²⁹As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. ³⁰Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³¹“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³²When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Matthew 20:29-32

Do you think the blind men were tempted to answer Jesus’ question with a question? Something like, “Well, what do you think we want you to do for us? We are blind after all!”

I have a friend who is a quadraplegic. She was in a car accident when she was only 17 months old so she doesn’t remember ever walking. It has happened that well-meaning individuals, assuming they know what she desires, lift her from her wheel chair while praying for her healing and the restoration of her legs.

While it may be difficult for me to understand, she doesn’t yearn for strong legs as much as I think she might. She is a talented, independent woman who gives of her time, energies and resources in ways that amaze me. Her willingness to go to difficult places is inspiring.

Perhaps Jesus’ question isn’t that odd. Perhaps he knew something we don’t. Perhaps giving these men an opportunity to articulate what they wanted from him was more important than I realize.

What do you want him to do for you? Is it healing that you need? Or is there a deeper need unobservable from the outside? Give it some thought and then join these two men in crying out, “Lord, son of David, have mercy on me!”