What Do You Want?

One of the most enduring tales of all time is the story of a wish granted.
Whether it’s the three wishes of a genie’s lamp in “Aladdin,” the ironic
twists of “The Monkey’s Paw,” or just a discussion among friends, we love
the possibility of getting something we want, a chance to make life better.
Money? Fame? A particular skill? Healing? There are too many options to
list, which is probably why people throughout history have pondered, “What
do you want?”

In the Bible, Jesus sometimes asks people the same question. And when the
Son of God asks this question, it’s a story worth considering. We’re going
to take a closer look at one of these times, which is recorded in Luke 18.
Jesus is approaching Jericho with a throng of followers. A man who is blind
sits by the road, begging.
This man is an outcast with many needs. He can’t see; he has no money and
no Job He’s basically a loner in society with nothing going for him. The
road to Jericho is dangerous, and this is where he sits and begs.

When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!” (verse 38). The crowds tell him to hush, but he
shouts louder. Then Jesus stops and asks the man, “What do you want me to
do for you?” (verse 41). It may seem obvious. The man responds, “Lord, I
want to see.” Then Jesus heals him, and immediately, he can see.

What’s interesting to me is the man’s response after his eyes are healed.
He could have gone home. He could have traveled around to see the sights
and people he had never seen. He could have run from this dangerous place.
But no. Verse 43 tells us that he “followed Jesus, praising God.” Not only
that, but “when all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

On His way to the cross, Jesus gave sight, both physically and spiritually,
to a man who was blind. Because of what Jesus did, the man and the crowd
began to see Jesus differently. Jesus was more than a cosmic genie granting
the whims of random people. Jesus was, and is, God in the flesh, come to
restore His creation. He is the Messiah and the Son of God. When the healed
man and the crowd saw what Jesus had done, they praised God. • Mike Hurley

• Why do you think this man wanted to follow Jesus after He healed him?

• If you want to dig deeper, you can read two other gospel accounts of
Jesus healing blindness outside Jericho in Matthew 20:29-34 and Mark
10:46-52. You can also read about two other times Jesus says, “What do you
want?” in Mark 10:35-45 and John 1:35-42.

Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Luke 18:40-41 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Luke 18:35-Luke 18:43