually blind they are. They do not realise the ravages that sin in their inner being has caused. So they do not see the terrible affliction of soul which effects every human being, which is the desease of sin in the soul, out of which comes all sins and evils. Nor do they realise the desperate result of such a sickness. Because of this they have no appreciation of Jesus in his offices as prophet, priest and King, and his purpose in coming into the world as the one and only Saviour from sin and its consequences. It is a sure sign of God's work of grace in a person when they are conscious of their need of Jesus.

Then secondly, we can't help but notice the urgency that these men sought Jesus. They followed him, even though to follow Jesus would have been so hard for them, because they were blind. It is a characteristic of every person who knows their need and are in earnest about their souls. Because of this a person seeks Jesus and follows him, and keeps close to him, and looks to him for all their needs.

Then thirdly, when a soul is earnest concerning the need of their soul, and seek Jesus, they will have also been taught that in themselves dwells no good thing, and the only thing they can pray to Jesus for is that he should be merciful to them. These two blind men came with no demands. They knew that they did not deserve mercy, and that Jesus had no obligation to do anything for them, so they cried for mercy. To know we are dependent on mercy alone is a sure sign of God's grace working in the heart. Most people come to God feeling that they deserve God's favour, and that for God not to show particular favour to them would be unjust. The soul on whom the grace of God rests is conscious of a need for mercy, and that mercy is all that we can ask from the Lord.

Then fourthly, in the soul on which God's bestows his grace, there is a sure faith in Jesus that he can and does, and is willing, to save and heal. This ingredient of faith is essential to all sincere and real Christian faith. The point which is brought out in this history is that faith in Jesus is necessary for the blessing and power of Jesus to be realised in the life. When Jesus says "according to your faith will it be done to you", he is not speaking about the amount of faith, of the greatness of faith, which a person possesses, but that faith must be in Jesus, and Jesus must be the object of faith. If we do not believe that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, then we have no real faith, and the saving grace and power of Jesus will not be experienced or known in a practical way in a person's life.

With regard to faith that saves, it is important to realise that it is not the amount of faith, whether our faith is large or small, but that it is the right sort of faith. The right sort of faith is that we believe on Jesus as Son of God and Saviour, who was sent into the world by God, the Father, to save sinners.

The lastly let us notice the tremendous power of Jesus to save and bless all those who sincerely come to him. Why Jesus used the method he used in outward action, which we see in this story, I just do not know. But whatever the reason, at the right time, Jesus gave perfect sight back to these two men. We never need be afraid to come to Jesus. As Newton put it in one of his hymns -

You are coming to a king,
Large petitions with you bring.
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.