"ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH" – Matthew 9:27-31

Preached October 9, 2011
from
Matthew 9:27-31

Theme: The sovereign Lord Jesus graciously responds to our need in accordance with our faith in Him.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

I have been drawn this week to a story in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. It’s a wonderfully simple story; and it always makes me smile when I read it. It tells us of a time, during our Lord’s earthly ministry, after He had just performed a wonderful act of healing in the city of Capernaum. Matthew 9:27-3 says;

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into 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.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country (Matthew 9:27-31).

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I suppose one reason this passage makes me smile is because of how it ends. The Lord Jesus mightily healed these two blind men, and warned them—”sternly” it says—”See that no one knows it.” But they couldn’t keep it in. As soon as they left, they spread the news about Him all over the place.

I suspect that the reason that Jesus didn’t want them to tell anyone is because, as soon as they did so, people would then be coming to Him from everywhere. They would be bringing every blind, lame, sick, demon-possessed, or leprous person with them to be healed by Him. Who could have blamed them? But they did tell; and the crowds, of course, did come. As you read on in the Gospels, you find that it was often the case that Jesus could hardly move around at all because of the vast numbers of needy people that pressed in on Him.

There’s no question about it. These two men disobeyed Jesus. But He loved them and—we can be quite sure—forgave them anyway. And as someone has wisely said, we certainly don’t have any right to point a finger at them for their disobedience. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about Him, and they ran out and told everyone; but He now commands us to tell everyone about Him, and we hardly tell anyone.

But notice carefully what it was that they told everyone. It wasn’t so much that they told everyone about how they had been blind but now see. We’re told specifically that, “when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.” And even though this story makes me smile, the fact that Jesus is the emphasis of it is what leads me to appreciate some of its more serious points—and on the things found in it that speak to the deepest needs of our lives.

What has been standing out to me with particular force lately has been those first two things that Jesus said to these men—that is, of course, before He told them not to tell anyone about Him. First, when they came to Him with the desire to be relieved of their blindness, He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” That’s a remarkable question to have asked of these two needy blind men who sought so diligently to come to Him. But that question is made even more remarkable by what Jesus said next to them: “According to your faith let it be to you.”

I have found myself very much drawn to those two sayings from our Lord this week. In some very deep times of need, I have found myself crying out for God to work mightily on my behalf—and to have mercy on me in some humanly impossible ways. I have had to do so over and over—crying out to Him repeatedly. And lately, as I’ve done so with this passage before me, it’s almost as if I have heard the Lord respond to my cry by asking me, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

I’ve had to search my heart often in the light of that question from the Lord. Sometimes, it’s a fight to answer it to the affirmative. Sometimes, I’ve found myself praying in the same way that another man of faith once prayed; and say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). But even though it has been through great struggle at times, by God’s grace I’ve been able to say, “Yes, Lord; I do believe You are able.” And I would have lost hope, and would have not been able to keep on saying, “Yes, Lord”; if it had not been for the fact that I also—as it were—hear His assuring words in response, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

The combination of those two phrases has both encouraged me in my darkest moments, and exhorted me to keep on trusting Him when I cry out to Him. Together, they have reminded me that my wonderful, sovereign, almighty Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, graciously promises to respond to my need in accordance with my faith in Him.

I ask this morning that we spend some time together examining the story of those two phrases; and how they give us this assurance.

* * * * * * * * * *

Let’s begin by thinking about the two blind men to whom Jesus spoke those words. They lived in the city of Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee. How it was that they came to be blind is hard to say. Some folks, of course, were born blind. Others—because of the dusty and dirty environment in which people lived in that time, or because of the ease with which infection could set in—became blind later in life. However it happened, blindness would have reduced these two men to the helpless condition of begging—hoping that someone would come along and have mercy on them.

And I don’t want to rush past that point too quickly. In a way, they represent our own condition. We live in a fallen world too; and life in a fallen world is often very messy and sorrowful. Sometimes we bring those sorrows upon ourselves because of our own actions. At other times, we suffer sorrows that are brought upon us by the actions of others. One way or the other, we’re struck by Adam’s fall. We’re all in this mess together. We all suffer. We all need mercy.

Think too about how these two men must have sat around a lot and listened to the stories they heard about this Man—this Prophet named Jesus—who was active in the regions of Galilee. They didn’t have much of anything else but time on their hands. They would have heard many of the stories about Him that were circulating around; and they would have had the time to process what they heard.

