When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."
— Matthew 9:27-29
Everything Jesus did during His earthly ministry flourished. Every healing, deliverance, and act He performed stemmed from His spiritual union with His Father. Jesus succeeded because He never acted unless He was confident that the Father, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, was leading Him to do so. Jesus never attempted to heal the sick, cast out demons, or raise the dead without the assurance that His actions were in alignment with what He had observed the Father doing (John 5:19).
In Matthew 9:27-31, there is an example of Jesus' ministry that initially appears different from His norm.
Two beggars saw Jesus passing by and started calling Him for healing. Despite their pleas, Jesus did not stop to acknowledge them; He continued on His way. Matthew 9:27 notes that these two men "followed him, crying out, 'Son of David, have mercy on us.'" Although blind, the beggars followed Jesus, determined to capture His attention. In this verse, the Greek word for "crying" indicates that they were screaming and doing everything they could to make Jesus notice them.
In this story, Jesus appears different from the typical image of Him healing those who come to Him. Here, two blind men urgently needing healing cried out loudly for Jesus. Rather than stopping to help them, He continued on His journey. The two men persevered, following Him in their darkness. Jesus heard their calls but did not answer them. They followed Jesus to the house where He was staying, doggedly pleading for mercy (Matthew 9:28). Jesus finally came out and asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They answered, "Yes, Lord." Then Jesus touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith, let it be done to you," and their sight was restored instantly (Matthew 9:30).
Why didn't Jesus respond to them when they were following Him and pleading for mercy? Why did He not immediately heal them upon learning they were blind?
Perhaps Jesus did not respond quickly to their pleas because He did not sense the leading of the Holy Spirit at that moment to restore their sight. If He had, He would have stopped and healed them. Regardless of His preference, Jesus only did what He saw the Father do (John 5:19). The incredible news is that those two men, just like the woman with the issue of blood, were able to use their faith to be healed.
Typically, we view the Holy Spirit as guiding us to act, but in this story, with the two blind beggars, Jesus was led to refrain from acting. If the Spirit had moved him to heal them, He would have done so instantly, as He had on many other occasions.
Often, we pursue our own plans and miss what the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish through us. We initiate something and then pray, asking God to bless our actions. We frequently encounter unsatisfactory results when we assume that our endeavors are God's will. We must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, just as He guided Jesus.
If the Holy Spirit leads us to act, we should follow that guidance. However, if there is no direction, we should refrain. When Jesus first saw those two blind beggars, He must have felt a compassionate desire to reach out and heal them. However, He only did what He saw the Father doing, initiating nothing without being led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus' dependence on the Holy Spirit was the reason His ministry was entirely successful: He only did what the Father instructed.
Sometimes, the Holy Spirit asks us to refrain from acting, while He instructs us to take action at other times. The Spirit will help us become more attuned to His voice, revealing when to act and when to hold back. Instead of rushing to respond each time we see a need in someone's life or ours, we should pause, pray, and listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to us about it. Yes, this process may take significantly longer. Yet, following Jesus' example and relying on the Holy Spirit's guidance will yield far more rewarding results than merely pursuing our own plans.
"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15).
Don't rush in foolishly. Use the time God gives you wisely and prudently. Seek the Spirit's direction. Without His guidance, your faith will rest in yourself—in your plans and your ability to accomplish them; ultimately, they will fail, producing nothing of eternal value. However, faith in God—in His plans and power to achieve them—will yield the fruit of His Word.
“All who are led by the Spirit are children of God” (Romans 8:14, NLT). If you follow the Holy Spirit's leading as Jesus did, you too will experience miraculous success that impacts the lives of others for the Father's glory.
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