Lessons from the Blind Man

“Lessons from the Blind man”

.

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be blind? When I was a teenager I had a friend that was legally blind, he lived 4 houses down from me. He played the guitar, and had a band. But we had to drive him everywhere he went. As I a teenager I also worked on a building project at the Florida deaf and blind school in St. Augustine. It was during those days that I became thankful for my eye sight! Have you ever closed your eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like to be blind? To not be able to see the faces of your loved ones, to never see a sunrise or a sunset, never see a mountain, or the ocean, or a beautiful flower.

There are 154 thousand people with visual disability in the state of Missouri; and worldwide there are180 million people who are blind or visually disabled. Somewhere in the world, someone goes blind every five seconds; and 7 million people go blind every year. To be blind and live in darkness is a bad thing, but there is something worse than physical blindness; it is spiritual blindness, the blindness of the soul!

In the verses Jesus encounters a blind man, and opens his eyes both physically and spiritually.

Every physical miracle that Jesus performed in the New Testament, teaches that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was promised in the Old Testament. The N.T. records more cases of Jesus healing the blind than any other disease. In the O.T. there is not a single account of a blind person being healed, not one! No disciple ever opened blind eyes, only the Lord Jesus restored sight to the blind! Why is that? Because one of the signs of the messiah was that he would open blind eyes. Jesus giving sight to the blind was Proof-positive that he was the messiah,

-“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped”. Jesus is the messiah, the savior of the world, He alone opened physically blinded eyes; and only he can open spiritually blinded eyes.

I want us to learn several spiritual lessons from the blind man, first we learn from:

1. What the Blind Man Saw.

V:35-38, 41.

Were told that Jesus is making his way into the city of Jericho, and that a certain blind man is sitting by the road begging. The book of Mark tells us this blind man’s name was Bartimaeus. Jericho was a beautiful city, called the city of roses, because of the rose gardens all over the city. There were also palm trees, balsam trees and fragrant bushes.

The name Jericho means “fragrant”.

It was a place of beauty, fragrances and wealth. Jesus goes through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went through Jericho not to see the sights, but to save souls! Jesus saved Bartimaeus on the way into the city, and Zacchaeus on the way out of the city.

Bartimaeus was physically blind, and he was a beggar; he was on the very bottom rung of the social ladder. But Bartimaeus sitting there by the roadside begging could see more than most of the people who were following Jesus on the road.

a. He saw his need.

Since he was blind, living in physical darkness, he needed sight. When Jesus asked him in, V:41-“What he wanted him to do for him, he answered, Lord let me receive my sight”

This man was a beggar; so he needed money. But he did not ask Jesus for money; because he knew he had a need greater that money!

He saw his greatest need was to receive his sight.

The first step to receiving spiritual sight, is to admit that you are spiritually blind.

The blind man saw his need for physical sight, and his need for a savior. In fact, he saw it much more clearly than did the rich ruler who came to Jesus just a few verses before ().

The rich man’s material wealth prevented him from seeing his spiritual poverty, and he went away unsaved. He would have been much better off if he had been a blind man—even a beggar man—yet able to see his spiritual poverty.

This is what we all need to see: our need for Jesus! Specifically, our need for him to save us from the blindness of our sin.

The various miracles in Luke show us the effects of sin:

· Leprosy shows sin’s corrupting power.

· The Lame show sin’s debilitating power.

· The demon-possessed show sin’s controlling power.

· The dead Show sins killing power.

For each miracle, there is an analogy between the physical needs of the body and the spiritual needs of the soul. What the blind, beggar of Jericho shows us is the blinding effect of sin. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, we fail to see how spiritually blind and sinful we are, and how much we need the grace of God.

Do you see your need for a Savior?

If not, the Bible says it is because:

-“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ”

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, and you will see how much you need Jesus.

Don’t just put on religious glasses to try to correct your blindness, don’t just join the church. What you need today is the sight that Jesus alone is able to give. When you come to the Lord Jesus Christ the Bible says that the wonderful miracle of sight is given to you.

-“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.

Someone else said-“The saddest person in the world is not the man who is blind and can’t see, but the man who is blind but thinks he can see”

When people truly understand the darkness of their souls apart from God, they will turn to Jesus, who alone can bring salvation and spiritual sight.

What the Blind man saw.

a. He saw his need.

b. He saw who Jesus was.

The blind man asked the crowd of people that was passing by what was going on? And they told him V:37-“Jesus of Nazareth’s is passing by”

The people in the crowd identified Jesus; as “Jesus of Nazareth”.

· He saw Jesus as Savior

But the blind man called him:

V:38-“Jesus son of David…

Though the blind man could not see Jesus with this physical eyes, he knows who Jesus is.

The title, son of David is a messianic title; in calling Jesus this, he is declaring that Jesus is the Messiah.

This title does not appear often in the Gospels, It meant that Jesus was the Savior who God had promised to send. By calling Jesus the

“Son of David,” the blind man was acknowledging him as the Savior who God had promised to send. When the blind man called out for the Son of David. He was declaring Jesus as:

Israel’s royal king.

David’s rightful heir.

God’s righteous Messiah.