If you look backward in Matthew’s Gospel, you’d find that they would have heard talk about how He had been “healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people . . . sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them” (4:23-24). They would have heard about the amazing sermon He preached on the mount nearby—and of how He spoke “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (5:28). They would have heard how Jesus dared to reach out His hand, touch a leper, and made the man “clean” (8:1-4). They would have heard about how Jesus had healed a Roman centurion’s paralyzed servant at a distance—with nothing more than a word (8:5-13). They might have heard about how He raised Peter’s mother-in-law from a bed of illness so that she got up and made everyone dinner (8:14-15); and how, afterwards, even more people came to Him with demon-possessed and sick people—and that He healed them all (vv. 16-17).

Surely—sitting along the road begging—they would have heard rumors about the way He commanded the wind and the waves while in a boat in the Sea of Galilee—and how they obeyed His command (8:23-27); or about how He cast a multitude of demons out of two men—as the demons cried out in fear of Him and called Him the Son of God (8:28-34). Surely they would have heard of how He went to a home and healed a paralyzed man who had been lowered down to Him from a roof—and how, in front of even the scribes and Pharisees, He declared that it was proof that He had authority to forgive sins (9:1-7). I even wonder if—right then, at the time when this story occurred—people were following Jesus as He was leaving the city; and were talking about how He had just performed two amazing miracles at one time. He had just healed a woman who suffered from an illness for twelve years while on the way to raising the twelve-year-old daughter of the ruler of the synagogue from the dead (9:18-25).

All these things happened right there—in the very home town of these two blind Jewish beggars. They would have had nothing to do all day but hear the rumors that people were spreading about Jesus, and to think about what they heard. And what do you suppose they concluded? Don’t you think they would have thought back to the promises in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah? Surely they would have thought back to what Isaiah said about the times in which the Messiah would minister to His people; saying, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6a).

These two men came to an inescapable conclusion—and you can know what that conclusion was by the fact that, hearing that He was going by, they began to cry out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” When they called Him “Son of David”, they were calling Him the Messiah—the promised Savior-King who would come from the lineage of David and rule as God in human flesh!

And think of how, as much as it may have been that they knew about Him, you and I this morning know so much more than they did! They only heard a few of the miracles that He did; but we’ve got the whole Scriptural record of His mighty works. They heard only a testimony of what He did in a short span of time; but we have two-thousand years of testimony of the ways that He has transformed lives! They knew that He was the Son of God who was promised from the prophetic word; and we today have that prophetic word confirmed!

And so—coming to the conclusion that they did—look at how diligently they pursued Him! We’re told that as He was leaving the city, these two blind men didn’t remain seated in their place of blindness; but diligently sought to speak to Him. It must be that He saw them struggling to catch His attention as He went by; but He kept on going past them. It must be that they cried out to Him repeatedly as they followed behind Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”; but He didn’t stop for them or turn to hear what they had to say. We’re even told that He went into a house—as if He was stepping away from public access and would no longer be available. And yet, they found their way to the house and came in to Him; perhaps even shouting—as they stumbled through the doorway and felt their way blindly along the walls and rooms of the house—”Son of David, have mercy on us!”

I wonder if you have ever felt like those two blind men calling out to the Son of God? I certainly have. There have been times during my deepest need that I’ve cried out, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me! I need Your help! I need Your touch! I’m stuck in the mess of the fallenness of life! I’m afraid! I’m helpless! I’m wounded! I’m sorrowing! I’m blind! I’m drowning! Can You hear Me? Have mercy on me!” There are times like that when—after much crying out and pleading, and feeling like the Lord isn’t listening—you’re almost tempted to say, “Aw, forget it! He doesn’t hear me!.” I’m sure that the devil even whispers in our ears, “That’s right. He doesn’t hear. You’re situation is hopeless. You’re on your own. Nothing can be done for you.” But then, you just can’t give up. You know Jesus is able if He is willing! So you cry out to Him even more!

* * * * * * * * * *

Well; the fact is that Jesus did hear them. He heard them all along. We know this because He didn’t even have to ask them what it was that they wanted. And He eventually did give them their sight. But why did it take so long? Why did He make them chase after Him like that? Why did He make them look for Him and cry continually after Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us”? And why does He seem sometimes to do this to you and me—even in those times when we need Him most?

