“I want to see…”
Luke 18:41
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
When you are blind, you learn to rely on whatever senses you have left. For example, I can fill my cup and know when to stop pouring simply by. Listening to the sound of the wine as it fills. I am also finely tuned to the sounds of people around me, I can tell the mood of the crowd simply by listening.
So when the crowd got excited, I heard it. Then I heard people shouting, “He is here, come on, we don’t want to miss him!” Those shouts could only mean one thing, Jesus of Nazareth, the miracle worker, was nearby!
I grabbed my staff and started following the noise of the crowds. Of course, they all got there before me, and nobody was going to let me pass. Jerks! Can’t you see that I’m blind?
I may not get close to him, but I can make myself known. I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” I said it again and again!
A bunch of the people around me told me to shut up. Nope! You won’t let me get close to Jesus so I am doing what I have to do. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The crowd got quiet and I was afraid he had moved on. Then I heard his voice…
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” I blurted out. Then I waited. Had I been too forward? Should I have stroked his ego first? Maybe all the stories of him healing people were just that, stories.
Then his voice lowered and he said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”
Before I could even say anything, I saw a bright blaze in my eyes. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw him! Obviously, I had never seen him before, but I knew it was him!
He looked at me with compassion, with a love I’ve never felt before. Then he smiled at me! It became obvious to the people standing near me that something miraculous had happened. Shouts of praise to Jesus rang out from the crowd!
As he turned to walk away I followed. I will follow him from now on. Not just because he healed me. It was that look. The eyes that gazed into my soul showing love, care, and compassion. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others feel that love, too.