Ian Barclay's Thought For The Day

A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
Streetwise Jesus goes indoors
Reading: Matthew 9:27-31 click to view passage

We are used to the fly-ridden faces of the sick in disaster areas of the world. Because of a similar lack of hygiene and the intensity of the sunlight, blindness was a recurring problem in the Palestine of New Testament times.

We have already noted that these men called Jesus, “Son of David”(v27). This is a title often used by people who hadn’t had a first-hand encounter with him. It underlines the popular understanding of the Messiah as someone who would deal with Israel’s enemies especially Rome.
Jesus doesn’t seem to want to deal with their problems out in the street, it is only “indoors”(v28) when these men are apparently alone with Jesus that he begins to sort out their problem.


Meditation: Think about the fact that Jesus appears to have compelled these men to meet him alone. Am I spending enough time alone with Jesus for him to deal with my problems?
Prayer pointer: What is holding me back from having a simple one-to-one with Jesus?