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Matthew 20:29-34 (Two blind men)

INTRODUCTION: Today is the last message in our series on “Jesus, the Master Teacher.” For the past ten weeks we have been attending a master class together with Jesus the Master Teacher as we have been allowing Jesus to teach us through the Scriptures. In this series we have been looking at a number of teachings of Jesus that were prompted by various occasions or questions that people brought to Jesus.

But Jesus also taught in other ways in his ministry, for example, through parables, by setting an example and also through his various miracles. Today’s passage presents an example of Jesus teaching through a healing miracle.

Jesus doesn’t do much teaching with words in this passage. In fact, the only words Jesus speaks in the whole passage are in the form of a question. And yet, as we shall see, this healing miracle forms a fitting conclusion to this whole section of teaching by Jesus. (Read Matthew 20:29-34 and pray.)

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What do you want Jesus to do for you? That is the question that is posed by our passage today. It’s an interesting passage in many ways. For one thing, we already looked at another miracle where Jesus healed two blind men back in Matthew 9. But the context there was very different. That miracle took place in a section of the book that focused on Jesus’ miracles. This one takes place in a section of the book that focuses on Jesus’ teachings.

The healing of the two blind men here in Matthew 20 has many correspondences with the passages we have already looked at in Matthew 18-20. For example:

– The whole section begins back in Matthew 18:1 with the disciples showing their spiritual blindness by asking who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

– In Matthew 18:9 Jesus says it is better to enter the kingdom of heaven blinded in one eye than to have two good eyes and go to hell.

– In Matthew 18:10 Jesus speaks of the little ones and how their angels always see his Father’s face in heaven.

– In Matthew 18:21 Peter is blind about how often we should forgive. Jesus responds by telling the parable of the unmerciful servant, which stresses the importance of mercy towards others (Matthew 18:33). In today’s passage the two blind men cry out for mercy.

– In Matthew 19:3 the Pharisees are blind about marriage and divorce.

– In Matthew 19:13 the disciples are blind about the value of little children.

– In Matthew 19:16 the rich young man is blind about how to obtain salvation.

– In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the workers who are hired first are blind about God’s justice, mercy and grace (20:13-15).

– In Matthew 20:22 James and John are blind about what it means to have the highest seats in heaven.

– And finally in Matthew 20:24 we come full circle because the disciples are blind about what it means to be great in the kingdom of heaven again.

And so, even though this is a healing story, it is full of rich teaching as we compare and contrast these two blind men with what just happened in the previous passages and also as we learn from their example.

I. Persistent faith (29-31)

The two blind men calling out to Jesus are not only the occasion for today’s passage, but they also present to us an example of persistent faith. And that’s where we begin this morning. We want to look at their example of persistent faith. Look at verses 29-31 with me:

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:29-31)

This whole event actually takes place on Palm Sunday, early in the day. We have seen that Jesus and his disciples are drawing closer to Jerusalem, and now they are almost there. Jericho is 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem, less than a day’s walk away. The large crowd that follows him here is part of the crowd that will follow him into Jerusalem later in the day.

As they leave Jericho, they encounter these two blind men, sitting by the side of the road. We know from the gospel of Mark that one of them is named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). The crowd would have made a lot of noise, and I’m sure the blind men asked what was going on. And when they hear that Jesus is going by, they begin shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

   A. A cry for mercy
      – Matthew 5:3, 9:27-28

Notice first of all that their cry is a cry for mercy. They do not call out their merits or all the good things they have done for others. They don’t present a list of reasons why Jesus should stop for them. Their attitude is not, “Lord, look what I can do for you,” but rather, “Oh Lord, I need what only you can do for me.”

This cry for mercy is the same cry that the two blind men we encountered earlier in the gospel of Matthew also cried out. We read back in Matthew 9: “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’” (Matthew 9:27-28) In that earlier encounter Jesus connected their cry for mercy with faith.

It’s the same with the two men in our story today. Their cry for mercy is an expression of faith. They hear that Jesus is passing by, and they seize the moment. As far as they know, this might be their one opportunity, and they are not about to miss it.

There’s a lesson here for us as well. Don’t let Jesus pass you by. You never know whether this may be your only opportunity to come to Jesus. None of us has a claim on tomorrow. That’s why the Bible says today is the day of salvation. Don’t miss out on opportunities for salvation or Christian growth. Don’t let Jesus pass you by. These two men were determined not to miss out on this opportunity, so they cried out for mercy in faith.

