Blind Man Begging

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 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!” And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God. Luke 18:35-43


Blind man begging. Seems to have been a common sight in that time and place. Destitute. Unable to provide for himself. Constantly depending on the mercy of strangers for sustenance. When he heard the commotion of the crowd accompanying Jesus, he wondered what it was all about. It was about Jesus of Nazareth. That was all he needed to hear. He knew this Man's reputation. Everyone did, by this time. If Jesus was near, help was actually possible. Hope was within reach. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Simple, but urgent request from one who, though physically blind, knew about the Son of David. That term meant "Messiah." The eternal king of the Jews. Others tried to shut him up, but he was persistent.

This man already knew about Jesus of Nazareth, Who He was and that He represented God the Father. He knew that the Son of David could heal him, and apparently believed He would. Jesus knew what the man needed, but the question was "what do you want me to do?" Jesus dealt differently with each person He encountered in these situations, because He knows the heart of each individual. There had to be a reason he would require this man to vocally express his petition. Of course, He granted it, and the man followed Him, rejoicing and glorifying God.

Clearly, this formerly blind man had been a believer in the coming Messiah before he ever met Him. Clearly, he expected to be healed just because he asked. Clearly, he addressed Jesus of Nazareth as "Lord," and was not embarrassed to plainly state what he wanted from the Lord. Clearly, such faith was rewarded as a blessing to the one in need, and as a testimony to those who were observing as the Son of David moved on toward Jerusalem. The people didn't miss the message. They saw it and gave praise to God.