“Two blind men followed Him, crying out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’” ( Matthew 9:27 27 And as Jesus passed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, thou son of David. ).

The attitude of the heart that Christ honors and accepts is one in which the sinner understands his or her personal unworthiness. That was the attitude of the two blind men as they came to Him. They realized they didn’t deserve Jesus’ help, but they also must have known that “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Ps. 145:8–9; cf. Joel 2:13 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil. ).

It seems reasonable to suggest that the two men came to our Lord not only for physical healing but to receive His forgiving mercy. They were no doubt burdened by a spiritual need that they knew only Jesus could meet. They approached Him with real humility, publicly throwing themselves on His abundant grace. Their attitude was perfectly aligned with that of the tax collector who mourns over his unworthiness and cries out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” ( Luke 18:13 13 But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. ).

It is noteworthy that Jesus initially showed no response to the men’s pleas. But as He moved along with the multitude, the blind men kept pouring out the desire of their hearts with persistence and determination. It’s as if the Lord tested their faith, letting it extend to its extremity and prove its sincerity. But theirs was a Savior of mercy, granting healing and salvation to all who come with a humble, believing attitude.

Ask Yourself

How often do your prayers and faith begin to flag after one or two attempts at asking for help? What are some of God’s reasons for requiring persistence in our pursuit of Him?

From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.

• Download our app The Study Bible!
• John MacArthur’s complete sermon archive
• The MacArthur Study Bible
• The complete MacArthur New Testament Commentary series