“As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ And he cried, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ’Lord, let me receive my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ’Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” (Lk 18: 35-43)
Now, did “Jesus of Nazareth” really need to ask the blind beggar in Jericho, “What do you want me to do for you?” No, Jesus already knew that, just as everyone else in Jericho knew, and were tired of hearing about it, how this blind guy needed help. But our One-and-Only Lord wanted to talk with him, with the blind man, first, before healing him.
So, my Lord is a Lord Who wants me to talk to Him; He wants an encounter with me. Because my “blindness,” or any other sickness or weakness, from which I happen to suffer, which has become a nuisance to those around me, is no nuisance to Him; Because He recognizes it as an opportunity for a conversation with me. So let me talk to Him about it, whatever ails me today, and cry out to Him, leaving behind useless conversations with people around me, who are unable to help. “Jesus, Son of David,” I say today, very simply, “have mercy on me!”
