What do you want me to do for you?

Jesus was approaching Jericho when a blind man cried out to Him and asked for mercy. The man’s need was evident, and yet Jesus asked him a strange question: “…What do you want me to do for you…” (Luke 18:41).

Once again, Jesus’ question was much more than a simple request for information. So, what was He really asking?

One way to find an answer is to use Jesus’ question as a personal reflection. How would we respond if the same question was posed to us? What do we want Jesus to do for us?

The question doesn’t just cause us to think about our practical and spiritual needs, but it also challenges our faith. Do we genuinely believe that Jesus can and will meet those needs?

But, at a deeper and perhaps more challenging level, the question also sheds light on our motives. What do we really want from Jesus and why do we want those things?

The Book of James says, “…When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures…” (James 4:3).

Are we still motivated by a love of pleasure, a love of money, or a love of ourselves?

Do we genuinely want what God wants for us?

Are we wise enough to ask for wisdom?

Do we want to see?

Robert