What do you want me to do for you?

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

“What do you want me to do for you?”
This question echoes throughout our everyday lives. Maybe you hear it from your children, your coworkers, family members, friends. To whom do you ask this question? Over the past few days this question has popped into my mind. It is one of several strong statements in Luke 18: 35-43:

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

“Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Luke 18: 35-43

This story wows me for so many reasons. The boldness, confidence, and persistence of the blind man to call out to Jesus is incredible. How did he know that Jesus could heal him? Would I have been so bold or would I have been concerned about what others would think if I started crying out and disrupting the peace?

I wonder what it was about the blind man that caused Jesus to stop? And what were the others thinking who were ordered to bring him to Jesus? Did they think that Jesus could/would have mercy on him?

Then comes the big question. Jesus asks the man, “What do you want me to do for you?” JESUS asks the man this question. Interesting that Jesus, God in the flesh and all-knowing, asks what the blind man wants. Doesn’t he already know?

I must admit that I have often posed this question to God in prayer. Knowing that He knows me best and has a wonderful plan for my life, and wanting to glorify Him, I feel like I continually stand at various crossroads and ask Him, what do you want me to do for you—wondering how I can serve and honor him.

In this passage, however, the roles are reversed. Jesus asks and, I assume, He already knows what the blind man wants. His asking reminds me of a few foundational truths of the faith and stirs up a question in my heart.

First, it reminds me that God longs more than anything else to have a relationship with us. He wants to be known by us and wants to LOVE us. What kind of relationship can exist without communication? I wonder if Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted him to do in order to underline the relational aspect of faith, to draw the blind man into a narrative with him.

Secondly, this shows Jesus’ power and his insatiable desire to serve and fulfill the needs and heart’s desires of God’s children—all of us. He asks the blind man and IMMEDIATELY heals him! He allows the blind man to interrupt him.

Is Jesus asking me the same question? Am I being honest with Him about what I want Him to do for me? Do I even know what that is? And…how does that mesh with the Lord’s prayer that He taught His disciples to pray that says, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done?”

I continue to ponder these questions and would love to hear your thoughts too. (Feel free to add your comments below this post.) Currently, I lean into the relationship aspect of my faith, thinking that Jesus wants to know what is on my heart. He wants me to openly say what I desire. I desire an openness and a boldness to pray for things with courage and confidence, knowing that God CAN work in miraculous ways. At the same time, I pray that HIS will be done knowing that His will might look differently than how I think it should look at any moment in time.

Blessings to all of you on this journey of faith! May we all be as bold and courageous to cry out to Jesus, who is always listening!