What Jesus Did! 'They Followed Jesus' — Matthew 20:32-34

Monday, September 29, 2025

When Jesus heard [the blind men shouting to him], he stopped and called, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord," they said, "we want to see!" Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

— Matthew 20:32-34 NLT

Key Thought

There are all sorts of things we leave behind to follow Jesus. We can leave our nets like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. We can leave our tax collector's booth like Levi. We can leave our high ranking position in the religious establishment like Saul of Tarsus. We can leave our profession as a physician like Luke. We can also leave behind our blindness!

While the apostles had left everything to follow Jesus, they had not yet recognized their blindness. They still wanted to look at things the way men do instead of God's way. To follow Jesus, they had to leave behind their blindness and accept that the cross was the key ingredient in Jesus' Messiahship and their discipleship. Just as Jesus opened the eyes of the blind men on his way to Jerusalem and they followed, Jesus would also go to Jerusalem and face his crucifixion and open the eyes of his disciples. They would follow and the world would be changed!

Today's Prayer

Almighty God, please remove the blindness from my eyes and help me see what keeps me from fully recognizing Jesus as my Lord and what I need to do to live fully for him. In Jesus' holy name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Philippians 3:12-15
  • Matthew 9:9
  • Matthew 16:24-27

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Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 20:32-34 NLT — "we want to see!"

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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