“…AND THE BLIND SHALL SEE”
LUKE 18:35-43

I. Introduction
I’ve heard it said, and I’ve come to believe it is generally true, that if one of your five senses is somehow diminished or not as sharp as the others, then the others will tend to be more sensitive. In today’s passage in Luke we are going to meet a beggar who has only four of his five senses functioning. His sense of touch, and his ability to hear, taste, and smell all seem to be working well. But he is blind. It isn’t that his eyesight isn’t what it should be. It is that he has no eyesight at all.

God has taken his eyesight, but as we’ll see, He has not taken his insight. Rather, God has given this blind beggar uncommon insight. This insight will be manifested in at least three significant ways. First, the beggar will recognize Jesus’ true identity. Second, based upon that recognition, he will call out in faith. Third, his faith will result in his salvation. Wait a minute! That’s an illustration of the gospel, isn’t it?

Last Sunday was the day I like to refer to as “Resurrection Sunday.” I closed the sermon with one of the most well-known passages about how we can be saved and resurrected to eternal life. In it we are told to believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His life, His death, and His resurrection. If we do these things, and we are willing to say so, we will be saved.
*Romans 10:9-11, 13
9 …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus as Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

13 For “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We’ll see this kind of faith in action as the blind beggar of Luke 18:35-43 exercises the in-sight God has already given to him and is rewarded by receiving his eyesight as well. What is the lesson for us? It’s this: When “…you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” And you will not be disappointed.
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II. Review
Here’s a quick review to put today’s passage in context. We’ve been walking along with Jesus as He makes His final journey to Jerusalem. That journey began all the way back in Luke 9:51 where we were told that He “…resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Luke 17:11 says that, “…while He was on the way to Jerusalem… He was passing through Samaria and Galilee.” Along the way He continued His teaching and healing ministries.
And all along the way the scribes and Pharisees had continued showing themselves for who and what they were. They challenged Him at every turn. But Jesus went on teaching the multitudes who followed after Him. As Luke 18 opened He taught the parable of the unjust judge. In it He encouraged believers “…at all times to pray and not lose heart (v. 1).”

In vv. 9-27 He taught the characteristics of a true Christian, those personal traits that would open the gates to the kingdom of God.
• In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer, we learned that humility before God was a character trait of all true believers.
• In the narrative of the babies and little children who were brought to Him, we learned that simple childlike faith and trust were also character traits of all true believers.
• In the unbelief of the rich young ruler, we learned that unless one is willing to leave this world and its treasures behind, they will never enter into God’s kingdom.

Then Jesus taught His disciples that all who will turn their backs on the joys and pleasures of this world will “…receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life (v. 30).” Finally, as they were about to make the steep ascent from Jericho up to Jerusa-lem, Jesus told the disciples, that “…all the things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished (v. 31).”

And that brings us to this morning’s text.
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III. Text
A strong argument can be made that all of Jesus’ miracles, while having a profound effect on the material world and those who witnessed them, were really illustrations of spiritual realities. No miraculous healing demonstrates that truth more forcefully than the one we are about to see take place in Luke 18:35-43.

But before we look at it consider for a moment the rich young ruler who stood and talked with Jesus earlier in the same chapter. His physical eyes worked just fine, but he was spirit-ually blind. He could not see the real truth because he would not see the real truth. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” That has its basis in Scripture.
Jeremiah 5:21
21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but see not; who have ears, but hear not.”

That was the rich young ruler’s problem, but the poor blind beggar we’re about to meet does not have that problem.
*Luke 18:35-43 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
35 And it came about that as He (Jesus) was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the road, begging.
36 Now hearing a multitude going by, he began to inquire what this might be.
37 And 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 And 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 had come near, He (Jesus) 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 And immediately he regained his sight, and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

This is Jesus’ last recorded healing before He goes to the cross. It is yet another demonstra-tion of His deity and shows us His authority over both the physical and spiritual worlds. The greatest miracle of all, His own resurrection from the dead, is still to come, but in this mira-cle at Jericho, giving sight to a blind man, Jesus shows us what salvation is all about.
*Luke 18:35
35 And it came about that as He (Jesus) was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the road, begging.

“Approaching Jericho” means that Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem is nearing its end. The two cities are only about sixteen miles apart. But sixteen miles doesn’t convey how arduous the trip really is. It’s the thirty-four hundred foot difference in elevation. Jerusalem is about twenty-six hundred feet above sea level while Jericho’s is about eight hundred feet below.

With the coming of Passover there were multitudes of people who were passing through Jericho on their way up to Jerusalem. So Jesus and His disciples would have found them-selves in the midst of even larger crowds than those that usually surrounded them.

Luke’s words “approaching Jericho” have been the cause of some confusion over the years because Matthew 20:29 and Mark 10:46 both say that Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho. This is just the kind of thing that skeptics and cynics love. “Aha,” they say, “Here is another mistake or contradiction in the Bible!” But, of course, there is no mistake or con-tradiction at all.

