ESOCS Devotional 10 October 2024 – A Blind Man Who Sees
MEMORY VERSE: “What do you want me to do for you? ‘Lord, I want to see,’ he replied.”Luke 18:41
TEXT: LUKE 18:31-END
hen He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
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.
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The man sat at the gate because it was a busy place. He knew that most people would simply walk by him so he needed a large number of people if he hoped to find a few who would help him. As a blind beggar, he was familiar with the sound of foot traffic. This was a good time of the year for beggars because the crowds were traveling through Jericho on the way to Jerusalem for Passover. Perhaps, it was like the “Christmas Spirit” during the holidays. Perhaps, he reached out and grabbed someone going by and asked, “What’s going on?” The man was told, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Immediately the blind man started to yell, “Son of David have mercy on me!” Did you get that? He was told, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” yet, he responded, “Son of David have mercy on me.” That tells us that this man knew something about Jesus.
The title “Son of David” was a Messianic title. In other words, this man was calling to the One whom He believed was the Saviour. Perhaps, he had heard the stories of the people that Jesus healed and His teaching ministry. If only this Jesus could pass by my way, I too could be healed … I could see, he must have told himself. Eventually, when Jesus passed by, he was not going to miss out on this opportunity. The people all told the man to be quiet. It is likely that they felt he was inappropriate in his yelling. It wasn’t the acceptable thing to do. Why would Jesus pay attention to a man who was “defective”? The man’s tenacity! This man was not going to be pushed aside. He believed Jesus was the one who could meet his needs. He “cried out all the more.”
Word studies show that the second cry was an “instinctive shout of ungovernable emotion, a scream, an almost animal cry…it showed the utter desperation of the man.” This man became a picture of what real faith looks like. He saw Christ as the answer to his greatest need. Jesus not only heard the man crying out . . . he heard the man! He summoned Bartimaeus to Himself. Can you imagine? Perhaps, the very people who were formerly telling him to be quiet now are told to bring the man to Jesus. Don’t miss the postscript.
This guy did not head off to enjoy the life he could not enjoy before. He praised God and followed Jesus. This blind man understood that Jesus is not a “means to an end” but the end itself. Once this man met Jesus, he knew he had found everything he was looking for. To be able to see, hear, and serve Jesus was the greatest blessing one could experience. Most likely, this man became an eyewitness to Palm Sunday, the horror of the Crucifixion and the joy of the Resurrection. He witnessed the truth and it changed him forever.
- If we bear witness to the truth, a fundamental transformation will take place in our life.
- Lord, grant me the grace and courage to bear witness to your truth always.
Further Reading: Job 19:14-27; Proverbs 15:1-end; 1 Corinthians 15:35-4
ESOCS Devotional 10 October 2024
