Luke 18:35-43

It happened, as he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging. Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”

Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do?”

He said, “Lord, that I may see again.”

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.”

Immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Leave it to a “sinner” to fail to be “politically correct.” Many in Israel believed that if you were blind you were that way because of sin. On top of that, we know from John that the Pharisees had already warned the people about calling Jesus “the Messiah.” This blind man, when he heard that Jesus was going by “cried out” a well know messianic title: “you son of David!” This is a precious example of how we all come to Jesus. At some point in our lives, no matter how politically incorrect Satan makes faith in Christ to be, we stop wanting to be blind and we cry out to Jesus. When we are ready to cry out like this it doesn’t matter what people say anymore. Who really cares what “seeing” people will think, all we want is to “see again.” When the crowd tried to hush the man, he only feared that Jesus wouldn’t hear Him so He shouted even louder!

Jesus stopped immediately and told them to bring the man to Him. Jesus was willing to do something for the man and instead of just healing him He asked “What do you want me to do?” The Son of David was serving the “sinner.” That must have stunned the crowd! Jesus didn’t even touch the man but simply spoke his sight into existence saying that the man’s faith had healed Him. When we come to Christ, that’s all we need as well. We must trust in Jesus ability to save us and He will do it.

Now, Jesus could have rebuked the man for calling Him “Son of David” but instead He responded to it. By this act, he accepted the messianic term, admitting once again that He was the Messiah.

Then, the man received his sight and this brought praise to God. It is also a sign for us as Christians. When we are healed by the grace of God, we become a demonstration of that grace. This demonstration of grace brings praise to God for the glory that He has revealed. The Bible tells us that this is our purpose. God created the church to demonstrate the glory of His grace in us for all eternity. What an amazing thing it is that blind men like you and I have been given the privilege of being the objects of that glorious grace, to be looked upon with wonder for all eternity because of what God can do!

Ephesians 2:6-7

and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;