For each particular need, I go to where I believe that need can be met. I go to the grocery store to buy groceries, because I believe that is what they are equipped to sell. I see my doctor about my physical ailments, because I believe he has been trained to diagnose and treat illness.

In Matthew 9:27-31 two blind men come to Jesus, seeking to see again. There are some healing stories in which Jesus simply acts -- sometimes without even being asked. Here, his response to their plea is to ask them if they believe that he can do this. When they say "Yes, Lord," he grants them their wish.

This response puzzles me. Why does he ask the question when, as it seems to me, clearly they are coming precisely because they believe Jesus can restore their sight? If they didn't believe it, would they be there in the first place? For some reason, he wants to hear more from them than just a cry for help.

I have sometimes reacted negatively to people who demand from me or others an explicit statement of personal faith in Christ, as if to say "If you can't say it, it isn't real." I have tended to place more emphasis on actions as the natural outcome and demonstration of faith. But this church recognizes that sharing the Good News requires more than just good works -- the good works need to be explicated, given a context and a reason.

The reason is Jesus. Do I believe he can do this? Yes, I do.
Can I keep silent? Just like the two healed men, I can not.

For some reason, this story called to mind a verse from "Suzanne," by Leonard Cohen:

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them" ...
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.