ASK THE BLIND MEN, THEY SAW IT ALL
Notes
Transcript
One song writer wrote:
I was working in town one afternoon
Attending some business affairs
I heard a commotion a couple streets over And wondered What’s happenin’ there
A young man was running from in that direction
And stopped just to catch his breath
I asked him to please tell me what was the hurry
He smiled up at me and he said.
I was trying to catch the crippled man
Did he run past this way?
He was rushing home to tell everyone
What Jesus did today
And the mute man was telling myself and the deaf girl
He’s leaving to answer Gods call
Its hard to believe but if you don’t trust me
Ask the blind man, he saw it all
Go ask the blind man, he saw it all
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Turn with me to . This morning we continue in our series titled THE FINAL JOURNEY. And we come to the final encounter which Jesus had, as recorded by Matthew anyway, before reaching His final destination of Jerusalem.
There is a sense in which we could say that in last week’s passage we saw a faulty petition of Jesus, and by comparison in this week’s passage we see a valid petition. The faulty petition was filled with pride and a strong desire for prominence in Christ’s coming kingdom. But the valid petition which we will look at this morning was filled with humility and utter dependence on Jesus, the Son of David. One thing I want you to keep in mind is that we must accurately perceive who Jesus is if we want to obtain spiritual blessings from Him.
As we go through this passage we will look at the setting, the perception of the blind men, and the lack of perception from many others.
Let’s read our passage together.
THE SETTING
THE SETTING
The Journey
The Journey
Jesus and the twelve had previously departed from the region of Galilee in which Jesus had spent most of His time ministering. Along the way Jesus was confronted with various folks with questions and requests. This journey took them around the territory of Samaria, and through the region of Perea on the east side of the Jordan River. At some point, not mentioned in any of the biblical accounts, they would have crossed over the Jordan somewhere near the city of Jericho.
The Destination
The Destination
As we have noted before, Jesus was in the midst of His final journey to Jerusalem for what would prove to be His last Passover celebration. Though provision was made for each family to purchase a lamb to offer as their Passover lamb, many folks from Galilee would bring their own lamb with them on their journey. And in a very real sense, Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to be the true Passover Lamb, just as Isaiah had prophesied when he wrote:
“Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like sheep that is silent before its shearers...” ()
Jesus was heading to Jerusalem,
“Not to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28b)
The Present Location
The Present Location
As already noted, the present location of this encounter is the city of Jericho. Jericho was famous because of it being the first city conquered by Joshua when Israel began to take possession of the Promised Land. You will remember the account; Joshua sent two men to spy out Jericho and bring a report back to him. They were seen entering the city, and sought for by the authorities. But a harlot by the name of Rahab hid them. In return for her kindness, she and her family were spared from destruction, and became citizens of Israel. Rahab married a man form the tribe of Judah named Salmon, and was in fact an ancestor of Jesus, as demonstrated in
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.
The original city of Jericho was destroyed when Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came-a-tumblin’ down. But the city was rebuilt during the time of the Kings of Israel.
There is a bit of a difference between Luke’s account of this episode and the accounts of Matthew and Mark. Luke mentions that the healing took place when Jesus was entering Jericho, while Mathew and Mark mention that it took place while He was leaving Jericho. D.A. Carson notes that:
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 7. Healing Two Blind Men (20:29–34)
Many avoid geographical contradiction by noting that in this period there were two Jerichos—an older town on the hill, largely in ruins, and the new Herodian town about one mile away (cf. Jos. War IV, 459 [viii. 3]). In this view Matthew and Mark, under Jewish influence, mention the old town Jesus was leaving; Luke the Hellenist refers to the new one, which Jesus is entering.
Let’s turn our attention to
The Crowds Following
The Crowds Following
There is a scene in the Tom Hanks’ movie, Forrest Gump, which shows Gump, in his angst, running from one coast of the U.S. to another. Many people, because of the media coverage, assumed that he was running for a specific cause, and so they joined him in his run. In their minds there was a movement about to take place and they wanted to be a part of it, even though they did not know why it was that Forrest Gump was on this run. By the time Forrest decided to quit his run he had amassed a large crowd which was following him.
When I read about the massive crowd that was following Jesus to Jerusalem, I have to wonder if they were hoping to join in His new movement as He would seek to present Himself as Israel’s Messiah? I get the idea that in the crowd’s mind, this movement was gaining in momentum, and they wanted to be there to witness the outcome.
