Luke 18:35-43
35 Now as Jesus was approaching Jericho, a man who was blind was sitting by the road, begging.
36 But when he heard a crowd going by, he began inquiring what this was.
37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He asked him,
41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
42 And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight; your faith has made you well.”
43 And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
The Blind Man of Jericho
Words not understood
As Jesus and His group approached Jericho, a large crowd was following Him, and the noise could be heard even from a distance. A blind beggar sitting by the roadside responded to the commotion and asked what was happening. At that time, blind individuals had no means of livelihood other than depending on the charity of others. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he cried out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those around him rebuked him and tried to silence him. They likely assumed that the blind man was trying to get alms from Jesus. But he believed he could not let this opportunity pass him by and cried out all the more. What he was seeking was not money but that his eyes might be opened. He addressed Jesus as “Jesus, Son of David.” By doing so, he was expressing his faith that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. Have you ever opened your heart to speak honestly, only to be misunderstood and felt sorrow because of it? Or have you ever hurt someone because you failed to rightly receive their words? When we become aware of the limits of human words, it becomes a moment of opportunity to pour everything out before God.
Jesus who understands
Jesus called the blind man over and asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Did He ask this because Jesus did not know what the man desired? Of course not. Then why did He ask? (1) It was to teach those around Him that they had not understood the true meaning of the blind man’s desperate cry. (2) It was also to draw out faith from the blind man himself. He responded clearly, “Lord, I want to regain my sight.” Jesus then said to him, “Regain your sight; your faith has made you well” (v 42). Of course, it was not faith itself that produced the miracle. His eyes were healed as a result of God’s power at work. Faith simply became the channel through which that healing was received. This blind man was praised by Jesus. It may well have been the first time in his life that he had ever been praised like that. Now, let’s bring everything before Jesus, who truly understands you.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, at times, my desire to be understood by others becomes far too strong. Please forgive me. Now, I place my trust in You, the One who understands everything. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.