The Blind See

The Blind See

Matthew 20:29-34

We are beginning our march toward Easter Sunday. We do that by following Jesus on His march toward Jerusalem. This will be the last time He ever enters the city. This will lead up to the passion of the Christ. The triumphal entry, leading up to the cross on Good Friday, culminating with His resurrection on Sunday morning.

What is amazing is the resurrection of Jesus is recognized and celebrated globally. Even though the date of Easter morning changes every year, 95 nations around the world stop and recognize it as a national holiday.

For Christians this is the single most significant event in the history of the world. While the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as a baby in a manger, brought us the savior into the world, and His death on the cross brought us forgiveness and grace, it is His resurrection that triumphs for us over the grave and ushers us into the Kingdom of God.

So, we begin that march this morning with Jesus heading toward Jerusalem. And what we learn from this passage is the greatest need of mankind is to see we need Jesus. (Read Matt. 20:29-34)

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.

30- And two-blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”

34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. [1] (Pray)

We all have needs in life. Some of those needs are essential and no one has to tell us we need them. Especially our physical needs. For example, I know when I am hungry, thirsty, and tired. No one has to tell me I need to lose weight, all though my wife has made that her job.

Other needs have to be pointed out to us. For example, we don’t recognize when we have a bad attitude, or when we are being grumpy, negative, and depressed. Sometimes we are the last one to know we are struggling with an addiction, and we need someone help us to see we have a problem.

Well, one of the reasons it is so difficult for a person to come to Christ is because they can’t see they need Him. We don’t think of ourselves as sinners who need of a Savior. We think of ourselves as good people, who deserve to be accepted by God.

How ironic is it that in our passage this morning we meet two men who are physically blind, yet their spiritual eyes are wide open? These men cannot see anything in the world, but they can see they need Jesus. They recognize that He is the only one who can help them.

And Jesus has compassion on them. He opens their eyes, and He saves their souls. What we learn from this passage is the greatest need of mankind is to see we need Jesus.

The first thing I want you to show you in this passage is the Crowd, Vs. 29. Jesus and the blind men are the major characters in the story, but the minor character is the crowd.[2] And as always there was a large crowd following Jesus.

Notice Vs. 29, As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. The word “they” here refers to Jesus and His 12 disciples. They are accompanying Him on His journey to Jerusalem.

They have traveled with Him south from Galilee down through the wilderness and now they have come to Jericho. This is not the Jericho of the Old Testament. This is a new Jericho that was built right next to the old one. It sits just East of Jerusalem.

As Jesus leaves Jericho, He will be headed up the long winding road that leads through the hill country of Judea to the city of Jerusalem itself.

And a large crowd followed Him. This isn’t just a crowd, but a large crowd. We know it is time for the Passover. Josephus, the famous Jewish historian tells us that two to three million people attended the Passover every year. So, this is an enormous crowd on it’s way to Jerusalem .[3]

But the words “Followed Him” in our text, suggests that this crowd was specifically there for Jesus. This was a large group of people listening to Him teach and watching Him perform miracles. They were following Christ.

BTW, the most important thing you could do with your life is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure not everyone in this crowd was a believer. I’m sure there were some who were following Him just to see what they could get from Him.

But certainly there were some who were following Him who were genuine believers. And it is important we understand that being a part of a group following Jesus is the most important thing we can do.

Dr. Steven Lawson says, “Christianity is not a lone ranger religion.” In other words, we don’t live out our faith in isolation, but we need one another. We flourish in our Christian life when we are in fellowship with believers.

When we are separated from the flock, we are more susceptible to the wolf. When we are separated from other believers Satan will pull you away from our devotion to Christ.

The Puritans used to say the ship that doesn’t sail with the convoy is vulnerable to the pirates. The same thing is true in the Christian life. We are stronger together.

So, the first thing we see is the crowd. And I trust that you are a part of the crowd that follows Jesus. I trust you will continue to be a part of the crowd that gathers on Sunday mornings and worships the Lord. Because God never intended for you to live outside of the fellowship of the church.

