The Miracles of Jesus Part 16: Two Blind Men Regain Sight
Matthew 9:27-31 - Faith recognizes the mercy and compassion of our Lord and restores our sight.
“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.”
Matthew 9:27-31 NASB1995
The next miracle is documented only in the Gospel of Matthew and is a rather short passage. Looking for an appropriate visual image, I found this beautiful mosaic doing an on-line search. It was in a series of Bible studies for children from the BBC, believe it or not. I have always been a big fan of ancient mosaics, finding them to be just amazing works of art that required so much time and talent to create. This mosaic is among dozens to be found in several locations and eight UNESCO world heritage sites in the northeastern city of Ravenna, Italy. I guess I may have to put Ravenna on a travel bucket list after looking at some of the beautiful mosaic art described on this travel website.
Now to the miracle: Apparently taking place right after the healing of the woman with a bleeding issues and the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus is followed by two blind men. Now how in the world can two blind men follow Jesus? We can easily guess that they follow the crowd and the noise and ask anyone around them where Jesus is going! Wherever Jesus walks He attracts many people and these two may have also heard the testimony of the healed woman and His words to her.
I can envision (no pun intended) the two blind men standing around with the crowd outside of the house of Jairus. No one knows yet, except those who were in the room, that the daughter has been brought back to life. Now, seriously, folks, how long do you think that was kept secret? The minute the daughter walks downstairs with her parents, everyone who was there mourning and the crowd outside will see the truth. And this truth will travel fast! It even says so at the end of the previous verses in Matthew that the story of this amazing miracle spread throughout the land.
So the blind men persevere and continue to follow Jesus to what is probably His house (likely Peter’s house). Blindness was, sadly, a fairly common condition in Biblical times, with causes from poor hygiene and bacterial/parasite infections to cataracts to glaucoma to genetic causes. Even today, millions in the Middle East and Northern Africa regions suffer from vision impairments and total blindness. The men call to Him: “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Here is what David Guzik has to say about this passage in Enduring Word commentaries:
Son of David, have mercy on us: The two blind men followed Jesus and shouted this open recognition of Jesus as Messiah, because Son of David was a rich Messianic title. They asked Jesus for the best thing they could ask for: mercy.
“Their sole appeal was to mercy. There was no talk about merit, no pleading of their past sufferings, or their persevering endeavors, or their resolves for the future; but, ‘Have mercy on us.’ He will never win a blessing from God who demands it as if he had a right to it.” (Charles Spurgeon)
“This is the first time Jesus is called ‘Son of David’ and there can be no doubt that the blind men were confessing Jesus as Messiah.” (Don Carson)
John 9:22 tells us that the Pharisees judged that anyone who proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, would be removed from the synagogue. Though the occasion in John seems to have been after this healing of the blind men, we can still believe that there was a price to pay for calling Jesus “Son of David.”
The phrase “have mercy” is eleeo in the Greek and in this case the best definition is to help one who is afflicted. I love what Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying in the Enduring Word commentary: “He will never win a blessing from God who demands it as if he had a right to it.” We are at God’s mercy as miserable sinners and deserve nothing, yet He extends us His Grace through Jesus. It was often thought in Biblical days that blindness was a punishment for sin or the past sins of previous generations, but Jesus tells us in a later miracle that it is to show the glory of God (John 9). These two men also likely suffered some consequences for loudly referring to Jesus as the Son of David, essentially calling Him the Messiah; those consequences are escalated in the miracle in John 9 (healing of a man born blind).
Jesus asks the two men if they believe that He can heal them. They reply “Yes, Lord”. Their simple faith and persistence leads to their healing and their eyes are opened. Jesus replies as He heals them:”It shall be done according to your faith.”. Their sight is restored! Jesus warns them to not tell anyone. Of course, they tell everyone in sight (so to speak), not obeying Him, but can you really blame them? They did disobey His request and likely made it harder for Him to move around. However, we need to tell everyone that we meet about Jesus!
How much faith do you have? Do you entertain doubts and skepticism or listen to others who tell you that you are asking for the impossible? Are you like the centurion or the leper or the bleeding woman or the blind men? Or are you like the disciples, who had their faith depart in an instant during a storm and these guys know the Lord? The more I learn, the more I think that the disciples were a bunch of knuckleheads, but God has special uses even (and especially) for not-so-bright knuckleheads, and certainly when the Holy Spirit is involved (the contrast between the denying Peter and the Peter after the Pentecost in Acts is stunning).
Back when I was wandering in the dark wilderness of unbelief, I subscribed to a couple of secular humanist publications that spent their ink on slamming Christianity (mostly), with the occasional diatribes against other religions. Their modus operandi was to examine some claim from the Bible like a miracle and then find ways to deny it ever happened (or that Jesus ever existed) or explain it away with “science”. Now that I believe again, I approached these miracles never doubting that they took place exactly the way they were documented in the Gospels. Faith believes in the impossible!
Here are some final words about faith from David Guzik:
In many ways, God says the same to men and women today: “According to your faith let it be so to you.” There is much to have by faith, and much that is never received because it is never grasped with faith. “‘According to your faith’ does not mean ‘in proportion to your faith’ (so much faith, so much sight) but rather ‘since you believe, your request is granted’.” (Don Carson)
“The word of power in the last sentence is one upon which he acts so continually, that we may call it, as to many blessings, a rule of the kingdom. We have the measuring of our own mercies; our faith obtains less or more according to its own capacity to receive.” (Charles Spurgeon)
The faith of these two blind men is worthy of notice:
They had the faith to follow Jesus; this meant forsaking other paths, other directions and deciding to follow Him.
They had the faith to cry out, willing to put words to their desire.
They had the faith to make some noise, and to be unafraid of embarrassment.
They had the faith to identify Jesus as the Son of David, recognizing Him as the Messiah.
They had the faith to ask Jesus for mercy, knowing they didn’t deserve healing.
They had the faith to believe that Jesus was able to heal them.
They had the faith to say, “Yes, Lord.”
So what can we summarize from this miracle?
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
My next devotional examines another miracle in Matthew 9, the healing of a mute demon-possessed man.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - May I have faith like the two blind men, never doubting that you can perform miracles for those who believe in you as our Messiah. Thank you for your compassion and mercy on those who suffer. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.