Though this may be the case, Leon Morris noted:
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Matthew 5. Two Blind Men of Jericho, 20:29–34
There would have been many pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the Passover, and, since Jesus was known to many from Galilee, there is nothing surprising in their attaching themselves to him as they all journeyed on to the same destination.
Having traveled through Jericho, Jesus was leaving the city when He passed by two blind men.
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!”
I’m not sure why most Modern translations, including the NASB, have dropped the word “behold” from the translation, because it is clearly in the Greek text. I get the fact that the word is not used in common everyday English (at least not in the American version — I can’t speak for England’s version of common English). The Greek term is intended to draw the reader into the narrative. The effect is to say “Look at this, this is something special or important.”
As we continue on we will note how these blind men seem to see what many with sight fail to see.
THE BLIND MEN PERCEIVED WHO JESUS REALLY WAS
THE BLIND MEN PERCEIVED WHO JESUS REALLY WAS
As we consider the perceptiveness of the blind men we are going to first look at another textual issue regarding the Harmony of the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Then we will look at the significance of the title which these blind men used of Jesus. And finally, we will look at the relationship between the title and mercy. We will look at these things by asking, and hopefully answering a few questions. First, let consider
How Many Blind Men Were There?
How Many Blind Men Were There?
This question could obviously be a very loaded question. If I am referring to spiritually blind then we are not capable of answering that question. The fact of the matter is that there were many present at this time, as we have already seen. And I have to believe that the vast majority of those present were still dead in their trespasses and sins, and therefore spiritually blind.
What I am really getting at here is the differences between the accounts of the various Gospel writers, and the seeming disagreement as to how many blind men were healed. Both Mark and Luke mention only one blind person in their accounts of this same episode. Once again, liberal theologians typically have a field day with the variations, and use it as a trump card to support their theory that the Bible has errors in it. My personal hypothesis is that since God, the Holy Spirit is the author of all Scripture then it cannot be in error. If God’s word is capable of being in error then He is not worthy to be called God. And since He is in fact God, then it is impossible for His word to be in error. The real question is whether I can adequately understand and explain the differences in the texts.
Leon Morris provides this helpful insight:
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Matthew 5. Two Blind Men of Jericho, 20:29–34
If there were two men, one of them may well have been more prominent than the other and attracted more attention, so that it was possible to write the story concentrating on him.
Some believe that the Gospel of Mark is truly the Gospel of Peter as told to Mark. At least one commentator in this tradition holds that “The Petrine tradition of the story know to Mark concentrated attention solely upon one of the beneficiaries, who may have been personally know to Peter” (Tasker, pg. 196, as footnoted in Pillar, note 50).
MacArthur speculates that “it is possible that he (the blind man whom Mark named Bartimaeus) later became highly respected in the early church and well known to Mark and those to whom he wrote. Mark would have been saying to his readers, in effect, ‘And do you know who one of those blind men was? Bartimaeus, our dear friend and brother in Christ.!’”
Let’s consider now
What is the Significance of the Title: “Lord, Son of David?”
What is the Significance of the Title: “Lord, Son of David?”
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!”
We have looked at this titled from time to time as we have run across it in our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. It was such an important title to Matthew that it is mentioned in the very first sentence of his Gospel account.
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Part of the significance of this title has to do with Matthew’s audience who were primarily Jewish. Thus, this title appears more frequently in Matthew than in the other Gospels.
David L. Turner wrote:
“The texts that connect Jesus’ Davidic lineage with healing demonstrate that Jesus uses His royal authority to help, not to oppress, the needy.”
Jesus always took the time to show compassion and mercy for those who were in a miserable state. In a way this was a fulfillment of a prophecy made by Kind David himself:
For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
Turner went on to write: “Matthew’s use of the son-of-David motif stresses Jesus’s messianic credentials to heal and to rule. This stress seems to be rooted in such biblical texts as:”
I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.
“In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.
“In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’
It seems to me that these blind men correctly perceived that Jesus was the long-awaited Son of David — the Messiah of Israel.
Let’s look at our next question:
Is There a Correlation Between the Title, Son of David, and Mercy?
Is There a Correlation Between the Title, Son of David, and Mercy?
As we consider this question I want to remind you of two previous times when we have encountered this very same plea. The first also occurs in the context of two blind men being healed.
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Some folks, especially those who try to disprove the inerrancy of the Bible, try to say that these two healing episodes were the same story told again. But the fact of the matter is that there were many blind folks living in this region. Jericho was actually a place known for a special balsam bush from which they developed a special balm that was thought to be helpful for those with vision problems. Therefore, that city had an unusually large number of blind people who came there in hope of a cure.
