When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”

But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

(Matt. 9:27-31)

This sentence made by Jesus is an extremely crucial one: “According to your faith be it unto you”.

That sentence sums up in many ways why every individual is the way he or she is. Because of your faith, in proportion to your faith – you have the experience of God that you do.

You are as spiritual as you want to be. You may not be as spiritual as you wish you were, but you are as spiritual as you want to be. God does not favour some when it comes to spiritual growth. God is willing for every one to grow – I Thes 4. God is waiting and willing, but He will not force you to respond. He will do everything short of compelling you. Thus, at the end of the day – you are as spiritual as you want to be. You will be as useful to God as you choose to be.

According to your faith. Your experience of God comes as a result of your faith and in proportion to your faith. God will reward you in proportion to your faith.

Don’t you want to be mightily used by God? Don’t you desire to be a powerful tool in the hand of God? Don’t you desire to have a deep and abiding relationship with Christ?

These blind men are an example to us of how we are to be in our spiritual lives if we are to grow.

I. Are You Dissatisfied Enough to Act?

These two blind men were not satisfied with their state. They had not accepted it as unchangeable. They wanted a change. They cried out, they were not ashamed to make their need known.

There were other blind people who wished they could see, but did not seek a change.

There’s a difference between wishing something and willing it. Many times in our lives, we wish something were different, but it is not yet at a point where we will do something to bring that about.

I might have a wish to walk along the seaside this afternoon. But I am not going to do something about that. Because while I like the idea, it has not come to a point where I am dissatisfied to not be there, and I will do anything to get there.

The fact is, though I might have a wish to walk along the seaside, if I don’t do anything about it, then it means I am, in fact, satisfied to remain here. That wish has not become a true desire.

There were many blind people in Israel who no doubt wished they could see. But they had adapted and gotten used to it, and no longer expected anything different. But these two who not simply wishing – they were willing, they were acting. Their wish had become an intense, consuming desire.

Many Christians have a wish for more growth. They wish they were more fervent in their Christianity. They wish they were in the Word more, prayed more, obeyed more, praised more, witnessed more, served more, fellowshipped more. But it’s a wish. It has not come to a place where they refuse to let it be otherwise. In other words, when it all comes down to it, they are satisfied with things as they are.

But the problem is, many feel that if they wish for change, it’s as good as having that change. Wishes become substitutes for actions. They feel that wishing those things is pleasing to God, and is really enough in God’s sight. That’s like saying if I wish to pay you back, you should be as satisfied with my wish as with the actual money.

And it is in so doing that we remain content with our spiritual lives as they are. We are complacent and self-satisfied.

Are you dissatisfied enough to act? Or are you actually content to remain where you are? If so, then that’s the reason why you are where you are.

God is a fair God. He does not turn people away. Those who come with seeking hearts find. Those who come hungry are fed. God in fact meets you more than halfway when you move in His direction. But what He doesn’t do is perform for us what we are only wishing. Nor does He take our wish as the intent of our heart. A wish is just one of many options. The option that we choose is the one that counts.

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. (Pro 13:4)

Change begins when wishes for spiritual growth turn into living, practical desires.

II. Are You Eager Enough to Persist?

Not only did they act on their desires to have Christ heal them – they persisted. They kept on until they experienced it.

Now not everyone just wishes to know Christ and never act on it. Some do act on it. But not everyone is persistent enough to seek Him until they find Him.

Some are stopped by their disadvantages.

These men must have had a hard time following Jesus. When He walked past them, how did they find Him? They were at a great disadvantage. But they were eager enough to persist.

Have you experienced anything close to their disadvantages in coming to Christ? Lack of money, time pressures, multiple responsibilities, health difficulty, some of you foreign language? But are you eager enough to persist in spite of the disadvantages?

“If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.” (Pro 24:10)

Some are stopped by discouragement.

