Scripture
29As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Matthew 20:29-33
Observation
Jesus was headed to Jerusalem and would not be distracted from his purpose. As he left Jericho this moment marked the end of His general ministry and the beginning of his direct path to the Cross. The disciples couldn’t stop him. The crowds couldn’t stop him. The religious leaders couldn’t stop him. The devil couldn’t stop him. So, what stopped Jesus in his tracks? The desperation, determination, and dedication of two blind men. They were desperate for a healing and knew this would be there last chance. They couldn’t see, but they had heard all the stories and the teaching that had spread through the crowds and they weren’t about to sit quietly and let their Jesus Moment pass them by. They had spent their lives crying out for change to live on. Now they cried out for a change only the author of life could bring. They were determined to catch his attention even when the crowds were putting them in their place. The crowds yelled, but these two yelled all the louder. They were so determined to talk to Jesus, to be in His presence that it caught His attention. This was the same determination driven by faith that compelled Jesus to the cross. Jesus heard them when everyone else ignored them. Jesus stopped and looked at them when everyone else walked by. Jesus called to out to them and gave them the respect no one else would. He asked them what they needed and their voice was finally heard. Above the crowd, above the noise, they called Him “Lord”. Their desperation and determination led to a transformation, not just of their physical condition, but of their spiritual one. Here’s the powerful point of this story. They weren’t just chasing Jesus for a healing they were were chasing Jesus to know Him. The narrative reveals the motive. We don’t read of procrastination, but rather a determination to keep chasing their Jesus moment, “Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.” This wasn’t transactional, it was transformational as it is for all who spend their lives refusing to miss their Jesus moment!
Application
Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.” He also said, “God doesn’t answer prayer. He answers desperate prayer.” How desperate am I to find my Jesus moment? What if every Christ follower was as determined and undeterred to chase our Jesus moment as those two blind men? You know what would happen? A Jesus moment would become a Jesus movement. In the face of so much backlash and pressure to be quiet about our faith what if we just shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us, our families, our churches, our schools, our cities, our government, our country!” What if we moved from simply being fans of Jesus when it suits us to being followers of Jesus no matter what? What if we stopped chasing our 15 minutes of fame and started making Jesus famous in through how we loved the very ones shouting us down? A recent survey says more Americans see themselves as fans of Jesus rather than followers – 75 percent. Obviously, that's quite disturbing. Conversely, only 48 percent of Buddhists, 50 percent of Hindu, said the same. If those two blind men were simply fans of Jesus they would have taken their healing and ran. Followers of Jesus don’t run away they run after Him come what may. Chronos is the Greek word in scripture describing a linear measurable time as we what we read on our watch. Kairos is the Greek word in scripture describing a situational time, an opportunity, a window of time. Kairos is crucial to the plans of God and requires an implicit trust in His provision. Everything can change in a moment and if we don’t want to miss our Jesus moment we have quit letting our chronos distract us from our kairos! ‘The time (kairos) has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:15)
Prayer
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” (Is. 55:6) Lord, This is a Kairos moment! This past week thousands of Gen Z gathered at Angels Stadium to worship You. No hype. Just hunger for your presence. It was called Backyard Revival and it was led young people desperate, determined, and dedicating their lives to you. Theirs a rumbling. I can hear it above the noise. In the face of the abject darkness threatening the future of this younger generation, let me desperate enough to cry out with them, “Lord have mercy on us!”
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