Passage: Matthew 9:27-34
Intro: There is a verse in Revelation that teaches a critically important principle.
PP Revelation 3:17
1. the Bible teaches us that every person; young or old, rich or poor, free or slave, healthy or sick, shares a common situation.
2. we are all incredibly needy, in desperate danger both physically and spiritually.
3. but it is easy for us to look around and see this need in others.
PP collage of need
4. and as we have gone thru Matthew, we have seen a # of people who understood their need.
5. and yet there is a growing resistance to Jesus, manifested by those who consider themselves without need, who would say “I do not need a thing!”
6. so what does it take to recognize our need and the needs of others?
7. and what hinders us from seeing our need for Christ and remaining in the dark.
8. you know, this understanding is what stands between a person having their needs met, or remaining blind to their own condition.
9. so what does it take to recognize our need?
I. Using Good Eyes
1. seems strange to talk about two blind guys having good eyes, but look at the text.
2. physically blind? Absolutely.
3. Jesus was leaving the house where he had raised a dead girl to life.
4. probably a large crowd, but these two guys stand out.
5. they were “crying out”, and the grammar indicates it was continuous.
6. but a lot of people were probably crying out, asking for something.
7. two things separated them from the crowd.
8. one, they kept at it, even when he went indoors. No indication of invitation.
9. second, what they were saying.
10. “Son of David” is clearly and unmistakably a Messianic title.
-first time used
11. these guys believed that Jesus was the promised one, the one who would come to save them. And they had proof!
PP Isaiah 35:5-6
12. they had heard what Jesus did, and they connected the dots.
13. and so they believed, and came specifically to Jesus to express trust in Him and be healed by Him.
14. they recognized the evidence of God as clearly demonstrated in the miraculous works of Jesus Christ.
15. they looked at the evidence God gave and believed it.
16. some people think that God gives no evidence, no proof.
Il) “I have never seen the slightest scientific proof of the religious ideas or heaven or hell, of future life for individuals, or of a personal God. So far as religion of the day is concerned, it is a fake…Religion is all bunk.” Thomas Edison.
17. but the heavens alone declare the attributes of God, and that is only the beginning of His gracious revelation.
18. these two blind men had the sharpest vision in the place, and they believed.
II. Having Good Friends
1. v32 brings a change of scene to another type of need.
2. demon-possessed, but the manifestation of possession was quieter than most.
3. in chapter 8, we saw demon-possession of the worst sort, two men completely out of control.
4. but this man had a very quiet problem, he could not speak because of this demon- possession.
4. the greek word used here is often used for “deaf-mute” and the two ailments are commonly linked.
5. the part of the brain that deals with speech controls both understanding speech and speaking.
Il when Tom has his surgery for removal of brain tumor, it was located in this region. Doctor said, “1 in 5 chance that he might lose his ability to speak or understand speech.”
6. this guy was in a bad way. His demon would certainly not let him go anywhere near Jesus.
7. but a small phrase says it all.
8. this man was “brought to Jesus”
-no doubt demon was resistant
9. he could not make his problem known, he was unable to participate in much of life.
10. and because the source was demonic, he had no control over it, was helpless and hopeless.
11. if there was ever a guy who needed friends, this was him.
12. now he was healed, and he spoke, and it was amazing to the people there.
13. but the great thing for him is that now he was fully able to access the message of Christ, to hear it (for sure) and to talk about it.
14. he was free of this demonic influence whose purpose would be to keep him from Jesus and destroy his life.
15. Satan has the very clear purpose to deceive and destroy.
16. and with regard to Satan, Jesus’ purpose is very clear.
PP I John 3:8
17. how are we friends to the world? We bring them to Jesus with love, without rejection, so that Jesus might rescue them.
18. this guy needed friends to bring him to Jesus, and every person does.
19. the need is universal, the solution is specific, our part is clear.
20. to go to the needy that surround us and bring them to the one who can rescue them.
III. Drawing Good Conclusions
1. now the people there for these events saw the exact same thing.
2. they saw formerly blind men who had regained their sight, a formerly mute man speak.
3. and as they witnessed these events, everyone there had a question.
4. where did the power come from to achieve these amazing results?
5. now the crowd seemed open to it being from God.
6. you see, in this culture, there would only be two choices.
7. either God, or Satan.
8. And another group there, Pharisees, religious leaders, had another take.
9. Greek says, “they were saying”, so it is a kind of background noise, not direct confrontation.
Il) like a group of people in the back talking among themselves.
10. they observed and made a very illogical choice.
11. “what we are witnessing is Satan driving out his own forces, Satan assaulting his own army.”
12. when we get to chapter 12, we will see the confrontation.
13. but right now, we can see that the same event does not cause everyone to draw the right conclusion.
14. doubt often disguises itself as superior intelligence and logic, but where God’s revelation is concerned, it very typically defies the clear evidence.
PP Faith means not wanting to know what is true” Frederich Nietzsche
PP “Take from the church the miraculous, the supernatural, the incomprehensible, the unreasonable, the impossible, the unknowable, the absurd, and nothing but a vacuum remains.”
Robert Ingersoll
15. God has given, is giving and will continue to give clear and compelling evidence of who He is and what He desires to do for us.
PP Psalm 19:1-4
16. and we will continually be confronted with a choice, even as believers.
17. because followers of Christ are continually challenged to trust God more, draw the right conclusions and act on them.
18. and without action, our faith is vain.
Blind men see Jesus, sighted men do not. Demon-possessed man is rescued from darkness, sane men remain in it. Unlearned people are at least open, these “schooled” men respond illogically.
Open your eyes, be a good friend, draw the right conclusion
