Better Than Being Offered Three Wishes…

Elizabeth likes to pose hypothetical questions as conversation starters.  Some of the questions she’s asked that started interesting conversations:

·      If we had an extra $100,000 what would you want to do with it?

·      If we could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to go?

·      If you could have any meal from anywhere we’ve ever eaten, what would it be?

Those are hypotheticals, but Jesus poses a very real, very non-hypothetical question to a blind man.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”   Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near,  Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Luke 18:35-40a

“What do you want me to do for you?”

That might seem like an unbelievable (and hypothetical) question from the Creator of the Universe who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, but maybe it’s not that different from other things Christ said.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. MT 7:7

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:14

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13

Based on these other statements from Christ, perhaps we should look at prayer every single time we pray as if Jesus is asking us in that very moment what we want Him to do for us.

Would that change how you feel about your prayer time/prayer life if you went into prayer thinking that Jesus is asking you what you want Him to do for you?

Would it change what you ask, how you ask it, and who you are asking things for?

It’s tempting to want to include some caveats here.  Caveats such as: Make sure you are only asking for spiritual things or for things for other people…make sure you don’t use this as license to ask for selfish things and on and on.  But guess what?  Jesus doesn’t include any caveats in this encounter.  Perhaps it’s because He wants to hear exactly what is on this person’s mind.

What do you want God to do for you?