Jesus Asked a Question (Matthew 20:29-34)
Gary McManus, 08/08/2021Part of the Jesus Came to Restore series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
A healing account. . . .with something missing:
Jesus does NOT say, “your faith has healed you.”
The absence of this key phrase does not deter
prosperity gospel preachers. That is a problem;
nothing can deter or stop the prosperity gospel.
Pastor read of a prosperity gospel preacher:
The Preacher reported a tornado headed toward his
house which he rebuked. The tornado moved away.
There was plenty left out of the story.
This same preacher in March 2020! announced:
That he, the preacher, had "executed judgement"
on the COVID-19 virus and claimed that it was
"finished" and "over" and that the US was now
"healed and well again".
[Why are we only finding this out now? It seems
like such news as this should have spread rapidly.]
What has this TV preacher to do with the Bible and
healing and Jesus? NOTHING!
It should be noted that only the U.S. was “healed”,
not even Christians in other countries.
One can check his website.
The Prosperity Gospel will always be with us because
people would rather chase the possibility of being rich and never the reality of being poor.
Today’s reading: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem
for Passover (and his crucifixion). Blind men are
probably begging.
They are not going to Jerusalem for Passover and perhaps are forbidden to go because of their blindness.
They are “defective.” (Leviticus 21:16-23)).
Jesus does not STATE that the faith of these men in
the Messiah has made them well. But notice that
they say “Lord” and “Son of David.”
Jesus asked a question. All know the right answer,
and the right answer is given, healing.
Pastor suggests that you think like a beggar.
Aren’t you going to ask the Messiah for cash?
Beggars usually want cash.
Their answer is not a beggar’s answer.
These beggars said: open our eyes so that we can. . .
-- be whole to attend worship. . .
--for our own money. . .
Then. . .
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and they received their sight AND they followed him.
This report is applicable to us today.
What is a Christian response to those who are sick and those who are at the greatest risk for getting sick with Covid-19? What is a Jesus-follower response?
Talk about ourselves first. We have done our best.
Most of the seriously ill NOW, were not vaccinated.
We might be angry about that.
Bible says, “Go ahead be angry—but sin not.” (Ephesians 4)
What to do with anger? Make anger work for you, not against you. Let anger motivate you to help the poor, sick, the lame, and the blind. Here are suggestions. . .
Some folks hope to shame or frighten people into getting vaccinated. It doesn’t work. Never has. Examples:
Continue to do what you can to reduce your risk of infection and help others to do the same
Let’s hear from Travis Campbell
43 years old from Bristol, Virginia.
What would you want the Messiah to do for you,
if he asked you? Amen.
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