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35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43
In v.35 we read, "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging." The Lord Jesus and the huge crowd following Him were all headed for Jerusalem for the Passover. In addition, Jericho had a large population, and was flourishing at that time. This explains why it was so difficult for this blind man to connect with the Lord Jesus.
The city of Jericho was about fifteen miles from Jerusalem. Luke introduces us to one blind beggar who Mark identifies as Bartimaeus. This man called out to the Lord Jesus as He approached Jericho. In Matthew 20:29-30 we learn there were two blind beggars who met the Lord Jesus as He was leaving Jericho.
In v.36 we read, "When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening." This blind man illustrates the quote: "Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us." He was blind and he was a beggar. But, he benefitted from his few assets: He could hear. Actually he had more assets, he could speak and he could walk and run. He was no victim to a "woe is me" mentality.
In v.37 we read, “They told him, '“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”' This blind man couldn't see anything physically but he could see with his heart. Such is the nature of faith, the heart's ability to see God.
In v.38 we read, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." The blind man was confirming his faith that Jesus is the Messiah, by addressing Him as the Son of David.
In that day, blindness was a common, incurable disease. This man persisted in crying out to the Lord, in spite of the obstacles in his way: his inability to see Jesus, his lack of status in the city and the opposition of the crowd. But, he was not going to let the Lord Jesus pass by without first pleading to regain that which he lost.
Trying to be heard over the crowd, his obscurity and his isolation, all was working against him, yet he shouted at the top of his voice, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." He understood that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah when he used the term "Son of David.
His plea, "Have mercy on me" came from his desperate heart. Here was a man who had long concluded that he could not be healed. And, out of his desperation, he cried out to the only one who could possibly help. If we are going to ever attract the attention of heaven, we must start with admitting that we need help.
In v.39 we read, "Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me." For whatever reason, we will always have those who will be faithful to try to quell our passion for God. If we are going to experience real life, God's life, we must be defined by His word rather than being overcome by what others say.
There will always be people who will discourage us in our pursuit of the Lord Jesus, even church people. We can get stuck at the bar of public opinion. This man could not be brow-beaten back. This man would not allow his passion to be crushed. He would not be silenced. If he had listened to the crowd, he would have remained blind.
In v.40 we read, "Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him." He heard that one voice out of the cacophony and He commanded that he be brought to Him. One final time the Lord Jesus is framing up His deity publicly. In Matthew 20:34 we read, "He had compassion on him." As a result, the Lord Jesus commanded that he be brought to Him.
In v.41 we read, "What do you want me to do for you?" This is just stunning. The King of heaven, the Creator God of the universe, wants to be the servant of this lowly outcast.
In v.42 we read, "Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Here we have the free dispensing of miraculous power without any diminishing of the supply. When the Lord Jesus healed people, sometimes He did it with just a word. Sometimes He touched them. In Matthew's account of the other two blind men, he writes, "He touched their eyes."
Sometimes Jesus used spit, sometimes clay. Sometimes He put His finger in people's ears. But no matter what gestures accompanied His healing and no matter whether people had faith or didn't have faith, always His healings were total, instantaneous, verifiable and inexplicably God. Faith is not necessary for healing, however faith is absolutely necessary for salvation.
In v.43 we read, "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God." This is the mark of true conversion: this once blind man followed Jesus. And, then his actions influenced others. This is the bare bones of life: to be loved and to love. And, do you know what? Life is really about the latter, it's about the good influence that God brings to others through our yielded lives. In fact, this is the point of our sanctification, that other might benefit. It is not about us getting better. It is about ministry to others.
