So Longings Can Be Exposed

Written by Jarred Rushing

(4 minutes)

As Jesus left the house, two blind men began following him, shouting out over and over, "Son of David, show us mercy and heal us!" And they followed him right into the house where Jesus was staying. (Matthew 9:27-28)

The Pharisees were reading and studying the scriptures, praying every day, and going to the temple as much as they could, yet they couldn't see Jesus rightly. But two blind men who were unable to read the scriptures and were kept out of the temple for being unclean could see Jesus perfectly. Stumbling throughout the town and yelling at the top of their lungs, these blind men were going to do whatever they could to get to the feet of Jesus, even if it meant barging into a home that wasn't their own. They are pushing through all the barriers and obstacles to get to Jesus. And speaking of Jesus, He isn't making it easy on them. He allows them stumble in desperate pursuit, shouting over and over, and corner Him in a house that didn't belong to them. Why?

There is a common attribute among people who want the real thing: hunger. 

Their hunger for the real thing can't be quieted by anything. They simply will not give up until they get to His feet. Let's be honest, American Christianity would've stopped right before we started "shouting out over and over" because that is just too undignified and silly. But it's not undignified and silly if you're hungry for the real thing. American Christianity has to bait and entertain people into following Jesus. But Jesus' way is so different. He keeps walking and He allows the hunger to be stirred in these two blind men. He doesn't make it easy for them. He wants them to get exactly what they long for, but He makes space for their longing to be exposed.

How hungry are we for the real thing? Is our hunger stirring us to drop everything and overcome whatever obstacles we need to in order to get to His feet? What are we willing to go through to get to the real thing? 

Put yourself in the shoes of these two blind men. 

Would you have followed Jesus even though you couldn't see or feel Him? Would you have stumbled through the town, tripping over things and bumping into random strangers? You wouldn't be able to see their faces full of judgment and pity, but you could fill in the blanks with your imagination. Would you still follow after Him? Would you shout at the top of your lungs over and over again even if you weren't getting any response from Jesus? Would you continue to yell and fight to be heard by Him even though the surrounding crowd kept hushing you? Would you barge into someone else's home like it was your own, if you knew Jesus was there? 

Or would you have stopped short?

There was more than enough fear, shame, condemnation, embarrassment, and discomfort to go around. Would you let it quiet the hunger in you for the real thing? 

It couldn't quiet the hunger in these two blind men. Jesus allowed their longing to be exposed. What if we're walking through things right now in order for our longing to be exposed? 

I want to suggest something to you. Abba has lured you into the wilderness to expose your longing. The wilderness has a way of doing that to us. Listen to these words of King David, the words to a song he wrote while he was exiled in a wilderness. 

O God of my life, I'm lovesick for you in this weary wilderness.
I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more, 
with cravings in my heart that can't be described.
Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
I'm energized every time I enter your heavenly sanctuary
to seek more of your power and drink in more of your glory.
For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself.
How I love and praise you, God!
(Psalm 63:1-3)

Let your hunger be stirred for Yahweh today!

Let your yearning for Him grip your soul. 

Let your worship passionately overflow.

Let your arms wave like banners no matter who is in the room.

With passion, pursue and cling to Him!

See this wilderness for what it is - a grace given to you by Yahweh so your hunger for Him can increase to overflowing, so you can be ushered into the thing you always said you wanted...the real thing.

What if the hard things are actually opportunities for you to fall more in love with Jesus?

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Worship: "I Love You" by UPPERROOM 

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

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