Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. Matthew 20:29-24
By now, there was a great horde of people wherever Jesus would go. We can only relate when we have ever seen in person, a Presidential sighting, or such as a well known celebrity’s public appearance, the excitement as crowds of people gather, and long lines that take place. And what we know of people who have been born without one of the senses, such as eyesight, is that they have developed an even more keen sense of hearing. This is what is pictured for us in our text. These two men, no doubt knew of something special taking place, as the crowds were gathering, the commotion and all of the excitement that filled the air, they asked “What was happening?” “What was going on?” Someone said, “Jesus is going by!” By now it is certain from their reaction of their knowing about the One who had been going around and performing miracles of healing and such, that these two men saw this as their chance, perhaps their only chance ever, to have Him create a miracle for them as well. Though they were blind and without sight, they saw this as something for them to have hope in. Today, what a lesson this is for us. To have hope, that goes beyond sight and is filled with anticipation is what being a Christian who is living by faith is all about. These two men were determined that they would be heard, so they shouted, “Jesus!, Thou Son of David, Have mercy on us!”
They could not see Him, but could tell by the crowds around them, the direction in which to be heard from. And as they began to cry out to Jesus, the multitude around them said to them, “Shut up!” “Hold your peace.” Trying to discourage them from seeking after Jesus. Here is another application for us. Do you try to discourage anyone from seeking after Jesus? I hope not. Were living in a politically correct society that is so anti-Christ, It stifles anyone trying to follow Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:26-27) What Jesus is saying by using the word “hate” in context with this passage, is a “lesser love.” Jesus was calling His disciples to cultivate such a devotion to Him that their attachment to everything else—including their own lives, would seem like hatred by comparison. Every Pastor or ministry leader will tell you, that they have known many people in their congregation who start out, as being the only members in their families who are following after Christ. Jesus knows, that family members can be what deters us from following Him. So the solution though it is not easy, is to simply let them see your love for Jesus grow more and more each day. A transformed life is still the best witnessing tool God has in His arsenal.
So these two determined men cried out even louder, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us!” And so we read, And Jesus stood still. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17) He said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” If God were to ask you today, this same question, What would you answer? How many of us, think of only the things that the Scriptures say are temporary? What we are going to eat, what we are going to drink, what we are going to wear? All of these things Jesus says the nonbeliever’s in this world worry about. But Jesus tells us, Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added (Matthew 6:33-34). While these men were seeking their physical eyesight perhaps for the first time, opening up a whole new world to them they have never seen. We can be asking the Lord, To open my eyes to the spiritual truths that I must have, to see the world from Your perspective. We would indeed, see this world from a whole new perspective and make a major impact on our society. So these men declared, “Lord, if we could just see.” They weren’t asking for earthly riches, nor longevity of life, So Jesus, it says had compassion on them, and healed them. And then these two men joined the crowd and followed Him.
Remember at this point the heart of Jesus is very heavy, because He knows that He soon is going to be betrayed, by one of His own disciples, that He was going to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified at the hands of sinful men. And yet, He takes time for others to minister to the needs of people who are desperate for Him. He was never too busy to minister to individual needs. Application: When a person’s ministry gets so great, and they become so prominent that they lose touch with people, and they no longer minster to people’s individual needs, their ministry has become greater than their Lord. I wouldn’t want to answer the Lord for that type of ministry, that people seem so enamored by it’s cathedral like outer structural, but it always has, and always will be what’s on the inside that matters to God the most. To be real and transparent is a far better place to be, than to have some type of reputation that focuses its attention on you, rather than the Lord. God help us not to be led this way. Satan takes advantage of the pride in man, and will make it into something that produces falsehoods and will be the ruin and destruction of people’s lives.
Beloved friend, These two men in our text give us a very beautiful picture of people who are blind in sin and without hope, and there is that spiritual application for us, to those who cry out for Jesus, not to be discouraged by others, but rather through persistence and humility find victory over their sin-laden lives. And discover a whole new way of life that is in Christ, a new creation, born again to the Spirit of God, who now dwells within us and leads us in this life. That will bring praise glory and honor to our risen Savior, and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
May the Lord bless you this day!