Jesus seemed to ignore them. Perhaps He was testing their faith. But he walks past them and goes into a house. That had to make it hard for these blind men to find. It could have seemed discouraging that the Lord didn’t stop for two blind men. They might have felt He doesn’t want to help them. He’s not interested.

Some give up seeking when there are discouragements. When Bible reading doesn’t yield immediate fruit. When prayers aren’t immediately answered. When circumstances don’t improve, or worsen. When the job gets harder, or the family situation gets worse, or the finances tighten. When church doesn’t immediately work for you the first Sunday you’re there. And some, when they are discouraged, they give up. But are you eager enough to persist in spite of discouragements?

Sometimes Jesus seems to test people by putting something in their path to see if they are eager enough to go after Him. Consider the rich young ruler in Matt 19:16-22. Or consider the Syro-phonecian woman in Matt 15:22-28.

See, if the cost, or disadvantages or discouragements stop you from persisting in seeking Him, then it means you are ultimately content to let the situation be what it is now.

The Bible commands persistence in seeking God. It commands diligence in our devotion – seeking Him until we find Him.

Jesus taught again and again – persist. Keep on knocking. Keep on seeking. Keep on asking. He illustrated it with different parables. God tests your devotion sometimes.

2 Kings 13:15-20. Joash was not zealous towards the things of God, and so he would not see as much deliverance.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6)

Faith is not faith until it embraces the truth that I must diligently seek Him, and I believe wholeheartedly that I will then find Him.

“The amount of loafing practiced by the average Christian in spiritual things would ruin a concert pianist if he allowed himself to do the same thing in the field of music. The idle puttering around that we see in church circles would end the career of a [professional baseball] pitcher in one week. No scientist could solve his exacting problem if he took as little interest in it as [most] Christians take in the art of being holy. The nation whose soldiers were as soft and undisciplined as the soldiers of the churches would be conquered by the first enemy that attacked it. Triumphs are not won by men in easy chairs. Success is costly.” – A.W. Tozer

III. Are You Dependent Enough to Expect?

These blind men seemed to know much about Jesus Himself and were expectant of a healing.

They knew His identity. They called Him ‘Son of David’. They understood He was the Messiah.

They believed in His ability. Jesus asks – do you believe I am able to do this? They say, “Yes, Lord”.

How did they know? They must have heard, and trusted what others had told them. What a picture of what faith must be like – Hebrews 11:1.

Faith comes by hearing.

Here’s the point: they fully expected to receive grace from the Lord Jesus. They did not pursue Him for nothing. They were sold out to the idea of getting help from Christ. And they fully expected that He was able and willing to do what they asked Him to. Faith believes Christ is able.

Faith believes Christ is willing.

Consider Jehoshaphat 2 Chr 20:12

Nothing is more amazing than to see how much Christians do week after week in churches, all the while expecting nothing. They don’t expect to make any new commitments at church. They don’t expect to see Christ in the Word illuminated to them. They don’t expect to experience God in praising Him. They don’t expect that God will speak directly to them. All this activity, but you get the feeling that if God showed up, they’d be surprised!

Do you trust to the degree that you are expectant, waiting – looking to see God reveal Himself? If you haven’t come to a point of expectant waiting, looking – then you’re probably still just wishing, vaguely hoping, but life is still filled with many other things and back-up plans if Christ does not revive your heart.

Not faith in faith. Not faith in results. Faith in Christ Himself.

Faith is Rewarded

“According to your faith let it be to you” In light of your faith – let it be to you. In proportion to your faith let it be to you.

We think of George Mueller, Hudson Taylor. They were not genetically superior spiritual people. According to your faith be it unto you.

Principle – you are as spiritual as you want to be. According to your faith – not the prosperity Gospel. Simply you have and know as much of God as you choose to. You might wish to be more spiritual, but you are as spiritual as you want to be.

You have what you wanted spiritually. Don’t you want more? Then choose, with the will God gave you, to strengthen those wishes into acts, persistent acts – expectant acts. Let your wishes for spiritual growth be more than options, let them be decisions, taken dependently.