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is the Cry, Vs. 30. Here we are introduced to two blind men who are able to see they need Jesus. They are able to see what so many others cannot see, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God who is the only one who could help them.

Vs 30 says, “And two-blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

Immediately, there are three things that stand out to me about these men. 1. They were desperate. They were blind and suffering with the same physical impairment.

No one could help them. No one cared about them. They were blind-beggars sitting by the side of the road.

2. They were together. They were friends and companions. They cared for each other. They kept each other company.

3. They were sitting right where Jesus was going to pass by. Some people will call it a coincidence, others will say it was a divine appointment by God. But the fact is they were exactly where they needed to be to meet Jesus Christ.

The lesson in this for us is “We need to be where we can meet with Christ.” If these two blind beggars would have been anywhere else, they would have missed Jesus. In the same way, we need to put ourselves in a place where we can meet with Him. A place where we can grow in our faith and hear the Word of God. [4] Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

These blind beggars are sitting by the side of the road. They have no family. They have no doctor, no job, no future, no hope. They are helpless yet they know they need Christ.

As Jesus is passing by, these two men know they will never have another chance like this again. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This is the moment, the door is open and when it closes it will be closed forever.

Notice Vs. 30 it says, “They cried out.” This comes from a Greek word that means they shouted and screamed as loud as they could to get His attention.

They had to be heard over the crowd. A whisper wasn’t going to be good enough. They couldn’t go to Him, and they needed Him to hear them. So, they shouted over the crowd.

By this time, the stories of Jesus had spread far and wide. People were calling Him the Messiah. People were saying He is the One sent from God. and they have heard of Him and they believe in Him.

We know they believed in Him, because of what they call Him. They say, “Lord, have mercy on us, son of David.”

The word “Lord” in the New Testament is sometimes used as sentiment of respect. It’s like saying, “Yes sir, No sir.” But other times it signifies sovereign ruler, or divine master. That’s the context here.

What is amazing to me is they completely understand what is at stake. They know they need Jesus to heal them. But I think they knew more. I think they knew they needed to be saved.

They acknowledge Him as the Lord. They acknowledge His right to rule over their lives. So many Christians today are willing to call Jesus their Savior but they are not willing to make Him their Lord, but these two are going for broke.

Notice they cry out “Lord, have mercy on us.” That is always the appeal from a sinner that will get the attention of God. This is the cry of saving faith.

(Pharisee and the tax collector) That is the appeal that speaks to the heart of God. That is the cry for forgiveness and grace.

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is the persistence, Vs. 31.Whenever God begins to move in a person’s life there will always be resistance.

There will be peer pressure from the world. There is going to be harassment from family and friends. But the person who knows they need Jesus will never quit, they will never give up.

Notice Vs. 31, “The crowd sternly told them to be quiet.” I don’t want you to miss this. Those who were following Jesus rebuked them. They scolded them, they belittled them. They didn’t want Jesus to waste His time with them.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle a person faces is people who look like they are following Jesus. Self-righteousness and religion have always been the stumbling blocks of our faith.

The crowd yelled at these two to be quiet but notice the way they responded. We are told they cried out all the more. They refuse to be denied, and they would not take no for an answer. They are willing to climb over any obstacle. In fact, the more they were chastised the more they cried out.

They call Him Lord for the second time and really this is an acknowledgment of the deity of Christ. They recognize His right to rule over them. They humble themselves under His authority.

They call Him the “Son of David” comes first this time before they ask for mercy. They are piling up words of worship and honor on Jesus. Then they ask for mercy a second time.

What we see here is a true example of saving faith. They have the right view of Jesus. He is “Lord, Son of David.” They have the right view of themselves. They are in desperate need of the Lord’s mercy. And they have the right action. They call out directly to Jesus to save them. This is what each one of us must do to have true saving faith.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Are you persistent today? Are you searching for God with all your heart? Do you refuse to be denied by the obstacles of the world?

