“And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 9:28 Mean?
"And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord." Jesus doesn't heal the blind men in the street. He waits until they follow him into a house — a private setting, away from spectacle. Then he asks them one question: "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Not "do you deserve this?" Not "have you been good enough?" Just: do you believe I can?
The question is both a test and a gift. Jesus already knows they believe — their persistent following proved it. But he wants them to articulate it, to hear themselves say it out loud. There's something about declaring your faith that solidifies it. Their answer is simple and complete: "Yea, Lord." Yes. That's it. No qualifications, no conditions, no caveats. Just yes.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If Jesus asked you right now, 'Do you believe I am able to do this?' about your biggest need — what would you honestly say?
- 2.Why do you think Jesus wanted the blind men to say their faith out loud rather than just acting on what he already knew?
- 3.What's the difference between having perfect faith and having enough faith?
- 4.Is there an area of your life where you need to stop analyzing and simply say 'Yea, Lord'?
Devotional
Jesus asks one question: do you believe I can do this? Not: do you understand how it works? Not: have you done enough to earn it? Not: can you explain your theology of healing? Just: do you believe I'm able?
That's the question he's asking you right now about whatever impossible thing you're facing. Not whether you've figured it all out. Not whether you deserve the breakthrough. Just: do you believe I can?
Notice that Jesus asked this question after they'd already demonstrated their faith by following him blind through the streets. He knew the answer. So why ask? Because sometimes you need to hear yourself say it. Faith that lives only in your heart, never articulated, never declared, stays abstract. When the blind men said "Yea, Lord," they weren't informing Jesus of something he didn't know. They were committing out loud to what they believed internally.
And notice what Jesus didn't require. He didn't ask for perfect faith. He didn't ask them to explain the mechanism of healing. He didn't quiz them on Scripture. He asked one yes-or-no question: am I able? And their answer — "Yea, Lord" — was enough. If that's all you've got today — a simple yes, I believe you can — that's enough for Jesus to work with.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And their eyes were opened,.... Some copies read, "immediately"; and so do the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions:…
And when he was come into the house - That is, either into the house which he usually occupied in Capernaum, or the…
In these verses we have an account of two more miracles wrought together by our Saviour.
I. The giving of sight to two…
A Cure of two Blind Men
Peculiar to St Matthew. Archbp. Trench alludes to the fact that cases of blindness are far more…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture