9:27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 9:28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 9:29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 9:30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." 9:31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Is religion supposed to be about abusive power or personal faith? Sight impaired Jews 2,000 years ago would probably have been keenly aware of an Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah, that the blind would see. It is perhaps with that in mind that several blind men followed Jesus, referring to him as the promised Messianic Son of David. Jesus took them inside. He did not ask them how much faith they had to be healed, merely if they had faith. They answered in the affirmative and so Jesus healed them privately and without fanfare. Faith is central to the Christianity of Christ. However, power is often central to the religion of men. So, Jesus told them sternly not to tell anyone about their healing. New believers are often naïve to the realities of religion in the hands of men. The men forgot Jesus' request for secrecy, so the news spread rapidly and persecution from religious leaders was not far behind. When faith in Christ threatens the religion of men, bullying and the abuse of power are often the result. Even Jesus thought that it was sometimes best to keep his faith to himself. |