The next thing I want to show you is “the Compassion,” Vs. 32-34. Here we see how Jesus responds to the blind men. And He responds with compassion, and grace.

Notice the beginning of Vs. 32, it says “And Jesus stopped.” At that moment there was nothing more important to Jesus than these two men.

The journey to Jerusalem could wait. The crowds that followed behind could wait. The cross that stood before Him could wait. But these two blind men could not wait. So, He stopped and gave them His full attention.

Then we read that Jesus called them to Him. Can you imagine the shock of this was to the crowd. The crowd didn’t think they were worth the time of the day but in that moment, there was nothing more important to Jesus.

What I want you to see is how willing Jesus is to respond to our need. He is ready to heal. He is gracious and kind to these two nobodies in the world. Each one of us qualify for that, because even the somebodies of this world are nobodies in the sight of God.

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” All of us fail to live up to God’s standards. We are spiritually bankrupt and have nothing to offer Him except for ourselves.

Notice what the blind men say in Vs. 33. They say, “Lord we want our eyes to be open.” This is the third time they call Him, Lord. And now they are speaking directly to Jesus Himself. They are no longer shouting over the crowds. They are no longer fighting for His attention. They have a one-on-one engagement with God, and they call Him “Lord.”

In the same way, you and I must directly speak to Jesus about our needs. We must humbly seek His forgiveness and grace. There are no middlemen between us and God. We have to approach Him ourselves, and we have to approach Him as Lord.

The mistake so many Christians make is to call Jesus their Savior but never allow Him to be Lord. Jesus can not rule over your life as long as you maintain the throne.

Notice Vs. 34 It says, “Moved with compassion.” This word “compassion” Literally means intestines or bowels. In other words, Jesus was moved in the depths of His being. He felt for these two blind men in the pit of His stomach.

In our culture we call it the heart. We say, “I love you with all my heart.” And that is the idea here. Jesus was moved with all His heart for these two men.

In Luke 18:42 it tells us what Jesus said to them. He said, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” The word “well” in the New Testament is predominantly translated as saved. So, according to Luke 18:42 Jesus is saying, “Your faith has saved you.”

Notice in Vs. 34 of Matthew 20. “Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight.” It wasn’t enough for Jesus just to speak the words. He wanted to personally connect with them. So He touched them. In doing so, He shows us how much He loved them.

And don’t miss the fact that there is no delay in their healing. They were immediately healed. It was instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, they went from darkness to light.

And that is the way salvation works. In a moment we are changed, and our entire view of the world is different. (All of a sudden) I pray that has happened in your life. No one can truly know Jesus Christ and remain the same.

The final thing I want to show you in this passage is the conversion. Vs. 34 tells us what they did when they regained their sight. It says, “They followed Him.”

These two men were changed forever and they dedicated their lives to Christ. That’s what conversion means.

Everyone who is truly converted follows the Lord Jesus Christ. No one who is truly converted will continue in the old way of life. (2 Cor. 5:17). From that moment forward these two men spoke about how they were once blind but now they see.

What we learn from this passage is the greatest need of mankind is to see we need Jesus. And that is what we learn from this story. You don’t need physical sight to know you need Christ. You need a humble heart that recognizes you are a sinner and Jesus is Lord.

We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. We need His compassion. The good news is Jesus wants to save us. This is evident by the fact that He had compassion on these blind beggars. They had nothing to offer Him but their hearts. The same thing is true in your life and mine.

God wants us to be saved. He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. But it is important to understand He doesn’t owe us that. We can’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. He gives us salvation as a gift when we see our greatest need is Jesus.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Mt 20:29–34). (1995). The Lockman Foundation. [2]O’Donnell, D. S. (2013). Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth (R. K. Hughes, Ed.; p. 579). Crossway. [3]Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Matthew: Chapters 16:13–28:20: Vol. II(p. 101). Leadership Ministries Worldwide. [4]Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Matthew: Chapters 16:13–28:20: Vol. II(p. 101). Leadership Ministries Worldwide.