Source: View original Google Doc Converted: 2026-04-22
Context: Matthew 9 — A Chapter of Healing
Matthew 9 is one of the most concentrated chapters of miracles in the Gospel:
- The paralyzed man let down through the roof (vv. 1–8)
- Matthew the tax collector called (vv. 9–13)
- John’s disciples’ question about fasting (vv. 14–17)
- Jairus’s daughter raised; woman with hemorrhage healed (vv. 18–26)
- Two blind men healed (vv. 27–31) — our passage
- A mute demoniac healed (vv. 32–34)
By the time Jesus asks the two blind men “Do you believe I am able to do this?” — the reader has witnessed an entire chapter of what He is able to do. The question is aimed not only at the blind men, but at us.
A Recap of Questions in This Series
(Part of a series on Questions Jesus Asked)
- “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) — the question of obedience
- “Do you love me?” (John 21:16) — the question of relationship
- “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6) — the question of desire
- “Do you believe I am able?” (Matthew 9:28) — the question of faith
The Encounter (Matthew 9:27–31)
“And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’” — Matthew 9:27
Two blind men follow Jesus — they cannot see, but they pursue. They cry out “Son of David” — a messianic title, used by those who recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. Their theology was correct even if their eyes were closed.
Jesus does not heal them immediately. He goes inside. They follow Him into the house.
“And when he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’” — Matthew 9:28
The question: Do you believe I am able?
Not “do you believe in God?” Not “are you sincere?” The question is specific: Do you believe I can do this — this particular, impossible thing you are asking for?
“Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened.” — Matthew 9:29–30
Three Aspects of the Faith Being Asked For
1. Trust His Promises
To believe He is able means trusting what He has already said about Himself:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” — John 8:12
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” — Matthew 7:7
The blind men had heard these promises (or equivalent ones). Their faith was built on what they had heard — not what they could see.
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
2. Trust His Mercy
The blind men called out: “Have mercy on us.” They did not appeal to their righteousness. They appealed to His character.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” — Psalm 51:1
This is the prayer of every blind man who knows his blindness. The question “do you believe I am able?” also asks: do you trust that my mercy extends to you?
3. Persistence — Not Giving Up
They followed Jesus when He did not immediately respond. They entered the house when He went inside. They did not stop pursuing.
“According to your faith be it done to you.” — Matthew 9:29
Faith that persists gets the answer. Faith that stops when the first request is not immediately granted is not yet full faith.
David’s Patience with Saul
David was anointed king by Samuel long before he took the throne. In the years between anointing and coronation, Saul attempted to kill him repeatedly. David had two opportunities to kill Saul and take the kingdom by force — and refused both times.
“The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed.” — 1 Samuel 24:6
David believed God was able to fulfill His promise. He did not need to help God along by acting in his own strength. His patience was an expression of faith in God’s ability to deliver what He had promised.
The two blind men show a similar trust: they do not devise other ways to gain their sight. They pursue the one who is able.
Two Stories of Transformation
(Referenced in the original lesson as pastoral examples — names changed for privacy)
Story 1 — The person who waited for marriage: A young woman prayed for years for a godly spouse. Friends married. She remained single. She continued to ask: “Do you believe I am able?” And she continued to say yes. The answer came — but the years of waiting had formed in her a depth of prayer and trust that no shorter timeline would have produced.
Story 2 — The person who came back to faith: A man walked away from the Church in his twenties. His family prayed. His priest prayed. Twenty years later, he returned. The question his mother had held all those years: “Do you believe I am able?” And she had answered yes — even when all outward evidence said no.
Micah 7:8
“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” — Micah 7:8
The prophet addresses the enemy of his soul: even when I fall, I will rise. Even in darkness, God is light. This is the confession of faith in God’s ability — not triumphalism, but trust.
Reflection Questions
- What impossible thing are you asking God for right now?
- When you pray for it, do you actually believe He is able to do it?
- Is there a difference between believing in God generally and believing He is able to do this specific thing you are asking?
- How does David’s patience with Saul (waiting for the throne God promised) speak to your situation?
- What would it look like to say “yes, Lord” with greater conviction this week?