120. The Prayer Of Two Blind Men.

The Prayer Of Two Blind Men. The Prayer as recorded.—Matthew 9:27-28. The Lord’s Answer.—Matthew 9:29-30. Our Savior on his return from the ruler’s house, is met by two afflicted ones. They are blind; the world with all its varied scenes is shut out from their view; they cannot even gaze on the blessed form of Jesus, in whom is centered all their hope. Though all is dark outwardly faith is shining clear and bright in their hearts; Jesus is to them the “Son of David,” the promised Savior, the King of Israel; they have come in blindness and in sorrow to seek him, for they know he will restore them. The prophets had predicted many times that the Savior would perform the miracle of unsealing the eyes of the blind, and this is the first recorded fulfillment of the prophecy. Our Lord had given repeated proofs of his power to the “multitude,” and, as if satisfied for the present, goes away from the crowd to the house of Andrew or Peter, and would then quietly draw from these blind men the confession of their faith. It is evident they had a knowledge of the Scriptures, and believed the Savior could open their eyes, and would answer prayer. Oh that the blinded and deluded around us would follow their example and offer their prayer. God alone can perform the miracle of opening the eyes of the spiritually blind. As our Savior was the only one who had ever performed the miracle recorded in connection with this prayer, so can they who are blind in sin be restored only by Him. He hath said, “He that followeth after me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” and he is ever ready to fulfill this gracious promise. The moral light which beams in on the soul of the once blinded is but the reflected light of heaven. It is drawn there by the earnest petition, the sincere desire, and such was the prayer of “these blind men.” The more earnest we are, the brighter the light beaming into the soul; our eyes are opened, and prayer illuminates the darkened understanding with a halo of glory. The convicted sinner exclaims, “Once I was blind, but now I see;” once with my soul it was “O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon;

Irrevocably dark! total eclipse but day has dawned, and hope and faith have led me to the mercy-seat; there is no film before my moral vision; the eyes of my soul look over the thorny and rugged places of this wilderness, for beyond I see “the King in his beauty, and a place where is no darkness, for there is no night there, where they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light.”