When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Luke 18:40-41
Matthew and Mark also record Jesus’ question as, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew the man was blind so it seems like an unnecessary question. Yet all three authors record Jesus’ question because it was important for several reasons. First, Jesus never assumes. He is God yet he doesn’t barge into our lives with all the answers, even though he does have the answers. Second, he expects us to ask. We cannot be passive if we want God’s help.
Some take the attitude, if God wants to do something in my life he knows where I live, if God knows everything then he doesn’t need me to tell him my needs. However, this attitude underestimates God’s love. True love doesn’t force itself upon us, neither does it manipulate or coerce. God won’t override our free will. He won’t interfere in our circumstances uninvited.
The Bible was written for Christians and Jesus says to us, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus waits until we open the door. The door not only to our lives but also to the individual situations we find ourselves in. Jesus stands ready to help and emphasises this by saying, “Here I am!” He waits for an invitation, a request, even a whisper. We can hang onto our self-sufficiency, our man-made solutions, our independence or we can be like the blind man who calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (verse 38). And when faced with opposition, he called out even more (verse 39).