The fact is that there were two Jerichos. The ruins of the OT Jericho (still visible) were just a little northeast of the NT Jericho, the city that was occupied during the first century. So if the Lord was walking from the OT ruins and to the NT city there is neither a mistake nor a contradiction. The three gospel writers are simply reporting the facts from a different per-spective. Here is another one: Luke 18:35 tells us “…a certain blind man was sitting by the road, begging.” But Matthew and Mark say there were two blind men. Is that a problem?
It shouldn’t be a problem at all. Matthew wants us to know that Jesus healed two men, but he doesn’t think their names are all that important. After all, the focus is on Christ, isn’t it? Mark, like Luke, only mentions one of them, but he wants us to know that the man’s name is Bartimaeus. Luke, like Matthew doesn’t bother with the man’s name because it’s all about the Lord Jesus Christ anyway.

While these things shouldn’t worry us, it can be helpful to look into them every now and then, and be reminded that such differences in perspective and the reporting of various details are common throughout the gospels. Considering each of the four gospel writers’ backgrounds and their intended readers, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

So we know the blind beggar’s name is Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus). Blindness was common in ancient Israel. Babies were often born blind because of passing through the birth canals of mothers with venereal diseases. Other infectious organisms and unsanitary conditions were also factors in the spread of blindness in the first century.

And since blindness was so common, Jesus often used physical blindness as a metaphor for spiritual blindness. He also used it to describe the willful unbelief of the scribes and the Pharisees. For example, in Matthew 23 alone Jesus says it five times. “Woe to you, blind guides (vv. 16, 24),” “You fools and blind men (vv. 17, 19),” “You blind Pharisee (v. 26).”
*Luke 18:36-38
36 Now hearing a multitude going by, he began to inquire what this might be.
37 And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Poor blind Bartimaeus is sitting, immobile, and begging alongside the road. He’s not going anywhere, either physically or spiritually. If something or somebody doesn’t come to him, his condition will remain the same. Can you see how this is a word picture of our own spiritual condition before we are saved? We were all spiritually blind and there wasn’t one thing we could have done on our own to change that. Why? Scripture is clear.
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 …the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, (so) that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

So there sits Bartimaeus. He asks someone why there is such a commotion. And he’s told that Jesus of Nazareth (and His entourage) are passing by. Why “Jesus of Nazareth”? That’s the way people were identified. Surnames were not used, so a person’s identity was often tied to the place from where they came. Jim Tollar and Jim Forsythe would be Jim of Elk-horn and Jim of Pell Lake. The name “Jesus” (from the Hebrew “Joshua” or “Yeshua”), was a common name, so saying, “Jesus of Nazareth” simply identified which Jesus.

Can you imagine what must be going through Bartimaeus’ mind?
Could it be that this Jesus, this one of whom he has heard, is passing by right there in front of him, literally a few feet away? Do you suppose he might have thought, “It’s now or never”? He doesn’t hesitate. And in v. 38 we see that Bartimaeus, though blind, has some deep spiritual insight. He calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

In these few words the blind man makes it clear that he sees far more clearly than most of those around him who have 20/20 vision. The Greek here is very descriptive. It’s worth our time to look at it. In v. 38 “…calls out” is the Greek word “bŏaō.” It means to shout for help in a tumultuous way. Matthew’s description uses an even stronger word. The word is “krazō,” which literally means to scream at the top of one’s voice. Elsewhere “krazō” is used to define the screams of the insane and those who are demon-possessed.

Clearly, Bartimaeus is not calmly and quietly asking someone to see if Jesus might come over and talk with him. On the contrary, he’s making a spectacle of himself. How else will he be heard? There’s a massive crowd, no doubt pushing and shoving, making all the noise related to such a gathering. He wants to be heard.

Now I said that Bartimaeus is demonstrating real spiritual insight here. But it isn’t because he’s making a lot of noise. It’s because of what he calls Jesus. When he calls Jesus the Son of David he speaks what is in his heart. He speaks of faith in Christ. We know that because it is a Messianic title. Thus Bartimaeus confirms his faith that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah,
“Yeshua Hamashiach,” God’s anointed, the Holy One of Israel. Bartimaeus knows the OT prophecy, and he knows and he believes the Davidic Covenant.
*2 Samuel 7:12-16 (God speaking to King David through the Prophet Nathan – 900 B.C.)
12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you (Solomon), who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits ini-quity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
15 but My loving kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne (David) shall be established forever.”

David will not sit on his throne forever. Neither will David’s son, Solomon. But David’s Greater Son, his Eternal Son will. And blind Bartimaeus has been given the insight and the faith, to believe it, and to know that Jesus of Nazareth is David’s Greater Son.

We confirm this fact every Christmas when we read the angel Gabriel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth.
*Luke 1:30-33
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David;
33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”

Is Bartimaeus saved because he knows who Jesus is? No, he is not! Don’t let yourself fall into that trap. Knowing who Jesus is saves no one. Remember that Satan and his demons know who Jesus is. Bartimaeus is saved because his knowledge of the Messiah, the Christ, has caused him to be convicted of his sin, to repent, and to call out to Jesus.

