Matthew 20:29-34

Matthew 20:29-34 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Can you imagine having the Lord and Savior of the world, the King of Kings and the one who crafted the universe from nothing, stand before you and ask you what it is that you want?  I'm not sure I would even know how to answer -- and if I did, I doubt that I'd have the situational awareness to ask for what I truly needed.  I'd panic and ask for season tickets to the Reds, only to realize later that there are 3,574 things more important than that.
  What fascinates me is that Jesus knows what we truly need.  He knows what these two blind men need.  To everyone around, it's obvious that they need their sight, and they've probably given up hope of getting it back.  But Jesus still asks.  He doesn't simply walk by and wave a hand to give them what he knows they need.  He asks, and when they answer, he has pity upon them and responds.  Jesus listens.  He invites us into the conversation, to be a part of what he is doing.  We're not just passive riders on his kingdom -- we're active participants, and what we think and do matters!  Jesus cares!
  I hope you know that you matter infinitely to God.  For years, I've preached this message, over and over again. You matter to God, and if you were the only person on earth, Jesus Christ would have counted you as worthy to die on the cross so that you would be redeemed.  So you matter, and you have agency -- God listens to you.  Even if the rest of the world insists that what you have to say doesn't matter, Jesus Christ cares enough to stop by the side of the road and listen to what you have to say, and to hear what it is that you think.  You matter, and what you think matters, and Jesus will invest the time and love to walk with you on your journey of faith and life, wherever that may lead.