What do you want

One of my favorite questions in the Bible was posed by Jesus to a blind beggar. The story is told in Luke 18:33-43. Jesus is walking towards Jerusalem, where he will be crucified. As he is approaching Jericho, a man calls out to him: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" This man has no name; he is identified as "a blind beggar."

I wonder what my tag would be? Without a name, if I appeared in a story with Jesus, would I be "the harried housewife?" "A distracted mother?" When this man sat on the side of the road, anyone who saw him knew his flaws: he was blind; he was begging. He had needs that were glaring.

When he began calling out, the people around him rebuked him, told him to hush, but he shouted even more. I feel like that beggar this morning: Lord, I am in need. I need you. See me, Lord!

And Jesus says to the man, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Really, Jesus? The man is BLIND. Duh. What do you think he wants?? Why did Jesus ask this?

When I am desperate, when I am begging in a crowd for answers to the cry of my heart, I imagine Jesus looking at me and asking, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Would you have an answer? Do you know the one thing that you want from the Master, if he were standing before you and asked?

"I just want my life to be good." Very vague.
"I don't want to worry anymore." Very broad.
"I want to run away." Genuine, but is the cry of my heart really just a bed and breakfast somewhere?

The man answered, "Lord, I want to see." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."

The man wanted to see, but he could already see his own need when he began calling out to the Lord. Jesus seemed to love people's clarity and boldness.

I personally do not look as messy as a blind beggar. I work to hold things together, so I am not so obviously needy. It would be a shame if all my efforts to not fall apart kept me hushed, kept me away from the side of the road.

I don't want to miss his question: "What do you want me to do for you?"