When I read Matthew 9:27-30 this morning, the lessons of the week came together in a beautiful way. Listen to the scripture.
As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”
He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. “Don’t let a soul know how this happened.” But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met. (The Message)
Faith is much more than believing God can do anything. It is also about believing I can become who He made me to be. Often Jesus asked those coming for healing if they wished to be healed. Here, He asked the blind men if they believed He could do it. They not only said yes, they said, “Why, yes, Master!” That’s the equivalent of “Duh!” today. Of course He can heal. I think most everyone would believe that.
The more difficult question is whether or not I could move past my vision of me and embrace God’s. It’s not easy to let go of the negative voices that have shaped my view of myself or rid myself of the hands that hold me back, but the Holy Spirit has helped me believe that Christ not only came to heal; He came to heal me. The first step is for me to change my mind about who I am. That’s the metanoia about which John the Baptist speaks.
Before I can become who Christ knows I can be, I have to be ready to be whole. The blind men in Matthew 9 were ready to be whole, and they could not keep the wonderful news of their healing to themselves. I believe Christ asked them to be quiet about their healing because it was about something so much more than a parlor trick. It was a change that took place within them that allowed God’s healing to come through His beloved Son’s touch. Repentance and healing is very personal, and it isn’t something that comes easily; but when it does come, it causes those who are healed to want to tell everyone they meet about it.
Believing I am God’s beloved hasn’t been an easy process for me. I had to first see the me I believed myself to be and want more than that for myself. I had to want to be healed. Opening my heart to His desires allows me to see and believe I can become who He created me to be, and that is something worth shouting about!
journeywithgigi 