Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Please turn in your bibles to Matthew chapter 9. We are continuing our chapter and verse study through the Gospel of Matthew, where Matthew has been proving to his Jewish audience that Jesus is their King, and as the King…He has all authority…a theme demonstrated repeatedly throughout Matthew chapters 8-10.

Last time, we looked at Jesus’ healing of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years, and Jairus’ 12 year old daughter who was sick and died, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

And, we saw Jesus’ power not only to restore life, but to build and preserve faith…a major work Jesus did for Jairus.

Today, we pick up in verse 27, and our setting is still Capernaum, immediately following Jesus healing of Jairus’ daughter.

The title of today’s sermon is “The Compassion of Jesus.”

Let’s Pray!

Matt 9:27 When Jesus departed from there [Jairus’ house], two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy [or compassion] on us!”

Oftentimes, you can pick up additional details when you look at the other Gospel accounts of the same event, but interestingly Matt 9:27-34 has no parallel account, so this is our only record of these events.

Jesus has just been thronged by a multitude of people, who wanted healing, but only the woman who touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, in faith, was healed.

And, then Jesus put aside all those who doubted and healed Jairus’ daughter.

Then, as they leave Jairus’ house, two blind men cry out to Jesus for mercy.

One person after another after another.

So many people searching for healing, searching for a savior.

We will see later today, Jesus tells His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

I find it amazing that Jesus had the physical strength to handle this many healings and address the needs of one person after another.

I remember one time in California, when I was at Bible College, I prayed to God, “I haven’t heard your voice lately, speak to me.”

And, that day and the next, God had 2 people give us money ($2000 from a classmate and $40 from a stranger at this amazing hole in the wall Mexican restaurant near the beach), and 2 strangers at the beach approached Amanda and I independently and shared intimate details of their life and struggles, and we ministered to them.

At the end of both days, I was physically drained and felt like God was saying to me, ‘You can’t handle my goodness in your present physical frame.’

I just share this story, because I am amazed that Jesus was able to heal one person after another after another and continue to press on.

To me, that just further testifies of His deity.

I’m equally amazed that the disciples were able to take all this in.

When I encounter the goodness of God…I am physically drained.

So, these two blind men followed Jesus...

Two blind men followed Jesus.

I have so many questions about this...

First of all…how?

How did they know where Jesus was and that He was leaving Jairus’ house?

Did they follow using their other senses and walking canes?

Were they led by friends to Jesus?

Regardless of how they followed Jesus, these men who lacked eyesight, had tremendous insight…for they addressed Jesus as the “Son of David.”

Jesus’ genealogy proved He was a “Son of David” both through legal lineage in Matt 1 and through blood descent in Luke 3. Jesus is a direct descendant of king David.

Jesus is Royalty.

But, this title looks beyond the lineage of Jesus, and defines who He is.

“Son of David” is a Messianic title, and that’s why these blind men were insightful...they could “see”…they knew that Jesus was the Messiah.

This title “Son of David” only appears in the New Testament, and just 15x…9x in the Gospel of Matthew, and 3x each in Mark and Luke.

Not surprising that this title appears most in Matthew’s Gospel since Matthew wrote to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah.

This title looks back to the Davidic Covenant in 2 Sam 7:12-16 where God promised David that He would establish David’s throne and house forever, which is ultimately fulfilled when Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom and throne during His millennial reign into eternity…truly a throne and house that will be established forever.

Amazing that the blind men see who Jesus is, but the Religious leaders either can’t or won’t.

And, it’s the same today.

True is 2 Cor 4:4 “...whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe...”

Spiritual blindness is satanic.

Spiritual unveiling is of the Holy Spirit.

Healing the blind was a Messianic sign.

Isaiah spoke twice about Messiah healing blindness:

One such verse is Isa 29:18 “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”

In the prophetic ‘far,’ spiritual blindness will be lifted when Jesus returns, prior to His millennial reign.

But, in the prophetic near, Jesus’ physical healing of the blind also served as a Messianic sign:

In Matt 11:2-6, when John the Baptist was unsure if Jesus really was the Messiah (since John sat in prison), he sent his disciples to inquire “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Jesus’ response is in His action, and His action proves He is Messiah.

Now, what I find fascinating, is the diversity of Jesus’ healings.

He heals one person this way, another person a totally different way.

And, there are Christians who try to replicate Jesus’ healings like there is a formula or a method, but there is not.

God is greatly diverse in how He heals.

He knows what each one of us needs, and heals accordingly.

Just the blind alone…listen to how diverse He heals...

Both in Matt 9 and Matt 20: both times- two blind men, both times Jesus touched their eyes.

John 9 “...He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.”

In Mark 8 Jesus spit on the eyes of the blind man, who replied, “I see men like trees, walking.”

So, Jesus “…put His hand on his eyes again and made him look up.”

In Mark 10, a blind man requested from Jesus to receive his sight.

“Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has mad you well.”

Jesus didn’t touch him, nor spit on him, nor anoint his eyes with mud.

He was just healed with a word.

There is no specific methodology.

Matt 9:28-29 “And when He had come into the house [likely Peter and Andrew’s house], the blind men came to Him.

And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

Like Jairus, the blind men take the important step of coming to Jesus in their distress.

V28 says “…the blind men came to Him.” Don’t miss that detail in this reading, and especially don’t miss it in your life.

When you have a need, come to Jesus.

It’s a simple thing to come to Jesus…to bow one’s heart…to cry out in prayer, but many people (even Christians) often will rely on their natural abilities and resources FIRST, before coming to Jesus.

And, there are those who are just too prideful and stubborn to come to Jesus at all.

Romans Chapter 1 speaks about these kind of people who reject God, and in verses 24, 26, and 28, it states in Romans 1 that “...God gave them up to uncleanness...”; “…God gave them up to vile passions.”;

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind...”

In Matt 11:28, Jesus cried out “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus wants you to come to Him, but if you consistently deny Him, He will give you up.

Sadly, He will honor that request.

He never forces anyone to come to Him.

The blind men…they are seeking Jesus…they come to Him.

Notice, they didn’t ask for sight or for healing, but for mercy…for compassion.

And, Jesus says to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They respond in the affirmative.

Jesus touches their eyes and gives credit to their faith for this miracle.

Some people say, “Seeing is believing.”

Jesus says, “Believing is seeing.”

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He said to Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Jn 11:40

John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life...” 1 Jn 5:13 Knowing you have eternal life is spiritual sight, and this is predicated upon belief.

And, literally through belief, Jesus gave sight to the blind.

Believing is seeing.

Matt 9:30-31 And their eyes were opened.

And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”

31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country (the Region of Galilee).”

Numerous times in His ministry, Jesus sternly warns…which means “to snort with anger.”

I don’t think Jesus was angry per se, but certainly intense.

He didn’t want anything to interfere with God’s divine plan and timing.

This was a unique time where Jesus didn’t want the crowds to try to make Him the king; He didn’t want to invite unneeded persecution; and He knew God had perfect timing for when He would accomplish His will in Jesus’ life.

I love this about Jesus.

He was in tune with the Father, just as we need to be in tune to the Father…His will, His timing, His plan.