HOPE THAT DROWNS ALL OPPOSITIONS

“So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”– Matthew 20:32

God wants His children to manifest HOPE THAT DROWNS ALL OPPOSITIONS: “So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mt..20:32). Here is the Hope-inspiring account of two nameless blind men who refused to allow the noise of opposition to drown their Cry for Mercy. Their Hope was louder than the crowd. We don’t know if they were blind from birth or if their blindness happened some other way, but what we know is that their humanity seemed to have been lost in their condition. Their blindness had become their label of identification. This did not deter the Lord from giving them priority attention. Hope in God will ensure that a negative condition does not remain our tag of identity.

When these two men heard that Jesus was walking by, they started shouting: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” (v.30b). While they were shouting in earnest expectation that Jesus would help them, the crowd tried to “hush them up”: “Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” (v.31). The “crowd” could represent our doubt, pain or unbelief trying to hush up our strong desire and expectation that God will come through for us. The voice of doubt makes us wonder if God really cares about our desires. The voice of pain makes us question if He knows or feels our pain. The voice of unbelief queries whether God is able or willing to hearken to our cry. Notwithstanding, we can have Hope that causes the Lord to stand still!

“So Jesus stood still and called them…” (v.32a). The Lord of the Universe stood still in response to ardent Hope and fervent Faith. Luke 18:40 also says: “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.” In Destiny’s Journey, we must hold fast in hope and fight for our faith to be louder than the crowds of doubt, pain, unbelief, or active opposition of demonic forces and wicked human agents. We can stay more hopeful than “the crowd” by debunking doubt and unbelief, and resisting satanic opposition, using the Scriptures. For every doubtful thought and feeling, we must find scriptures that prove that God cares and helps; and keep these scriptures handy when the “crowds” try to stop us from holding on to hope in God.

Our Hope will be helped when we learn to pray pointed prayers, asking for what we really need. Jesus knew that these two men were blind, yet He spurred them to pinpoint their specific need: “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v.32b).They answered: “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” (v.33b). His question sounds quite simple, almost ridiculous. But in asking it, He was giving them the opportunity: to state the absurdity of their request so they know when it happens they have received a true miracle from God; and, to have them ask for the specific help they needed rather than relying on themselves.

Sometimes we are presumptuous in assuming what we think those we're trying to help need. Jesus wanted the people to gain faith in Him through the miracle and not just focus on the miracle. He wanted to get them in the discipline of asking God for what they need: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Mt.7: 7-8).

There was a similar incident in which the Lord Jesus asked an apparently infirmed man: “Do you want to be made well?” (Jh.5:6b). Philippians 4:6 commands: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Beloved, the Lord is asking: “What do you want Me to do for you?”