And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant…
Why would religious leaders who hold the important job of helping people to connect to God be so annoyed at the healing of the blind and lame? Why would they become angry when children observing the source of this healing recognize the Savior?
It was because of what they didn’t see, what they saw, and what they heard. Let me explain.
In the time of Jesus, unlike the other members of the community, the blind and lame were not required to come to the temple. In some cases, they were forbidden from it.* Think about that for a minute. Those in society at that time who could use the touch of God the most were excluded from the place where His glory was to dwell; those who needed God’s touch the most were held out of reach of it. Here’s what the religious leaders did not see: they did not see Jesus try to push the blind and lame out of the temple. As was His habit, Jesus did not support a religious tradition that failed to reflect the heart of God. In the eyes of the chief priests and scribes, Jesus’ failure to support the tradition of the temple was a failure to support them and their leadership.
The healing of the blind and lame in the temple displayed the authority and power of Jesus within the house of God; it was a power that the chief priests and scribes did not share. This act of Jesus to go out of His way to heal the “least” of society further contrasted Jesus from these religious leaders and went against the grain of the society of that day (Jesus went out of His way to heal as Matthew makes no recording of the blind and lame asking for healing).* The religious leaders saw Jesus do what they could not do; they saw Jesus lower Himself and release power to meet the needs of those who expected nothing and could not change themselves.
Lastly, the children playing nearby shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” This proclamation was too much for the chief priests and scribes. Though the children no doubt did not understand the full implications of their statement, the chief priests did and did not want this idea spread throughout the temple.* The children, through their declaration, were describing the Messiah; they were declaring Jesus as the Messiah!
Jesus once again demonstrates the importance of the “least” in society. Meeting the needs of those who are normally overlooked and hearing the truth from the mouths of those who are not often heard matters to Jesus. Jesus was not afraid to demonstrate His authority over all when the authority of man did not reflect the heart of God.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to hear the voices or see the needs of those normally overlooked. Perhaps God wants you to hear yet again that He sees you and is moving on your behalf even if you feel that you do not belong or that you are not seen or heard. Maybe God wants you to know that the hurt you experienced from the religious leaders of your day did not reflect His heart.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 527–529, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 21:12–16) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).