One of my long term, full time occupations for God’s church was to plan large events for the denomination.  It was hard and tedious with much research needed in bringing together speakers, musicians, worship leaders, teachers of children and youth as well as specific training for pastors, laymen, and women.  Many interviews along with references went in to acquiring presenters who we felt knew Jesus themselves and who would reach and teach the people with God’s Truth in the best way.  I was at the feet of Jesus daily as I did this task along with teams of beautiful people who helped in this mission.  I tire now thinking of the hours and hours of planning and implementation of this week-long event designed solely so that others would find and learn to follow Jesus.  I praise God for the way He led us through each year of this event.  It was all God!  To God be the glory!

As leaders we gave evaluations to see if the mission of finding and knowing Christ was evident among attenders.  99% of the time it was very evident.  Suggestions were given in process but nearly all told ways the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts.

But there was this one who missed Him.  Handwritten in all caps (that means shouting to most of us) a person wrote only negative comments about how tea bags and hot water were not offered at adult morning breaks on the coffee tables.  Paragraph after paragraph with words of discrimination of tea drinkers vs coffee drinkers.   NO mention of how the power of the Holy Spirit worked in their life or in the lives of hundreds of people!

So, I “get” this passage.  Jesus has healed two blind men who have acknowledged who Jesus is by calling out, “Son of David”!  With blind eyes, they know He is Messiah who has come through the line of David as prophesied!  Because of their faith and this acknowledgement, Jesus heals them readily.  The now-sighted men cannot not hold back in proclaiming Jesus!  Moments later, Jesus heals a demon-possessed man with the ability to speak.  We can be sure this man now told his story of how Jesus healed him!

BUT THE PHARISEES…

The Pharisees missed it.  Missed Jesus.  Missed who He was.  Missed the point of the miracles.  Missed the message of Truth.  Missed the mission of God.  These elite leaders of religion declared with lies, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”  What they are really saying is Jesus is not one of them!  Praise God he was not one of them!  Jesus has come to serve, not to be serve.  Jesus came to heal the sick and restore the broken.  Jesus has come to seek and to save a lost world with relationship with God!  Jesus did ALL as told by the prophets centuries before He came to earth!  The Pharisees words, although not surprising to Jesus, must have broken the heart of God and the heart of Jesus Christ, His Son. 

Can you hear the sigh of Jesus at the end of the day of healing?

REFLECTION

Ah, but what about ourselves? What do we think, do or say that causes Jesus to sigh? 

How many times do we break the heart of God when we miss the point of the message and miss what we should be and what we should do all because we think only of self?

We break God’s heart in so many ways by gossip which gives birth to the twins named presumption and assumption, demanding our way, throwing fits of “my needs aren’t being met” along with other drama inside and outside His church.  Yikes.  Are we immune to the Pharisaical disease or have we contracted it—like a virus?  Sigh.

Matthew—The Law Fulfilled

Matthew 9:27-34, NLT

Jesus Heals the Blind

²⁷ After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” ³⁰ Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” ³¹ But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

³² When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. ³³ So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Lord, help us to be so intently and resolutely focused on you that we cannot miss your Word to us through messages, conversations that build up not tear down, in worship and through acts of kindness and grace.  I don’t want to ever miss it!  I want to please you in all I am and in all I do in your Name, for your glory.

In Jesus Name, Amen