Luke 18:35-43: Blindness Spiritual and Physical

Introduction:

We have some things to account for as we consider the movement of Jesus toward Jerusalem.

Jesus did two significant miracles before he arrived in Jerusalem for the final week of his earthly life.

Raised Lazarus from the dead ().

Healed two blind men at Jericho. (Mk. and Lk. only focus on one of them).

These actions help us account for the “buzz” that surrounds Jesus when he arrives in the city.

- The triumphal entry.

- The crowd demands his crucifixion.

We also needs to consider Luke’s immediate focus, namely, the “hodgepodge” nature of the crowd around Jesus and the various levels of misunderstanding present among them.

Pharisees (, ).

Disciples forbidding the children ().

The Rich Young Ruler ().

The confusion of the twelve over the death and resurrection of Jesus ().

Luke Introduces Another Blind Man:

35Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχὼ τυφλός τις ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπαιτῶν.

36ἀκούσας δὲ ὄχλου διαπορευομένου ἐπυνθάνετο τί εἴη τοῦτο.

This man sits, most likely, at the gate of the city. Luke places him along the road.

He is actively begging because this was his means of survival.

His life depended upon the charity of others.

The Jews had a unique almsgiving culture.

He hears the crowd pass by and starts to inquire what the sound means.

Luke Demonstrates the Conflicted Knowledge of the Crowd

(NA28)

37ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτῷ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος παρέρχεται.

38καὶ ἐβόησεν λέγων· Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με.

39καὶ οἱ προάγοντες ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ ἵνα σιγήσῃ, αὐτὸς δὲ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν· Υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με.

Luke sets the man and crowd in conflict with one another.

The crowd knows something the man cannot possibly know because of his blindness.

The man cries to Jesus for help in theological and messianic terms, something the crowd does not yet fully understand, at least all of them.

In Luke, it is the only time the phrase “Son of David” gets used. In Matthew there were other occasions. According to TDNT, the phrase “Son of David” first occurs in Ps. Sol. 17 in the late 1st century BC. It came to be in popular usage and reflected anticipation on the part of the Jews that God would send the messiah, the son of David, to rid Jerusalem of foreign rule, purge it of Gentiles, and judge the people and land in purity and righteousness.

In Luke, it is the only time the phrase “Son of David” gets used. In Matthew there were other occasions. According to TDNT, the phrase “Son of David” first occurs in Ps. Sol. 17 in the late 1st century BC. It came to be in popular usage and reflected anticipation on the part of the Jews that God would send the messiah, the son of David, to rid Jerusalem of foreign rule, purge it of Gentiles, and judge the people and land in purity and righteousness.

The blind man properly identifies the person and Jesus and associates it with his power.

Notice too, however, that the man assumes Jesus has the power. Now this is about another characteristic of Jesus, namely, his mercy.

Jesus can do for the man what no one else could do. Their form of mercy was for him to beg, homeless, along the street.

Jesus mercy and power can cause him to see.

(NA28)

40σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. ἐγγίσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν·

41Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Κύριε, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω.

42καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀνάβλεψον· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε.

43καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνέβλεψεν καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν. καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἰδὼν ἔδωκεν αἶνον τῷ θεῷ.

Conclusion:

Do you see Jesus for who he is?

When you hear of his mercy, his compassion, his divine power, do you conclude that he is God?

Are you more like the crowd, blinded to reality, or the man, seeing the truth?