Jesus passed through Jericho on His final trip to Jerusalem. There was a blind man on the side of the road who heard that Jesus was coming and started making a whole lot of noise. Others in the crowd told him to pipe down, but the man only shouted louder.
What’s kind of interesting is that James and John, two of Jesus’ closest friends, had just asked Him for a favor. They pulled Him aside and asked Him to give them seats of honor beside Him in His Kingdom (Mark 10:37).
Jesus didn’t rebuke James and John, but He used it as an opportunity to teach them more about how things work in His Kingdom. “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44).
It’s right on the heels of this that Jesus arrived in Jericho and encountered the blind man in the road yelling, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)
The man wanted mercy. Not position or power or wealth, but mercy.
Our purposes are much smaller than the purposes of God. This trips us up every time. We want our path to be smooth – He wants our hearts to be smooth. We’re concerned with the here and now – He’s focused on what will last forever. Until His purposes become ours, we will often find ourselves attempting to wrestle God into submission. It didn’t work for Jacob and it won’t work for us.
Jesus stopped in the road called the man closer. He responded to his cries for mercy. He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)
What do you want Jesus to do for you? What difference would His presence make in your life? There’s nothing wrong with telling Him. Do you want your heart to be changed? Your mind to be changed? Do you want to be moved from your preconceptions, from your comfort zone, from your self-righteousness? These are the things He will definitely do.
When the blind man called Jesus the Son of David, he wasn’t just being polite. He was acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, the righteous King who would save His people (Jeremiah 23:5-6). He was betting all his chips on it being true and that confidence is what changed his life.
God isn’t interested in making an improved version of you. He wants to make a new you. He wants to restore you to the intrinsic worth He gave you when He created you. Back to the glorious promise of the Garden at the beginning. Soul restoration is the primary work of the Holy Spirit and it’s made possible because in His mercy, God responds to our cries for help.