“And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?”
Matthew 20:30-32
Two blind men heard that Jesus would be passing by. He was on His way to Jerusalem for the last time. They were stuck outside of Jericho before Jerusalem. If what was said about Jesus Christ was true, then this would be their last chance for healing. Feeling the thumping of hundreds of feet and smelling the kicked up Judaean dust told them all they needed to know: the multitude was beginning to pass by. In desperation they raised their voices against the din of the crowd. Surely He would hear them! Surely He would heal them!
A sudden silence fell. The footsteps faded away. They could sense people breathing all around them. Some huffed in whispered annoyance at the disturbance. Some caught their breath in anticipation. The two blind brothers held theirs until they were ready to burst. Had He heard? Would He see them?
Then they heard a voice. A voice that calmed the sea of every chatter, down to every whisper. A rich, confident tone that carried authority as well as compassion. But to them the Voice was somewhat distant, too far to be sure of what He said. Quickly the message is passed through the multitude: “Rise; he calleth thee.”1
As the beggarly pair bustled to their feet, they realized if they wanted healing, it would depend on their hearing.
“Jesus stood still.”
These two blind men had to operate by faith- hearing His word yet not seeing His face. They, as we, are troubled very much to move through a visual world to locate Christ at all. But hold onto this steadying truth: Christ is not going anywhere. He stands still.
- He is still in His sinlessness. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He saw their condition and heard their cry, but it rests on the sinner to come. “Let us therefore come …” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
- He is still in His faithfulness. “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister…” (Hebrews 8:1-2) He is as ready and willing to save now as ever. He can be found the same way now as He could then.
Now that He is located, He must be obeyed.
“And called them.”
Placing faith in Christ is a matter of obedience. “For he that COMETH to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently SEEK him.” (Hebrews 11:6, emphasis added) This obedience is not a work of the flesh, (“for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”2) but rather the answer of the heart to the command of God. Paul insisted upon it at the beginning and the end of Romans. “For obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name. (Romans 1:5) and “By the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:” (Romans 16:26) Obedience looks like a lot of things, but ‘optional’ is not one of them.
- Monumental obedience it was, too. For two blind men to work their way through a crowd to find one man. We read that those multitudes could number into the thousands. That would be a challenge if you had two pair of good eyes! But Christ was not coming any closer. Once He revealed Himself and called to them, He made no further movement. This was James 4:8 in action: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
- Theirs was mortal obedience. Jesus Christ waited while they wandered. It was a life or death game of “Marco Polo.” They had no visual clues to rely upon. They had no previous experience. They did have a few who resounded the call and encouraged them. “Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.”
How You May Come To God
“Amazing grace” was understood by John Newton when the scales fell from his spiritually blinded eyes. “Was blind but now I see” is more than a metaphor, it is the state of a lost soul without Christ.3
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come.
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
Jesus Christ can heal that blindness. All you have to do is come to Him by faith. Faith is what leads a man to Christ. Faith works through blindness, because “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 1:17) The world wants faith without the word of God. They want the healing of the mind without the prescription. You have to listen to the Lord so you can get His blessings. You have to trust what He said in Scripture.
There is no healing before the hearing.
Man desperately wants revelation first. Man wants illuminated eyes opened to the mysteries he has been missing out on. The God of the Bible is enjoined by faith alone. Sola fide. Blind faith, nonetheless. But not a baseless faith: a ‘sound’ faith.
“THE SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him:
FOR THEY KNOW HIS VOICE.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, AND THEY SHALL HEAR MY VOICE;“ (John 10:3-4, 16 emphasis added)
Can you not see what He’s saying? All the forgiveness, all the richness, all the healing are the treasures at the source of the Voice. You can hear it if you’ll read the Bible. The Bible will guide you to the healing you need. Follow the verses and you’ll find the Saviour.
“They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”
Matthew 20:33-34
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