Matthew 20:29-34
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
It’s said that Winston Churchill’s shortest speech was given at the graduation of a boys’ public school (which is the equivalent to a private school in the U.S.). “Boys,” he said, “Never give up. Never. Never. Never.” What makes this speech powerful, of course, is that Church didn’t just say it, but lived it. We might read this story of Jesus healing two blind men in much the same way, as it provides a powerful example. For sometimes, indeed, you have to try and try again to gain your hearts desire, never giving up even when the odds are stacked against you.
And these two blind men definitely have the odds stacked against them. It’s a crowd, after all, that is trying to hush their cries for mercy, not just a person or two. We can only imagine their discontent and despair. They were out on a road, I imagine, begging for food or money, when the rustle of a crowd forming to follow a company of travels surrounds them. Asking what is going on, they hear it is Jesus of Nazareth, the healer and wonder worker. Apparently they’ve heard about this Jesus, and so they appeal to him, naming him both “Lord” and “Son of David,” both messianic titles.
That’s when the crowd tries to silence them. We have no idea why. Whether they were embarrassed by these two men shouting at Jesus, or whether they wanted to catch what Jesus was saying and the cries of the blind men made that difficult, we just don’t know. But whatever the reason, they try to shut them up, though to no avail. For desperation often provides a peculiar form of courage, and so the two blind men shout all the louder. And Jesus hears their request and grants it.
All well and could. This is a story about perseverance. All too often, however, I hear this story and ones like it applied to our faith lives as if God is unwilling to hear our request or must be petitioned many times to hear our prayer. But notice that in this story, it’s the crowd that intervenes. Jesus, upon hearing the request of the blind men, is immediately moved to compassion and grants it. So also in our own lives, do not believe that God is not eager to hear, receive, and respond to our prayers. The perseverance we must muster is far more often to cope with life’s circumstances, not with a recalcitrant God. And so when life seems stacked against you, indeed never, never, never give up, confident that God desires nothing more than to hear and receive your prayer.
Prayer: Dear God, grant us the fortitude to bear the challenges of the day confident of your grace, support, and mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Note: Sources vary, but I’ve checked further and found what I think is the extant quotation, delivered by Churchill on October 29, 1941, to the boys at Harrow School: “Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
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