What do you want me to do for you?

Mk 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

If Jesus asked you this, how would you respond? As I broke bread with the folks from Nuneaton last night I challenged them with this question. After we had passed round the bread, I asked them to call out to Jesus what they wanted to receive from him, and then take the cup and drink. It was awkward at first. We have been trained not to say "I want" - it's impolite. We have been instructed, and rightly so, that when we come to God to worship, we do not come with a list of requests, but with thanks and to focus on him - but there is a time to ask! We miss out and rob ourselves, if when God asks us what we want, we are too polite or reserved to say anything. James says "You do not have, because you do not ask God."

When we come to the table of the Lord, we remember and worship him for who he is and what he has done, we recognise the covenant we have with one another, and we look forward to his coming again in glory, but we also come to a table laden with provision and blessing. The bread and wine represent the body and blood of our Lord, and all that he achieved for us on the cross. We come to the outstretched arms of our Saviour and to his question - "What do you want me to do for you?"

As we passed round the cup and declared to Jesus what we wanted from him we found that far from being a selfish and self-centred exercise, it was wonderfully powerful and liberating. We laid our requests at his feet so that we did not have to worry about them any more.