I believe that first question that He asked those two blind men gives us the clue . . .

“DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM ABLE TO DO THIS?”

Our wonderful Lord looks for people who have a faith in Him that is strong, and that truly believes He is who He says He is and is able to do what we need Him to do—a faith that in Him that will not give up until it receives the mercy from Him that is need. I believe He tests us to see if that kind of faith truly is in us. And once He finds that kind of faith in us, He responds to it wonderfully and meets our need.

Go back for a moment to that story in Matthew 8—the story of of the Roman centurion. He was a Gentile. He didn’t have any natural right to ask anything of the Jewish Messiah. But we’re told;

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:5-9).

Do you remember that story? What faith!—and from a Gentile! And do you remember how Jesus reacted to this man’s faith? We’re told, “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’” (v. 10). And we’re told, “Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour” (v. 13).

Great faith catches Jesus’ attention, and gets a wonderful response from Him. There’s another story like that in Matthew 15. There, we’re told about a woman—another Gentile—who came to Him with a desperate need.

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed” (Matthew 15:21-22).

Those words sound familiar don’t they? “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” They sound very much like the cry of the two blind men. But amazingly—just as with the blind men—Jesus didn’t seem to hear. We’re told;

But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (vv. 23-27).

And it’s then that we discover that Jesus heard her all along. He was testing her, and was seeking to draw out from her the kind of faith in Him that He delights to respond to. And apparently, He found in her the kind of faith He was seeking; because we read,

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour (v. 28).

In these stories from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus made those who had a need from Him pursue Him diligently until they expressed a certain depth of faith in Him. The two blind men had to follow along after Him and cry out to Him as He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”; until they finally said, “Yes, Lord.” The centurion held Jesus back from coming to his house; until he could finally say, “Lord, only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” He seemed to ignore the plea of the woman of Canaan; until she finally said, “Lord, even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

And when Jesus saw the depth of faith that He wanted to see in them, then He gave them the assurance that He would give them what they needed—in almost the same words. To the woman of Canaan, He said, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire”—and her daughter was healed that very hour. To the centurion, He said, .” . . as you have believed, so let it be done for you”; and his servant was healed that same hour. And to these two blind men—after He had drawn out the kind of trust in Himself that He wanted from them—He reached out His hand and touched their eyes and said;

“ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH LET IT BE TO YOU.”

And we’re told that “their eyes were opened.” They could see.

* * * * * * * * * *

There’s a quote that was sent to me this week from one of our missionaries. It has really been ministering to me. It’s from A.B. Simpson, a famous preacher from about a century ago, and the founder of Christian Missionary Alliance. I do not know where this quote is from; but it reads as follows:

“Seldom have we seen a sadder wreck than when the enemy has succeeded in undermining the simple trust of a child of God and gotten him into self-accusation and condemnation. . . . It is a fearful place when the soul allows Satan to take the throne and act as God, sitting in judgment on its every thought and act, and keeping it in the darkness of ceaseless condemnation. . . . This is Satan’s objective point in all his attack upon you: to destroy your trust . . .”

That’s something, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that we need to remember in our times of darkest and deepest need—the times when we cry out and say, “Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”—the times when we keep on crying those words to Him, and He doesn’t seem to hear or stop for us. It’s Satan’s objective at those times to destroy our trust—and say to us, “See? He doesn’t care. He doesn’t hear you. He’s gone into the house and left you standing outside. You don’t matter to Him. You’re in a fix of your own making; and He’s left you to it. You’re too much of a sinner. You’re too much of a mess. You might as well turn somewhere else than to Jesus for what you need; because you’re truly on your own.”

I believe the story of these two blind men teaches us the very thing that the devil seeks to hide from us—the fact that Jesus never abandons those of us who truly trust Him; and that, in reality, He’s testing us to see, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

And whenever the enemy seeks to hide this fact from us, that’s the time to cry out to Jesus even more—and not quit! And when, at last, our Lord draws out the kind of faith from us that He truly wants to hear—when He has us finally and sincerely saying, from the very depths of our innermost being, “Yes, Lord! I know with certainty that, if You will to do so, You are abundantly able to do this!”—then, we will hear from Him, “According to your faith let it be to you.”