Sermon on Luke 18:35-43
18:38–39 Son of David. A Messianic title, which prepares the reader for Jesus’ royal entrance into Jerusalem (see Mt 1:1 and note; 22:41–45; Mk 10:47 and note; 12:35; Jn 7:42; see also 2 Sa 7:12–13; Ps 89:3–4; Am 9:11; Mt 12:23 and notes).
The Jews expected the true Messiah to be from David’s line (2 Sam 7:11–16).
1:1 of the genealogy Family descent was very important to Matthew’s original audience, who hoped in the promises that God had made to specific ancestors. The book of Matthew shows how Jesus fulfills these promises.
A person may sincerely pray and truly have faith that God can heal, but if it is not God’s will to provide the healing at that time, then no healing will come (see 1 John 5:14). Sometimes God’s blessings come in other ways besides physical healing.
This poses an interesting question: Is faith always required? One could argue that, because these thirteen texts have no mention of faith, faith is not always required. On the other hand, the expectation of faith may be read into these thirteen based on other situations where faith is clearly implied. However, this is surely flawed and assumptive. Certainly, faith seems to be a factor on occasion, and Jesus responds to it. On other occasions, Jesus simply chooses to act sovereignly as he is free to do as Lord.
The identification of Jesus as the “son of David” connects Jesus with the theme of God ruling His people through a king after his own heart. This theme also aligns well with Jesus’ extensive teaching on the kingdom of God (e.g., Matt 4:17, 23; 5:3, 10, 19, 20).
Sometimes people miss evidence of God because of a refusal to believe (see Mark 6:1–6)—it’s hard to see when you refuse to open your eyes.
Another reason for the “hidden” state of God today is alluded to by the prophet Habakkuk: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). God does not give His people a continual chain of miraculous signs; He never has. Rather, He expects them to trust what He has already done, search the Scriptures daily, and live by faith, not by sight (Matthew 16:4; John 20:29; 2 Corinthians 5:7).
BLINDNESS Physical blindness in the biblical period was very common. The suffering of the blind person was made worse by the common belief that the affliction was due to sin (John 9:1–3). Because of their severe handicap, blind persons had little opportunity to earn a living. A blind man was even ineligible to become a priest (Lev. 21:18). Frequently, the blind became beggars (Mark 10:46). The possibility of a blind person being mistreated was recognized and forbidden by God. The law prohibited the giving of misleading directions (Deut. 27:18) or doing anything to cause the blind to stumble (Lev. 19:14).
Physical Cause Many things caused blindness in ancient times. One could be born blind (John 9:1) due to some developmental defect or as a result of infection prior to birth. Usually, however, blindness began later. The most common cause was infection. Trachoma, a painful infection of the eye, is a common cause of blindness today and was probably prevalent in ancient times. Leprosy can also cause blindness. In old age vision may be severely impaired in some persons (Gen. 27:1). Some develop cataracts. Some have a gradual atrophy of portions of the eye.
In that day, blindness was a common affliction for which there was no cure, and all a blind person could do was beg.
Anyone who has seen people sitting begging on the streets of large cities can picture the scene described here.
Spiritual Blindness The Bible addresses spiritual blindness as the great human problem. Israel was supposed to be God’s servant (Isa. 42:19) but was blind to the role God wanted them to fill. Called to be watchmen protecting the nation, they instead blindly preyed on the people (Isa. 56:10). As the Pharisees gained leadership, they became blind leaders of the blind (Matt. 15:14; 23:16–26). Jesus came to reverse the situation, making clear who had spiritual sight and who was spiritually blind (John 9:39–41). Peter listed the qualities a person must have to have spiritual sight. Without these a person is blind (2 Pet. 1:5–9). The problem is that the spiritually blind do not know they are blind (Rev. 3:17). They are blinded by the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). They walk in darkness, eventually being blinded by the moral darkness of hatred (1 John 2:11).
Jesus had faith in God, not necessarily to do what he himself wanted, but that God would do what is best for Jesus, for the world, and for his (God’s) purposes. In other words, Jesus asked for what he wanted and asked with passion. But he did so because of his faith in God to act for the best, whatever God deemed so. Faith, then, is not faith for a specific outcome that the person decides beforehand (e.g., a healing from cancer, deliverance from the cross), but with absolute trust in God, whatever the outcome. Such a faith believes that God can and will act if he deems it his will, but recognizes that God is God and allows him to be God. It gives God the freedom and honors his sovereignty deserved while expressing absolute trust in him.
