Seeing Jesus Rightly - Luke 18:31-43

MIM: Seeing Jesus rightly allows what you need to become what you want.

Introduction: 5-6 minutes

Welcome - Joke about Tommy not being there.

Turn to the text.

Opening Illustration: Something about a time when I wanted something but needed something else. (Wild ride in India)?

I needed my driver to get me to the airport.

I wanted to yell at him.

I wanted to hit him.

I wanted to drive the car myself.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you wanted one thing but you actually needed something else? It’s a problem we all deal with or have dealt with at some point. We often want things we don’t need and need things we don’t want. This problem is common to all of us and there is a spiritual reason why. If you are in Christ in this room, I know you desire to bring your wants and needs into alignment because that is what is best for you, but all of us struggle to do so.

This morning we are going to look at a story in Luke 18 that will help us understand how to bring our wants and needs into alignment. I’m going to show you two truths from this text this morning that will help us understand that (MIM): Seeing Jesus rightly allows what you need to become what you want. REPEAT: Seeing Jesus rightly allows what you need to become what you want.

Stand, Read, Pray, Sit.

Context: 2-4 minutes

Joke about Tommy getting the context already.

Who, what, where, when, why.

Luke: Gentile writing to gentiles.

He wants them to know the good news of Jesus is good for everyone.

He is on his way to Jerusalem to accomplish the work he came for.

Biblical context, immediate context.

In Luke 4:16-22 Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah. He says there that he proclaims liberty to the captive and helps the blind recover their sight. He then finishes this section by telling everyone that what they see is fulfilled in him.

Isaiah 42:6-7 are an interesting reference point for this as well. This passage speaks directly to the fact that he will open the eyes of the blind—those who sit in darkness.

Last week we learned about the story of the rich ruler and the story of Zacchaeus.

The rich ruler was close to God and had done all that he needed in his own eyes, but didn’t want to do the last thing he needed to do to inherit eternal life.

This man couldn’t see his need for Jesus. That was the only way he could obtain eternal life.

Zacchaeus was far from God but wanted to do whatever was necessary to be with Jesus because he knew that was what was needed.

Zacchaeus could see his spiritual need for Jesus.

And in our passage today, we have two distinct sections. The first, we have the disciples who are in close proximity to Jesus. They have seen his work, they have heard his word, but they cannot see their need for Jesus.

In the second section we see a blind man, who, though he could not see physically, could see his spiritual need for Jesus.

Body: 28-32 minutes

First division - 12-14 minutes

Observe:

v. 31. The twelve are his disciples. Those who have been with him and have seen all that he has done to this point. He tells them to SEE. They needed to see what was about to happen at Jerusalem. Jesus tells them all that had been written about the Son of Man was about to be accomplished. This is, again, a clear reference to Daniel 7:9-14. Jesus—the Son of Man—had to accomplish the work at Jersualem in order to receive dominion, glory, kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him with an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that would not be destroyed.

v.32-33 - What is going to happen in Jerusalem that is the fulfillment of all the prophets had written was that the Gentiles would mock him, spit upon him, flog him, and kill him. This is not what the disciples wanted to hear. However, he promises yet again that he would rise on the third day.

v. 34 - They did not understand. They did not grasp it. It was hidden from them. Although they could see physically, they could not see spiritually.

Interpret:

The disciples had a problem. Though they could see physically, they could not see spiritually. The disciples wanted a kingdom. They wanted a Messiah. But the Messiah they wanted was not the Messiah they needed. They wanted a Messiah who would take over Rome and give all that is physical back to Israel. But what they needed was a Messiah who would first take care of their spiritual problem in order to heal the physical.

Jesus could see just fine. He understood all that was about to take place in Jerusalem. Jesus understood that there is no kingdom, no hope, no fulfilment of all God’s promises unless he went to Jerusalem and died on the cross.

Apply:

I. You want what you don’t need.

Trust in the work of God.

Fight the desires of the flesh

Transition to v. 35-43

Observe/Interpret:

v.35 - Jesus was drawing near to Jericho. Now Jericho is an important city for this passage and in general reference to the New Testament. As we know from the story last week, Jericho would have been a location where people would pass through to get to Jerusalem and it was a major trade route. Jericho was also one of three cities—the other being Capernaum and Cesarea—where customs booths were set up to collect taxes, which is why we get the story of Zacchaeus in the next section who is a tax collector. This means Jesus is on a popular and well traveled road. As he is drawing near to Jericho, the text tells us there is a blind man sitting on the roadside begging. In Matthew 20:29-34 and Mark 10:46-52 we have the other accounts of this story. And in Mark’s gospel, he identifies this blind man as Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus. Now, we don’t know why or how long he had been blind. He may have been blind his whole life, or he may have lost his sight due to some illness, but we know that he cannot see physically. Bartimaeus is begging. His only means of survival is to beg for alms. He can’t work; he can’t help himself; all he can do is hope and trust that others would care for him. And he is in a strategic spot because he is on the road through Jericho.

v.36 - While he can see, he can hear. And while he can’t see. He can speak. He hears a large crowd and wants to know what is going on.

v.37 - So he asks the natural question and the crowds response to him is interesting. They tell him that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. It’s likely that he had heard of Jesus as word spread through the region. What is unlikely is his response.

v.38- Though he can’t see, he can speak. He cries out with a loud voice, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

v.39 - Those around him began to fuss at him and literally tell him to shut up. And what does he do? He cries out all the more, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!.

Twice he uses this title of Son of David. This takes us back to 2 Sam. 7:4-17 when God tells David that one will come from his line to rule on his throne forever. Somehow, someway, this blind man understands who Jesus is. While the disciples can’t see him as the Son of Man, and the crowds only see him as Jesus of Nazareth, this blind man sees him as the Son of David. God’s promised Messiah. He also understands that this Jesus, the Son of David, has the ability to have mercy or compassion on him.

v.40 -41 - Jesus is indeed compassionate. While the crowd rebukes this man Jesus stops and talks with him and he asks him a very simple question: What do you want me to do for you? What do you WANT me to do for you?

v.41 - I love what the CSB translation says here: Lord, I want to see. This man who had been blind either his whole life or for a long time went to bed every night and saw darkness. He woke up every day and saw darkness. But in this moment in time he is in the right place and the one who can save him and can heal him happens to be walking by. He correctly sees Jesus as the Son of David and he knows that not only can Jesus have mercy on him, he can give him his sight back. All this blind man wants is to be able to see.

v.42 - The response of Jesus is nothing short of incredible and nothing short of miraculous. He tells the man to recover his sight—his faith had made him well.

v.43 - What happens? The man immediately recovered his sight! What a miracle! What a day for this man! His whole life he had been stricken with a terrible defect. He was blind. And suddenly he can see. Israel is a beautiful place. Jericho is only about 10 miles from the dead sea and 15 miles from Jerusalem. It is mountainous. Image how excited this man would be to go and see his family, see his friends, see the beauty of God’s creation. That’s not what he does at all. He gets his sight back. And because he can see spiritually, Jesus allowed him to see physically. And all he wants to look at is Jesus. Because he has found the most beautiful and awesome thing in the entire universe. He doesn’t want all that God could offer him. He wants God. And so he begins to follow Jesus. What he needs becomes what he wants. And the response is that all the others praised God for the work. Of all the people in these two passages who should have seen Jesus rightly, it’s the blind man who does see Jesus rightly both spiritually and physically.

II. You need to see Jesus rightly

See your need for Jesus.

See those around you who need Jesus.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? 4-5 minutes

Conclusion: 3-5 minutes