29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
Jesus and His disciples crossed over from the east side of the Jordan to the west side near Jericho. Jericho was the last major town before the showdown in Jerusalem.
20:29
Now as they went out of Jericho [an oasis], a great multitude followed Him.
As Jesus left Jericho a large crowd followed Him. There were two Jerichos. Jesus healed as He left one and approached the other.
20:30
And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! [title of the Messiah]”
Two blind men asked Jesus to heal them (though Mark and Luke only mention the prominent blind man, named Bartimaeus). The men sitting by the road used the title “Son of David,” indicating they understood His Messiahship and coming kingdom.
20:31
Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
The crowd tried to silence them, but they became more insistent. They were desperate. They had faith that the Messiah could heal them.
20:32
So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
Jesus drew attention to the coming miracle by asking the blind men to state specifically what they wanted.
20:33
They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
The two blind men responded that they wanted Jesus to restore their sight. This drew attention to the authenticity of the miracle.
20:34
So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.
For the fourth time Jesus healed from compassion (Mt 9:36; 14:14; 15:32).
And immediately their eyes received sight,
Jesus immediately healed the blind men. They probably received at least 20/20 vision. This is the last public miracle of Jesus before His crucifixion.
and they followed Him.
The two blind men accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem.
PRINCIPLE:
Positive volition always has openness to truth.
APPLICATION:
Many people today are spiritually blind because they do not want to acknowledge the truth as set forth in God’s Word. They have a vested interest in not coming to the Savior; they love darkness rather than light because their deed are evil.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
Mt 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
The devil binds eyes of those who do not believe.
2 Co 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
