Matthew 20:29-34 Mark 10:46-52 Luke 18:35-43

Matthew 20:29-34 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

Mark 10:46-52 46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Luke 18:35-43 35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire 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 questioned 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, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Determination and courage are a big part of this story and are key to how God would have us to seek Him.  These blind men were at a great disadvantage.  They could not see that it was Jesus approaching, could have easily been hidden by the multitude and were being told to keep quiet.  None of these things mattered.  He recognized his need, believed Jesus could meet that need and wanted to be certain that Jesus knew about his need.  We may not receive the desires of our heart because we don’t stop to recognize the reality of our own need.  There may be times when we simply think we can handle things on our own or that we don’t think God cares enough about our situation to help.  There are many lessons we can learn from this passage.

RECOGNIZE OUR NEEDS: Bartimaeus was a blind man and apparently there was another blind man who is unidentified with him.  These men had a very clear need and were very aware of that need.  They had a burning desire to see.  Our needs might not be quite as obvious as these men, but we all have them.  It may be a financial need, physical need or a spiritual need.  The hardest needs for us to recognize are our spiritual needs.  We know when we have a bill to pay or when we are sick.  We don’t always see are areas of spiritual blindness.  There may be a sinful attitude or action with which we have grown accustomed and have just learned to tolerate in our lives.  It is important for us to take stock of our lives on a regular basis and seek a clear understanding of where we are and compare that to where we believe God would have us to be.

REMEMBER GOD’S POWER: God has the ability to resolve any problem or to use any circumstance for His glory and our eternal good.  No matter how bleak a situation may seem, God has the power to take care of it.  He can heal the sick, raise the dead, calm the storm and free the captive from Satan and sin.  Too often we become consumed by the reality of our circumstances and forget about the power of our God.  When we remember God’s power, our response will be to call out to Him.  He is able to meet our needs or give us the strength to stand in the face of any trial.  We do not need to handle things on our own.  God is with us, cares for us and is able to give us hope and help.

REMOVE FEAR OF MEN: When Bartimaeus head that Jesus was in his area, he called out for mercy.  He was not afraid of what other people might think.  His blindness was a bigger problem than his reputation.  When the people around him scolded him and told him to be quiet, he yelled all the louder.  Too often, we are afraid to appear desperate before others.  There are times when we don’t want to seem weak or dependent upon God.  Our concern about what others will think of us causes us to be quiet.  Our fear of failure or rejection causes us to stay silent.  God wants us to trust Him and call on Him without fear of what others may think.

REQUEST GOD’S BLESSING: We were created to be dependent upon God.  Independence and self-sufficiency are humanistic fantasies that have nothing to do with God’s purpose for our lives.  Man’s original sin was a declaration of independence from God.  It was an attempt to take God’s place instead of being with God.  Our problems are reminders of our need of God.  A person who is blind has a very clear need that serves as a constant reminder of dependence.  The blind men desperately were crying out for mercy from God, so they could see.  They trusted that God had the power to restore their sight.  No matter what problem we face, God has the power to set us free and provide our need.  

APPLICATION: We might not be blind physically, but we are all still dependent upon God and have significant areas of need in our lives.  Examine our lives to see where we have become self-sufficient instead of God-dependent.  Know that God has the power to resolve any problem, change any circumstance and/or use these things to conform us to the image of Jesus.  Don’t be concerned about what others might think of us; cry out to the Lord for His mercy and His help.  Understand that God’s help is an act of mercy not an obligation for Him or a “right” of ours.