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"What do you want Me to do for you?" —Luke 18:41
One of the most important questions in life is Jesus' question to the blind beggar of Jericho: "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind beggar correctly answered Jesus: "I want to see" (Lk 18:41). The beggar could have easily responded to Jesus by asking for money or food instead of sight. Compare the blind beggar with the lame man in Acts who did not ask for healing, but for money (Acts 3:3).
What do we want Jesus to do for us? Do we want to be just richer or more comfortable, but still spiritually blind? Do we want to be healed, lukewarm Christians, or unrepentant sinners who now feel better about themselves? Some people seem content with the prospect of being the healthiest people in hell.
Jesus loves us too much to provide only our secondary needs. He doesn't want to help us beggars without healing our blindnesses. Jesus is reluctant to bless us without also converting us, to heal us without leading us to repentance, and to make us feel good without making us holy.
What do you want Jesus to do for you? Is that what Jesus wants to do?
Prayer: Jesus, give me the desires of Your heart.
Promise: "Happy is the man who reads this prophetic message, and happy are those who hear it and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near!" —Rv 1:3
Praise: It is said of St. Albert the Great that each day he prayed the entire book of Psalms.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Seek First The Kingdom.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 6, 2010
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