The Bold and the Blind

Welcome

Intro

I want you for just a moment to imagine that you were born blind but I don’t want you to imagine you were born blind in today’s world. I want you to imagine you were born blind in 1st century Israel. You grow up in utter darkness, being led out daily to a highly trafficked area of your community to beg for spare change. Now being the fact that you have grown up a Jewish child you have grown up hearing the Word of God and one specific scripture has become something so intriguing to you. It is the one thing that has provided a little hope to your darkness…..

Isaiah 35:2–5 CSB

2b ……They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees! 4 Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Today, today we are going to look at the story of two blind men and their encounter with Jesus as He was traveling to Jerusalem.

My hope today is that this message will open your eyes to the compassion of God and the rewards of stepping out in Faith……….

Body

Matthew 20:29–33 CSB

29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd demanded that they keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 “Lord,” they said to him, “open our eyes.”

Let’s take a look at the map again so we can understand where Jesus, His Disciples, and the large crowd following Him is……

Now I feel like we need to address a discrepancy in the Bible here before we can go any further.

Why? Because we are called to have answers when questions.

1 Peter 3:15–16 CSB

15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

Matthew and Mark both state that Jesus was leaving Jericho While Luke states that the were going into Jericho…….

Wow could they not get their stories straight?

This is easily understood from a non biblical source. That being Josephus the Historian…..In His reports he accounts for a OT Jericho and a NT Jericho. As you travel to the middle east you will see that they continue to build upon the old…….This is true of Jericho. Traveling from the North Jesus would have entered Old Jericho and then exited that City before entering New Jericho…. This story most likely takes place between the two cities……..

Now let’s look at the Players of the Narrative…

Jesus, Disciples, a large crowd

According to Matthew there are two blind men

According to Luke, Blind Man

According to Mark there was one blind man and His name is Bartimaeus (which is translated from Aramaic as “Son of the Unclean”

Mark does not specifically say there is only one Blind person and the accounts given to Luke probably highlighted the Dude who name stuck in everyones mind.

This is what J Warner Wallace a former cold case detective describes in his Book “Cold Case Christianity” as reliable witnesses…………..

So Now that we have dealt with the discrepancies let’s get into the meat of this passage…….

What is it about these two men that causes Jesus to stop and meet their need?

Jesus is no longer performing miracle to attract crowds. He is only performing miracles when He is prompted by the Holy Spirit and Moved with Compassion………

These guys have held onto scripture their whole life. Hidden God’s word in their Hearts….. When Messiah comes He will have the power to give the blind their sight…..Jesus’ reputation has proceeded him….They have heard of this one who sounds an awful lot like He could be the Messiah……Maybe someone passing by has told them the story of the guy who was healed with Spit Dirt…..Maybe the Guy who was Healed with Spit Dirt told them himself…..Regardless they have heard about Jesus and Now they Hear that Jesus is approaching.

Faith rises up and they begin to cry out……I think Bartimaeus may have been a little louder……

“Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David”

Lord can have two meanings here

“Adon” meaning “Sir”

Or

“Adonai”

In the context of being said before Son of David a Messianic Title I believe these two guys have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to realize that Jesus is in fact the Messiah and thus has the power to heal their blindness……..

I want to note that there are no instances in the OT of anyone being healed from blindness……..

The only hope was found in Isaiah in a prophecy about the coming Messiah……

3. Lastly I want you to take note of the response when Jesus calls them to Him.

Mark 10:49–50 CSB

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

The throwing off of the very coat that keeps him warm is a sign that he believed that he would be able to see it when he came back for it….

This man is the personification of John 16:33

John 16:33 CSB

33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

This men who had lived with great suffering, took courage and trusted in the one who could conquer his suffering……

This is my interpretation but I believe that the reason only one man is mentioned in Mark and Luke is because he is the one who made the biggest impact.

I also believe that Matthew was a little on the nerdy side and kept accurate accounts of everything and this is a “Well Actually there were two blind men moments”

Oh the audaciousness of these men…..Notice the difference between the Rich Young Ruler and the two blind men.

Both recognized and addressed Jesus in a way that shows that they believed He was the Messiah. But only the two blind men acted on that belief and became followers.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ Response…..

Matthew 20:31–32 CSB

31 The crowd demanded that they keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Jesus Heard, Jesus Stopped, Jesus Brought them close to Himself, Jesus Answered their need.

I want you to understand the gravity of Who Jesus is and Who He is immulating.

John 14:9 CSB

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Colossians 1:15 CSB

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Hebrews 1:3 CSB

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus perfectly reveals the character, nature, and glory of the Father!

There was no need for sacrifice, there was no need for justice, there was no need for anything other than a little faith and action.

The act of crying out…

What kind of Father, when his child crys out does not stop, investigate, and solve the problem.

How much more does our Heavenly Father not respond this way.

Matthew 20:33–34 CSB

33 “Lord,” they said to him, “open our eyes.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.

Look folks God didn’t start being compassionate when He sent Jesus……..

Do you know how many times God is described as merciful and compassionate in the Bible.

88 times.

74 of those times being in the OT

He didn’t start being compassionate after Christ’s death, He has always been compassionate.

Compassion is a Divine attribute of God.

It was out of compassion that He made Adam and Eve clothes.

It was out of compassion that He delivered Israel from Egypt and called them to become His chosen People.

Exodus 34:6–7 CSB

6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

Psalm 86:15 CSB

15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.

Psalm 145:8–9 CSB

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. 9 The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made.

Lamentations 3:22–23 CSB

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

Micah 7:18–19 CSB

18 Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Mark 6:34 CSB

34 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

Hebrews 2:17–18 CSB

17 Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Hebrews 4:14–16 CSB

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

If a blind beggar gets is what is stopping you from calling out?

Sure you may have recognized who he is but my question is….

When are you going to start acing on that recognition?

He’s busy…..

What is it that is blinding you from taking hold of the promises of God?

Matthew 20:34 CSB

34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.

And they Followed Him….

They became Disciples

Be with Jesus

Become like Jesus

Do what Jesus Did

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