When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28, NIV)
One of the great pleasures in playing golf with others comes when we pull off a shot they don’t expect from us. Of course, this depends on our varying abilities—my great shot may not be yours. But all the same, sometimes when I am eying a shot that I know is a real challenge for me, I’d love to be able to turn to my playing partner and ask, “What do you think? Do you believe I can do this?”
Jesus asked a similar question of two blind men in Matthew 9. But the purpose behind the question was entirely different.
If I were to ask my golf partner if she believed I could make the shot, I would be placing the emphasis on my ability more than on her belief. You see, if wouldn’t matter much whether she believed in me. In fact, I might pull off the shot—or not pull off the shot—even if she is clear across the fairway and we have no such conversation.
In the same way, Jesus could heal whether or not the men believed. But Jesus placed the emphasis on their faith. He knew what he could do. What he wanted to know was this: What do you believe? How much faith do you really have?
In the end, of course, what matters is the producer. If my partner does express faith in me, can I hit the shot? If the blind men say that Jesus can heal them, will their eyesight be miraculously restored? Faith means little if it is pointed at the wrong target.
Jesus, though, is never the wrong target. He is altogether powerful and altogether probing. His question to the blind men is his question to us, whatever our most daunting scenario. Do we believe in him? You see, Jesus does save. But he saves only those who demonstrate that they truly believe, those who trust him because he alone can do what they are asking. When they replied, “Yes, Lord,” Jesus told them, “According to your faith it will be done to you.”
Jesus can be trusted. Now, do you trust him?
—
Jeff Hopper
June 1, 2012
Copyright © 2012 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday through Friday and is archived by passage and topic at www.linksplayers.com.