two blind men Matthew 20:29 Mark 10:46
We had been begging together for seveal years just outside Jericho. We were both partially sighted , I had no vision at all at any distance but could see a little if I was very close up indeed. Jonas had some peripheral vision but couldnt see anything close up. So between the two of us we helped each other out a bit and managed to get to the spot on the road into the city where we begged most days.
On the day we met Jesus we had heard that he had been in the city. Everyone knew about him and the stories about the miracles he had been performing were being talked about by everyone going into and coming out of the city. I was firmly convinced that he was the Messiah - how else could he be doing all the things people were saying he was doing? I had always believed that Messiah was coming, and why shouldnt it be now, when we needed liberation from our Roman opressors? If I had been able to see I would have been in the forum and the market place with the political agitators shouting for a revolution.
The day we met Jesus was a normal day pretty much. We had been sitting in the shade of a palm tree as the people were going into and out of the city gates when we heard the noise. It sounded like a thunderstorm approaching, but then we heard the voices and realised that it was the sound of feet. Lots of feet. Hundreds of feet on the road coming towards us. I grabbed the cloak of a passing man and asked him what was going on. He told us that Jesus was coming out of Jericho and that huge crowds were following him to see if he was going to do any more miracles. I turned to Jonas and said ' This is our time. Let's see if we can get to Jesus'
We stood up and moved forward onto the road but the press of people was frightening and we stepped back again pretty quickly. I said to Jonas ' Let's just yell and see if he hears us' and that's what we did. We shouted at the top of our lungs for Jesus - we must have looked completely mad. Several people passing by told us to shut up but that just made us shout even louder. And then, all of a sudden we heard the sound of passing feet come to a halt and the crowd went quiet. We heard a voice say ' What is it that you want me to do for you?' People moved aside and someone took me by the arm and led me a few steps into the road where I could just about make out the form of a man standing in front of me. ' Lord we just want to be able to see' Jonas said. And the next thing we knew someone was touching our eyes and it was as though a blanket was taken away and light came streaming in and I could see perfectly. I could see the face of a young man looking at me and smiling. I could see his hand on Jonas's shoulder and I could see Jonas looking all around him, clearly able to see too. We both fell on our knees before the Rabbi and thanked him over and over again. We were laughing and crying and shaking. Jesus told us that we were to give thanks to God and said ' follow me'. So we did. And we have followed him ever since.
Regaining our physical vision was only a small part of what happened to us that day. We also began a journey of developing spiritual vision which has been mind blowing. We have seen things you would not believe. And not just with our eyes.
On the day we met Jesus we had heard that he had been in the city. Everyone knew about him and the stories about the miracles he had been performing were being talked about by everyone going into and coming out of the city. I was firmly convinced that he was the Messiah - how else could he be doing all the things people were saying he was doing? I had always believed that Messiah was coming, and why shouldnt it be now, when we needed liberation from our Roman opressors? If I had been able to see I would have been in the forum and the market place with the political agitators shouting for a revolution.
The day we met Jesus was a normal day pretty much. We had been sitting in the shade of a palm tree as the people were going into and out of the city gates when we heard the noise. It sounded like a thunderstorm approaching, but then we heard the voices and realised that it was the sound of feet. Lots of feet. Hundreds of feet on the road coming towards us. I grabbed the cloak of a passing man and asked him what was going on. He told us that Jesus was coming out of Jericho and that huge crowds were following him to see if he was going to do any more miracles. I turned to Jonas and said ' This is our time. Let's see if we can get to Jesus'
We stood up and moved forward onto the road but the press of people was frightening and we stepped back again pretty quickly. I said to Jonas ' Let's just yell and see if he hears us' and that's what we did. We shouted at the top of our lungs for Jesus - we must have looked completely mad. Several people passing by told us to shut up but that just made us shout even louder. And then, all of a sudden we heard the sound of passing feet come to a halt and the crowd went quiet. We heard a voice say ' What is it that you want me to do for you?' People moved aside and someone took me by the arm and led me a few steps into the road where I could just about make out the form of a man standing in front of me. ' Lord we just want to be able to see' Jonas said. And the next thing we knew someone was touching our eyes and it was as though a blanket was taken away and light came streaming in and I could see perfectly. I could see the face of a young man looking at me and smiling. I could see his hand on Jonas's shoulder and I could see Jonas looking all around him, clearly able to see too. We both fell on our knees before the Rabbi and thanked him over and over again. We were laughing and crying and shaking. Jesus told us that we were to give thanks to God and said ' follow me'. So we did. And we have followed him ever since.
Regaining our physical vision was only a small part of what happened to us that day. We also began a journey of developing spiritual vision which has been mind blowing. We have seen things you would not believe. And not just with our eyes.
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