Day Sixty – Matthew 20:29-34

Only a few moments prior to this scene, the mother of two disciples bowed before Jesus and requested that in his kingdom her two sons would have the honor of sitting one at his right and the other at his left (vv. 20-21). Now two beggars shout at Jesus and they, too, want something from him.

Jesus asked them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” knowing that there was nothing they could ask that he could not give them. When they asked him to open their eyes, his kind heart was moved with compassion, he touched them, and “immediately they regained their sight” (v. 34).

How many people passed the beggars every day without offering them a single coin, a piece of bread, or a cup of water? But Jesus could not pass them by without asking, “What do you want?” Then he satisfied their want, and having received their sight, they were able to follow him.

When people request to meet with me, I could ask, “What do you want?” but there is precious little I can give them. A slice of time, a bit of wisdom, a prayer is about all I have to offer. In fact, there were times when the first thing a counselee said to me was, “I know you can’t do anything for me.” They were right. But when Jesus asks . . . well, that’s a different story.

O Jesus, Son of God, You are all that we need. What do we want, Lord? We may say, “Money to pay bills,” when what we really want is a peace and that cannot be purchased for any amount of money. Not knowing our own hearts, we ask for the best gift, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”