In Mathew 20 there are a series of encounters with Jesus.
Just for the record I really really don't like chapters and I don't like headings in my bible. I understand their use but they interfere with the reading of the scripture.
I am withholding a rant.
Jesus tells us the parable of the the workers in the vineyard and then goes straight into how he is going to go to the cross and suffer. No, he is even more clear. He is going to be handed over the gentiles, flogged, mocked and crucified. Then he says that he will be raised from the dead! The exclamation point is not mine but His.
In a move of astonishing tone deafness the scripture says that the mother of the sons of Zebedee kneels before him and asks that they be on his right and left in glory. Another point of clarification is that right after Jesus explain his suffering and resurrection the very next sentence starts with the word "then" and goes on to explain this request.
Let me back this up just a hair.
Jesus: Invite people to work; all that you can find. More. More. More workers. I will pay them all a days wage even if they only work an hour or two and show up at the end.
Jesus explains that he is generous, that it's his business that he is generous and not to get offended by how he handles what he owns (BTW he owns it all). Then he explains that he is going to be horribly mistreated, killed and then rise from the dead. Instead of asking for more details and information about any of this a mother asks for a gift of honor, respect and power for her sons. She does not ask for them to be transformed, developed, mentored etc but just that they get elevated to this position.
The following is where I want to draw your attention. Two blind men. There is a crowd and they hear that it's Jesus who is coming through and they get it in their heads that this is their moment. They don't just throw up a quiet prayer, ask to be led to Him or see if they can pull him aside but shout and cry out for mercy.
Mercy is what you get when you know your place and that place is one of inferiority to someone of power and position. Mercy is a posture of the heart. These two men were told to be quiet but they shouted all the louder for mercy.
I realize that I am a paradox which is a fancy way of saying that am a conflicted mess. I prefer paradox though because it makes me feel good about my mess. One of my favorite things is to get on stage in front of a group of people without a script. I don't like crowds and I really really don't like being in a crowd. When I go to a theatre that is full my favorite place is an isle seat regardless of the inconvenience of letting people out. I don't like being trapped, inconveniencing people or any of the rest of what goes on with being in the middle.
I kinda like to pray but prefer to lead a prayer meeting. I feel like I make a difference when I lead the prayer meeting and help people connect with God when I am leading. I will get a little loud but never "Cry out" loud like some I know. I pray differently when I pray with a group. I don't really think of it as praying in front but with them which is kinda odd now that I say it.
These guys cried out to Jesus for mercy and it caught the ear of Jesus. He spoke of workers and his generosity and fairness, he spoke of His cross and he spoke to a mother asking for her sons that they would be given unmerited exaltation, power and honor.
He stopped the entire procession to speak to these two and got close enough to touch them. The scripture does not say who approached who but I don't think it really matters. The blind men initiated the encounter, the One who holds the universe together by His word stopped to hear them and they met.
Jesus touched them, healed them and then they followed Him.
I actually stopped at this verse myself because they say "Give us our sight" and I thought it was odd and that maybe they were onto something. I looked at other translations and then the Greek to find that it's wasn't some kind of Word of Faith moment but just a funny word selection on the translators part. They just wanted their eyes to be opened and to see.
This chapter is full of contrasts. To work, to sacrifice, to ask for honor that isn't deserved, to ask for mercy so that you could have what everyone else takes for granted.