Other people saw Jesus as a preacher and miracle worker:

He saw Jesus as Savior!

He saw Jesus as Lord.

V:41-“Lord that I might receive my sight”.

When Jesus ask him what he wanted, he addressed Jesus as the Lord. This was more than a sign of respect; he is acknowledging Jesus as the supreme authority.

The one who has authority over sin, sickness, blindness, death; because he is the Lord God!

There is no way to separate salvation in Christ from the lordship of Christ. Jesus is both Savior and Lord; to receive him as one is to receive him as the other, for the only Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when the blind man called Jesus “Lord,” he was submitting himself to worship and obey the Savior. The blind man could see better than most people, including many people in the crowds that followed Jesus around Jericho!

Someone once asked blind and deaf Helen Keller, “Isn’t it terrible to be blind?” To which she responded, “Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”

Her words are a good description of the blind man by the side of the road who, for all his physical blindness, he had spiritual insight. Multitudes are blind to their darkness, blind to their sin, blind to their destiny, blind to their hopelessness, spiritually out of touch.

Do you see your need for a Savior as well as he did?

We learn from: 1.What the blind man saw.

We learn lessons from:

2. What the Blind Man Said.

The Blind man said:

V:38-“Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me”.

Maybe he had heard of the miracles that Jesus had performed, even on other blind people. When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the messiah, Jesus said “Go back and tell John that the Blind receive their sight”

So the blind man cried out to Jesus for mercy!

He did not feel entitled, deserving; he was not demanding his rights, he was asking for mercy.

I grew up in the South; and I often heard my mom, and our family say, “Lord have Mercy”…

But the words ran together in a southern twang, “Ham-mercy”. Understanding his desperate need, he cried out to Jesus for mercy! He knows that his healing, salvation depends entirely on God’s mercy and grace! The blind man understood that Jesus had mercy and grace to give; that Jesus was a compassionate, loving Savior. This man’s cry for mercy, was a demonstration of his faith. He believed that Jesus was the savior, the Lord from heaven, and that he loved blind sinners like him, and had the power to heal him and save him.

So we cried out for grace, through faith:

· His faith was Personal.

V:38-“Have mercy on me”

He called out to Jesus for salvation; he is believing that Jesus can give him physical sight and spiritual salvation. God calls everyone to trust personally in his son Jesus Christ; no one can place their faith in Jesus for you.

Personal faith involves knowledge, of who you Jesus is; it is impossible to have faith in Jesus without knowing who he is, and what he has done.

Personal faith involves belief, belief from the heart that Jesus really did died for you on the cross.

Personal faith involves trust, trust is the volitional dimension of faith, where you call on the Lord, placing your faith in him as your personal savior.

Martin Luther explained it this way, there is a difference between “faith which believes what is said of God is true”, and “faith which throws itself on God”.

Personal saving Faith is resting on Jesus for salvation! His Faith is Personal.

· His Faith was Persistent.

V:39-Read.

Don’t forget that he is sitting beside the road, while a great crowd of people are passing by.

Yet, he is crying out so loud, that the people passing by, tell him to be quiet.

The blind man is crying out in desperation! This is the opportunity of a lifetime for him; Jesus is passing through Jericho, down the very road he is sitting beside; he is determined to get Jesus attention. He cannot get to Jesus in the crowd, but he is determined that Jesus will hear him.

Have you ever tried to talk to someone in a large, noisy crowd? You find yourself standing next to each other, shouting at each other, just to be heard. That is the picture here, this blind man is shouting to the top of his lungs, while Jesus is passing by within a few feet.

Can you hear this blind man crying out to the top of his lungs, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me, over and over! The people are telling him to shut up, be quiet beggar. They rebuke him and tell him to pipe down. When you become aware of your spiritual condition, and realize that Jesus is the savior and He is passing by you, let me tell you what will happen.

Many voices will try to stop your cry for mercy. Satan will try to stop your cry and doom you to hell, this world will mock you and try to stop your cry for God’s mercy, and you’re your flesh will try to keep you from admitting your need for mercy.

Don't let anyone stop your cry for mercy!

If you want to get saved, don’t let anyone talk you out of it! There is a sense of urgency in his voice, and it is an example of the sense of urgency that ought to be in our souls!

This is his opportunity Jesus was passing by, and He cried out for mercy.

Today, the lesson is clear, what the blind man said, is what you need to say! Cry out for mercy, cry out to Jesus for salvation!

Third we learn lessons from:

3. What the Blind Man Did.

First notice what Jesus did, V:40-“And Jesus stood...

Jesus heard this blind man crying out for mercy over and over. Jesus hears the cry of the desperate heart, Jesus hears the prayers of the needy. Jesus has mercy on sinners. This is one of the most wonderful phrases in all the Bible to me, “Jesus stood, and called him to come to him”. Get the scene in your mind, Jesus is surrounded by a multitude of people, he is passing through Jericho, He is on His way to Jerusalem to die on the cross.

You can be sure it was very noisy and people are talking, animals are making sounds. But there is something that brings the Lord Jesus to a screeching halt; what is it? It is the cry of mercy!