The second time we find the title “Son of David” being associated with a plea for mercy is found in the account of the Canaanite woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon who asked Jesus to heal her daughter.
And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”
The thing that amazes me most is who it was that recognized that Jesus was the merciful Son of David: two duos of blind men, and a Canaanite foreigner.
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
We have been looking at how these blind men perceived who Jesus truly was, the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. Let’s look next at how
THE BLIND MEN PERCEIVED THEIR NEED OF MERCY
THE BLIND MEN PERCEIVED THEIR NEED OF MERCY
Mercy Defined
Mercy Defined
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition II. In the New Testament
The specific notion of mercy—compassion to one in need or helpless distress, or in debt and without claim to favourable treatment—is rendered by eleos, oiktirmos and splanchnon (and cognate verbs). Grace is concerned for man, as guilty; mercy, as he is miserable
Mercy Applied
Mercy Applied
Jesus had mercy on these miserable blind men. And He continues to have mercy for all who recognize their miserable spiritual condition; those who recognize that they are poor in spirit, those who mourn over the heavy burden of their sin, as well as their inability to rectify their relationship to God. The Apostle Paul noted:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Let’s consider now how
MANY WHO WERE NOT BLIND, DID NOT PERCEIVE
MANY WHO WERE NOT BLIND, DID NOT PERCEIVE
As we consider this point we will look at the lack of perception regarding Christ’s compassion, the lack of perception regarding Christ’s mission, and what true blindness really is.
The Lack of Perception Regarding Christ’s Compassion
The Lack of Perception Regarding Christ’s Compassion
Notice for a moment.
The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
The crowd that was following Jesus did not want Him to give these blind beggars the time of day. They seem to have believed that these men were too insignificant for Jesus to be concerned about. But of course that is not the case. Jesus’ ministry focused on the insignificant. He promoted a group of insignificant fishermen to be the foundation on which His grass-roots movement would be built. He ministered to people who were unclean due to both physical conditions and moral conditions.
The Lack of Perception Regarding Christ’s Mission
The Lack of Perception Regarding Christ’s Mission
Perhaps the reason many did not perceive Christ’s compassion for the downtrodden is that they did not properly perceive His true mission. Quite some time ago we looked at Jesus’ calling of Matthew to leave the tax collector’s booth and follow Him. On that occasion, as well as on many other occasions, the Pharisees were incensed that Jesus would associate with scumbags like tax collectors. Notice what Jesus said on that particular occasion:
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus always took the time to show compassion and mercy for those who were in a miserable state. In a way this was a fulfillment of a prophecy made by Kind David himself:
For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
Christ’s mission was to call sinners to repentance. And since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, all are in need of repentance. But the problem is that so many people did not, and still do not, recognize that they are sinners. Unless we recognize that we are sinners in need of a Savior, then we cannot be saved.
Finally, let’s consider what true blindness is.
True Blindness
True Blindness
Paul described true blindness this way:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Spiritually speaking we are all born blind. Or to put it another way, we are all born dead — perhaps “still-born” is an appropriate term. Because of our sin, both our inherited nature and our acts of rebellion, we deserve nothing but hellfire and damnation from God. Thankfully the story doesn’t end there.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
On Thursday I saw a Facebook post by a person calling himself Young Wesley in which he asked if someone could explain election to him. I was tempted to reply like this: “The young Wesleys, both John and Charles, were once dead in their trespasses and sins, but then God made them alive in Christ. For me that is election in a nutshell!” But of course when I went back to find their post I couldn’t.
Though we may have been blind at one time, Christ had mercy on us (who are believers in Him) and gave us spiritual sight. And now, instead of being dead in our trespasses and sins, we are alive in Christ. Can I get an AMEN?
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So my friend if the troubles and burdens you carry
Are heavy and dragging you down
Youve tried everything you can possibly think of
Theres no relief to be found
That very same Jesus that altered the future
Of a blind man, the deaf, and the lame
Is still reaching out in your hour of trouble
One touch and you're never the same.
You'll be trying to catch the crippled man
Did he run past this way?
He was rushing home to tell everyone
What Jesus did today
And the mute man was telling myself and the deaf girl
Hes leaving to answer Gods call
Its hard to believe but if you dont trust me
Ask the blind man, he saw it all
Go ask the blind man, he saw it all
He saw it all
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Let’s pray.
Closing Song: No. 161 — I Will Sing of the Mercies