Luke 18:35-43

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— 35 Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” 42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
In this chapter we have a “very wealthy” man (v23) who refused to follow Jesus and thus could not inherit eternal life (vv18-25), a blind beggar follows Jesus (v43), who heals the beggar because of his faith (v42).
Let’s think and meditate upon So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
So to this man, this was a day of HOPE. Certainly having given up the hope to ever see again.
This man’s eyes were closed to the light.
When Jesus passed by, however, the case was different.
Is there anything that the Lord cannot do?
Is there any limit to His power?
So why shouldn’t he open a blind man’s eyes?
For this blind man, it was a hour of hope, and if Jesus passes by now, this very hour, it’s an hour of hope to you too!
There’s a couple of different ways that you can look at this.
He begins to pass by, every since people begin to discern right from wrong.
Many people grow up in church hearing the gospel and cannot recall a time when they weren’t having a hearing of God’s word.
All the while Jesus passes by, pausing, giving you space, if perhaps they would call to Him for mercy.
Also, Christ passes by when the gospel is preached with power. If when you hear of Christ and His triumph over sin and death, that you feel a diving power exerted over you, Jesus is passing by.
Jesus passes by other blind men and they ask for their sight and receive it, while others remain in their blindness.
Not because He’s unable to heal but because they do not ask for His healing, but continue in their unbelief.
And it’s not just a Day of HOPE for this blind man, but also a Time of ACTIVITY.
Let’s hear these words, a man cannot be saved by what he does; salvation is in Christ, yet no man is saved except as he seeks earnestly after Christ.
This blind man didn’t open his eyes himself, he had no ability, no power to do so.
What he did, didn’t help or contribute in any degree to his attaining his sight.
Nevertheless, he had to seek Jesus to have his eyes opened.
His passions were kindled, his faculties and energies were all engaged
but yet in all these he couldn’t apply the remedy. Nothing to entitle him to any reward.
Yet, if we are to be saved, this man is a picture of what we are to be if we are to be saved.
He listened attentively. He could not see, but he had ears.
We read of his “hearing” in v36. That silence that was broken by the crowds coming along the road to Jericho was an unusual sort.
These were not the sounds drunks wrangling in to town, nor the songs of common travelers.
He listened, yes, he listened with all his ears.
So whenever the gospel is preached, we do not give it a hearing, like we are hearing some ordinary story.
We are to hear it restrained breath, profound reverence.
To drink it in, as the parched earth drinks in the rain showers.
Hearing it, and not wanting to miss a single word of it, thinking that that might be the word that would’ve blessed you.
The attentive hearers receive the blessings.
When we hear of the greatness of Christ in the gospel, let not our thoughts wander from here to there. But let us take heed.
There are a four things for us to think upon that I see for us.
1. It’s important that we diligently use the means of grace.
Look at v35 where he was and what he was doing...
He was at the place where Jesus passed by and found begging.
Is Jesus still in the midst of spiritual exercises such as the
intake of Scripture,
prayer,
worship,
evangelism,
service,
stewardship,
fasting,
silence and solitude,
journaling, and
learning
are all the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that have been practiced by the people of God since biblical times.
Are you in the places where Jesus passes by. This man didn’t sit idly by waiting for help to come to him.
He put himself by the roadside to be seen and receive help.
That’s where he was, now what was he doing?
He was “begging” (v35) and crying out for “mercy” (v38,39).
If that man had not been there when Jesus passed by and had been doing what he was doing, he’d remained blind his whole life.
2. He’s an example of prayer.
— 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Then, we are told that when he was tald to be quiet, he would not be silenced but shouted all the more (v39).
Those rebuking him, knew nothing about the misery of blindness. Through prevailing prayer he found what he was seeking: mercy.
That very day he received sight.
Physical illness is one thing, but think about our souls. The need is far greater for the soul. The disease of sin is worse than blindness.
3. Our Lord’s kindness and compassion.
So continuing to cry out for mercy So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. ...
Bearing in mind, our Lord was going up to Jerusalem to die and had weighty matters on his mind, but he found time to stop and speak kindly to this poor, suffering man.
(v40b) “He asked him,” saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
At once Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you” (verse 42).
That faith may have been weak, mixed-up, and imperfect.
But it had made the man cry out to Jesus and keep on shouting despite being rebuked.
As he came with faith, our blessed Lord did not drive him away.
The man’s heart’s desire was granted, and Immediately he received his sight (verse 43).
4. How to behave after receiving mercy
v43 “he…followed Him, glorifying God.”
Out of deep gratitude for the work of Christ, we respond by becoming our Lord’s follower, His disciple.
Grateful love is the true spring of real obedience to Christ.
Men will never take up the cross and confess Jesus before the world and live for Him until they feel that they are indebted to Him for pardon, peace, and hope.
The saved are what they are because they love Him who first loved them and
washed them from sin in His own blood.
Christ has healed them, and therefore they follow Him.
Whom do we follow?
What are the great ambitions we live for?
Those who truly find their hope in Christ will be known by the general direction of their life.
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