The Goal of Faith

In yesterday’s corporate worship service, we explored two instances in Matthew 9:18-26 of Jesus healing individuals who place their faith in him. In Matthew 9:27-31 another instance of healing is seen as two blind men exercise faith in Jesus. An interesting note about these two men is that they demonstrate intriguing perception into the true identity of Jesus, referring to him as the “Son of David.” In other words, their faith is connected to seeing Jesus for who he is.

After the encounter with the blind men, Jesus heals a man who is both deaf and demon-possessed (cf.9:32-34). In response, the Pharisees assert that Jesus “casts out demons by the prince of demons.” In contrast with the blind men, they completely do NOT recognize Jesus who for he is, to the degree that they accuse him of being in league with Satan.
These contrasting stories offer yet another lesson about faith: the goal of faith is to bring us to recognition of who Jesus truly is and why he is so significant. Faith is not primarily about getting what we want or having our circumstances changed or bringing us positive feelings; rather, faith points us to our ongoing need for Jesus, as well as his ongoing faithfulness toward us.

Is there a situation you are currently facing where you need to remember who Jesus is? Ask him to reveal himself to you in the midst of that situation today.