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!”
Verses 35–40 recount Jesus’ encounter with a blind beggar as He drew near to Jericho.
18:35
Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.
As Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem, He came near Jericho. The Jericho of the New Testament was not the same as the ruined Jericho of the Old Testament. The two cities were about one mile apart. As Jesus approached the new Jericho, a blind man sat by the road begging, his only means of income.
Matthew records two blind beggars as Jesus left Jericho (Matt. 20:29–30), whereas Luke focuses on one, Bartimaeus, crying out as Jesus approached the city. This difference is often explained by the presence of two Jerichos—a newer city and the older site built under Herod the Great. Luke may refer to one location while Matthew and Mark refer to the other.
18:36
And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.
Unable to see what was happening, the blind man asked about what caused the disturbance around him.
18:37
So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
The crowd told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
18:38
And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The blind beggar addressed Jesus as “Son of David.” In Luke, this is the only occurrence of that title for Jesus. It points to His royal and messianic identity as the promised heir to David’s throne (Matt. 1:1; 2 Sam. 7). By using this title, the man expressed faith that Jesus was the Messiah and appealed to Him for mercy, believing that He had the power to heal his blindness.
18:39
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!”
Some in the crowd tried to silence the blind man, but he only cried out more urgently. His persistence revealed both his desperation and his faith as he continued to plead for mercy.
PRINCIPLE:
The Christian life requires resisting pressures from the crowd or the prevailing culture.
APPLICATION:
The crowd tried to keep the blind man from reaching Jesus, but he refused to be deterred. He cried out twice for mercy, rising above the voices that sought to silence him. In the same way, believers need steadfast faith and spiritual persistence to overcome the influences that try to draw them away from wholehearted devotion to Christ (Jer. 29:13).