2. Everything is possible for you: Another expression of trust, this time a statement of total confidence in God’s infinite capability to do good. He can deliver and heal if he chooses to.
3. Yet not what I will, but what you will: Another expression of trust in God, a trust that transcends Jesus’ own desire: “I want one thing desperately, but I submit it to your will because you know what is best. If you need me to go through this and its outcome is not what I desire, I still believe and trust.”
True faith is not naming an outcome and demanding it by faith (i.e., “name it and claim it”; e.g., “heal me from this disease”), then naively clinging to the claim knowing what is best, or desperately trying to drive away doubt. Rather, it is an absolute trust in God (he knows what is best and is in control), his ability (he can do it), and his purposes (he decides the outcome). It is placing one’s life in his hands in total trust, asking him for what is desired, but allowing him to determine the outcome and trusting that, whatever the result, it is for the best.
18:42 Regain your sight Recalls Jesus’ proclamation at the start of His ministry, when He quoted Isaiah’s prophecy about Yahweh restoring His people (Luke 4:18).
18:42 Recover your sight. A single word in Greek (anablepā, “see”). For Jesus, only a brief command is necessary. your faith has made you well. Literally, “saved you”; cf. the same Greek verb in 7:50; 8:48. The blind man was healed both physically and spiritually.
18:41 Let me recover my sight confirms the man’s great faith (see note on v. 38). Rather than continuing to beg for money (see v. 35), he seeks a miracle.
18:40–43 This man’s healing served as a spiritual lesson to the nation of Israel. If they would respond to the Messiah and acknowledge their spiritual blindness, God would grant them spiritual life and entrance into the kingdom that Jesus was offering. But would they humble themselves and receive him?
18:42–43. Jesus did not hesitate. “Your faith has healed you,” he replied (see 7:50; 8:48; 17:18). This disabled, poverty-stricken man refused to give up. He trusted in Jesus whom his eyes could not see. He gave God glory and praise, and this started a chain reaction among the crowd. Educated, religious Pharisees could not come to such faith. Even the disciples had difficulty understanding. A blind beggar joined a sinful woman, a woman who had suffered for twelve years, and a Samaritan leper in exercising healing faith. Of such is the kingdom of God.
The beggar was not present in the private meeting Jesus held with the disciples (vv. 31–34), so he did not know Jesus had used another messianic title, “Son of Man” (v. 31), from Daniel 7. The disciples with the private study could not see it while the blind man sitting by the streets saw perfectly. He prays, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 38).
But the most remarkable insight, in my opinion, came from her longing for heaven. She expressed it with these words: “If at my birth, I had been able to make one petition to my creator, it would have been that I should be made blind.… Because, when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour” (Moseley H. Williams, “The Man Born Blind,” 302).
This man comes to Jesus asking for his sight. Jesus replied, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you” (v. 42). Then the first thing that floods this man’s renewed vision is the face of the Savior!
As the hymn writer puts it, “Oh, I want to see him, look upon his face.” His is a face so full of glory that when our eyes open on the day he comes we will be transformed into the very glory we see in him. To see him will be the highest happiness of heaven. Of all that’s promised in the kingdom, of all the rewards, of all the treasures of infinite worth, none will compare to that moment when we lock our eyes on the face of Christ. Then, beloved, we will be satisfied (Ps 17:15)! Then we will be glad for sight. We will no longer take seeing for granted. We will see with perfect vision the perfect glory of our Lord’s perfect face. All that we see will make glad the weary heart, will strengthen the tired soul, will replace all of our struggle with infinite joy.
Even the crowd is changed. Scoffers at the start, the people turn to praise God in the end.
They persisted in crying out to the Lord, in spite of the obstacles in their way: their inability to see Jesus, the opposition of the crowd, and our Lord’s delay in responding to them. They were not going to let Jesus pass them without first pleading for mercy.
Great symbolic value is here in Luke’s account. The man was a beggar sitting by the side of the road, waiting for something to happen. He was blind and could do nothing to improve his condition. The Messiah came through his town (as He had walked through many towns). Immediately the blind man recognized Him as the Messiah, the One who could save him from his blindness. Spiritual outcasts, unable to help themselves
“What is the object of this person’s faith? How does it affect his life and choices?”
Share discoveries with the whole group, and together discuss: “How has the fact that the object of my faith is Jesus affected my life choices?”