Those four words, “…have mercy on me,” are the key to our understanding the full ramifi-cations of this whole passage. “Have mercy on me” is Bartimaeus’ confession. He knows he has no merit of his own. He knows that if Jesus doesn’t save him, he won’t be saved. It’s easy to see how important this to poor blind Bartimaeus.
*Luke 18:39
39 And 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!”

If Bartimaeus was shouting in a tumultuous way before, if he was screaming like a crazy man before, can you imagine what he sounds like now? “…he kept crying out all the more.” But he is told to be quiet. Those leading the way – I suppose that means those who are clearing a path for Jesus – are trying to shut him up.

The text does not say, but I surely hope none of those who were trying to keep Bartimaeus quiet were Jesus’ disciples. In any case, Bartimaeus would not be silenced. What a lesson! How often are we silenced by allowing ourselves to be intimidated by the world around us?

*Luke 18:40-41a
40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he had come near, He (Jesus) questioned him,
41a “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Listen to the way Mark describes what happens in here in Luke 18:40. Keep your marker in Luke and just turn back a few pages to…
*Mark 10:49-50
49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, arise! He is calling for you.”
50 And casting aside his cloak, he jumped up, and came to Jesus.
This is so rich. There is so much for us to learn here. What are you facing? It doesn’t mat-ter because Jesus is calling you to Himself. So you can take courage. Jesus has called Bart-imaeus and he can’t wait to respond. In casting aside his cloak, it’s not at all unlikely that he is throwing off his only earthly possession. Isn’t this a picture of great faith? It’s as if he is saying, “I don’t have much, but I’ll gladly lay it aside in order to come to you, Jesus.”

And what a picture this is of Jesus responding to us when we call on Him. He has great compassion for us, but we sometimes forget that and fail to call on Him when He is just waiting to help us. Why can’t we be as bold as Bartimaeus?
Hebrews 4:15-16
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weak-nesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

“…that we may receive mercy…” We need to go to Jesus and we need to ask Him just as did Bartimaeus. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (back to Luke)

In v. 41 Jesus asks the blind man, “What do you want Me to do for you?” What does Barti-maeus want Jesus to do for him? Obviously, Jesus knows exactly what the blind man wants. Yet He wants Bartimaeus to tell Him what he wants. He wants him to ask. Again, the les-son for us should be crystal clear. What do you want? What do you need? Of course, the Lord already knows, but He wants you to tell Him. Why? Because God wants you to exer-cise your faith. He wants you to know that He hears and He answers. And He wants you to know that your faith pays dividends. That’s why!

Doesn’t this parallel, or at least illustrate a truth we spoke of earlier?
Romans 10:9-11
9 …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus as Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

These verses have Bartimaeus “all over them,” don’t they? And he is not about to be dis-appointed.
*Luke 18:41b-43a
41b 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.”
43a And immediately he regained his sight…

Boom! Just like that! Listen, Jesus always responds to faith. Don’t you love the simplicity of this? No flash, no dash!
The earth doesn’t shake, the sky doesn’t erupt with lightning, and the angels don’t sing. No one is slain in the Spirit and no one speaks in tongues. One moment a man is blind. The next moment he isn’t. That’s a picture of your salvation. One moment you are spiritually dead. Then you confess your faith in Jesus Christ. And the next moment you are spiritually alive. That’s the way it works, that’s the way it is.

In Luke 18:42 Jesus says to Bartimaeus, “…your faith has made you well.” Now please bear with me a moment here. There’s a very important point that needs to be made about the Greek – what it actually says, and more importantly, what it means. If what Jesus did only provided physical healing, the Greek verb would have been “iaŏmai,” meaning “healed.” But that is not the verb used in v. 42. The verb used is “sōzō.” It is the only word used in the NT for “saved.”

“Hey, Bartimaeus, your faith has saved your soul! Your eyesight is merely a bonus.” How does he respond?
*Luke 18:43b
…and (he) began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

• Has the Lord Jesus saved your soul? Are you following Him, or have you just said, “Thank you,” and moved on with your life?
• Has the Lord Jesus saved your soul? Are you glorifying Him, or just mentioning Him once in a while as you go about your daily life?
• Has the Lord Jesus saved your soul? Are others praising God because of it, or do they not even know about it? Shame on you! Shame on me!
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IV. Conclusion
What can you learn from Bartimaeus’ encounter with Jesus? How about this: Whenever you hear a gospel message, you can be sure that, as Luke 18:37 says, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And it may be the only time you are so close to salvation. If Jesus is so close by, it means that He’s giving you one more opportunity to cry out for mercy. If you will cry out, He will answer, and as Luke 18:42 promises, He will save your soul.

Your presence here this morning is not an accident. You are here for a purpose. Don’t let this moment pass. Jesus is passing by. Call out to Him. He will hear and He will respond. “…and the blind shall see.”
Romans 10:13
13 “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

~ Pray ~