Today Jesus is listening for the cry of desperation from your heart! In the book of Joshua we are told about the day the SUN stood still, and here we are told about the day the SON stood still!

Jesus ears are tuned to the cry of a sinner!

I remember when Jesus passed by my life, I remember when he stood still at the door of my life.

I remember the day He called me to come to him!

V:40-“and called him…

-“And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise; he’s calling you. Jesus called him; he says get up and come to me! Jesus calls today, he loves you, he wants you to rise and come to him today for salvation. Today, respond to His call, in a few moments leave your seat and come and receive Jesus as your personal savior.

Jesus is calling you through the music you heard today, through this sermon, and by the Holy Spirit. No one else cared about that blind beggar, But Jesus did! Jesus passed by his place, stopped and called him!! Jesus teaches us, the “art of stopping. Jesus hears the cries of the spiritual lost and hurting! We need ears to hear, and eyes to see the spiritually blind and hurting around us…and Stop to tell them about Jesus and to pray with them.

Jesus called him, and notice what he did.

The book of Mark tells us:

-“And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

I can see him as he gets up, all eyes are on him, but he does see anyone, he just knows that Jesus is calling him.

This morning you need to be like the blind man, don’t see anybody around you; just respond to the call of Jesus today!

He is aware that Jesus is calling him and that Jesus cares about him, and he throws aside his dirty beggar’s garment and gets up and goes to Jesus.

Get the picture in your mind, H stops his shouting, throws off his moth-eaten cloak, an extreme gesture for a blind man, who would normally keep his cloak where he could touch it, he sprang to his feet, and stumbled with the help of others to Jesus.

Throwing off his old garment and walking away from it a picture of repentance.

To hear the call of Jesus and turn away from your old life of sin and come to Jesus!

Today, turn from your sin of self-righteous, religion, unbelief and come to Jesus!

Leave the old rags of your old life and come to Jesus for a brand new life! What old garment of sin are you clutching onto today?

Some people hold onto religious works, church membership, baptism, some people hold onto liquor, drugs, ungodly relationship.

You must come to the place where you want Jesus more than anybody or anything this world has to offer!

Do you see what the blind man did? He cast aside his garment, a picture of repentance, and he came to Jesus in faith, believing that he could give him sight and salvation.

Jesus asking what do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord I want to receive my sight.

He expressed the deep need of his heart, more than bread or money, I need sight.

What so you must want from Jesus today?

Don’t ask for less than you need, you need salvation, you need to be right with God!

What do you need personal, Jesus speaks to you personally. What is your greatest need today?

Lord Jesus I am spiritual blind and need to be saved, I want you to forgive my sin and save my soul! Jesus specializes in that! With love, and tenderness in his voice, Jesus said, V:42-“receive your site: your faith has saved you”.

V:43-“Immediately he received his sight and followed him… No surgery! No bandages! No adjustment! Boom—sight!

He saw people for the first time. He saw the crowd. He saw “The City of Roses” and palm trees, and the hills of Moab off in the distance.

But the first thing he saw was the face of Jesus.

Salvation is like this- it is immediate:

You are lost, then you call on Jesus-saved!

You are spiritual blind you trust Jesus-sight!

You don’t grow into salvation, it is instant and complete the moment you trust Jesus!

Right on the spot, sight flooded those darkened blind eyes.

If you will respond to Jesus call today, you will be saved! And when you are saved, you will follow Jesus! V:43-“And Followed him”.

There is always the “and” to salvation…

Jesus saves your soul, and you are changed!

Jesus opens your blind eyes, and you follow him.

Jesus gives you New life, and you have an appetite for spiritual things.

Some early church traditions say Bartimaeus followed Jesus all the way to the cross and later become a major figure in the church at Jerusalem.

When Jesus saves you, you will never be the same, and you will follow Jesus and serve Jesus!

This blind man, Bartimaeus not only followed Jesus; he glorified God.

Once the blind man was saved, he immediately started to fulfill the purpose for which he was saved, which was to glorify God and follow Jesus!

V:43-“glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God…

People saw the miracle of a changed life and praised God for it!

I can see him looking at everything, new eyes, new life following Jesus, praising Jesus! Praise is contagious, the joy of salvation is infectious, and other people saw what God had done in the man’s life, they started praising God too. True faith produces joy in God and a commitment to follow Jesus!

This is a good way to test our relationship with God:

Do I experience joy in the worship of God?

Am I following Jesus daily?

Does my life point other people to Jesus in a way that makes them want to follow him?

This was Jesus last time to pass through Jericho, if he didn’t respond right then, he would never have another opportunity!

Jesus stills stops for anyone who calls on His name. Cast aside the garments of, religion, pride, sin, and come to Jesus! Jesus is passing by today, come to Jesus today!

As disciples of Jesus we learn:

Just as Jesus commanded the disciples to tell the blind man that Jesus was calling him. We are commanded to tell spiritual blind people that Jesus is calling them to salvation.

Do not let Jesus pass you by today! We would not be enjoying this story today if the blind man in Jericho had heard that Jesus walking by, but never cried out to him in faith. Today, Jesus has come your way; will you call out to him in faith?

God help us to help other come to Jesus for Spiritual sight and salvation.