Faith in Jesus begins with the acknowledgement of your need. Jesus said in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) To be poor in spirit is to have a sense of your own sin and unworthiness before God. To be poor in spirit is to have a sense of your need before God. To be poor in spirit means you are trusting God’s mercy rather than your own merit.

These two blind men knew their need very well. They were blind and could not see. Their cry for mercy was an acknowledgement of their need and a demonstration of faith.

   B. Calling on Jesus as Messiah and Lord
      – Isaiah 35:5-6; Romans 10:9,13

Crying for mercy is a good start, but true faith moves on from the problem to the solution. And so, these two men not only cried out for mercy; they called on Jesus as Messiah and Lord. When they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The expression “Son of David” is another name for the Messiah. When the Messiah came, he would come in the line of David, and so “Son of David” was a popular way to refer to the Messiah. According to the Old Testament, when the Messiah came, one of the things he would do was open the eyes of the blind. We read in Isaiah 35: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)

In calling Jesus the Son of David, these two blind men were expressing confidence and faith that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. This was near the end of Jesus’ ministry and so they would have heard about Jesus healing many people, including others who were blind. And so, they not only cry out for mercy. They call on Jesus as Messiah and Lord, believing that he has the power to heal them.

This is the next step of saving faith. First, we acknowledge our need before God. We cry out for mercy. Then we call on Jesus as the promised Messiah and Lord who alone can meet our need. Romans 10:9,13 says: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…. for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:9,13)

   C. Persevering through the obstacles
      – Luke 18:1; Acts 14:22

These two blind men cried out for mercy. They called on Jesus as Messiah and Lord. And then they also persevered through the obstacles.

First, there was their blindness. Their blindness was an obstacle to finding Jesus and locating him in the crowd. Then there was the large crowd itself. Who were they to think they could get Jesus’ attention with so many other people around? Not only that, but when they did start shouting out to get Jesus’ attention, the crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet.

But you know what? They didn’t give up, did they? The crowd told them to be quiet and they just shouted out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” They persevered through the obstacles.

The Bible says that true saving faith is a persevering faith. Luke 18:1 tells us that: “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1) Acts 14:22 tells us: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

These two blind men demonstrate persistent faith. They cry for mercy. They call on Jesus as Messiah and Lord. They persevere through the obstacles.

II. A penetrating question (32)

So, how does Jesus respond to these two men’s faith? He asks them a penetrating question. Look at verse 32:

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. (Matthew 20:32)

Notice Jesus stopped for them. Jesus was busy. He was surrounded by the crowd. He was on his way to Jerusalem where he knew he would suffer and die. Jesus had a thousand other things on his mind, but when he heard these two blind men calling on him in faith, he stopped and called them to himself.

Remember, Jesus had just told his disciples that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. Jesus practiced what he preached. In the midst of all the busyness and the crowd and the pressing details of what would happen when he got to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped to serve these two blind men. Jesus is never too busy for you when you cry out to him.

Jesus stopped and called them to himself. The gospel call of salvation still goes out today. How many do not respond? How many miss out on all that Jesus has for them?

   A. The rich young man: “What good thing must I do?”
      – Matthew 19:16

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. Jesus’ question stands in stark contrast to the rich young man’s question earlier in the gospel of Matthew when he asked Jesus, “What good thing must I do?” (“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’” – Matthew 19:16)

The rich young man was concerned about what he could do to get eternal life. Jesus comes to us and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” It’s not about what we can do for Jesus. It’s all about what Jesus can do for us.

Jesus told the rich young man to keep the commandments. The rich young man said, “I’ve kept them all!” Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The rich young man said, “I do.” Jesus called his bluff and said, “Then sell your possessions and give to the poor.” And when the rich young man realized that he couldn’t, he went away sad.

The rich young man asked Jesus, “What good thing must I do?” But he was blind to the true meaning of the commandments, and he was blind to the depth of his own sin. When it comes to salvation, the right question is not, “What can you do for Jesus?” but “What can Jesus do for you?”

   B. James and John: “We want you to do us a favor.”
      – Matthew 20:20

Jesus’ question to the blind men here is also in contrast to James and John who told Jesus, “We want you to do us a favor.” (“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.” – Matthew 20:20)

James and John knew what they wanted, and they tried to manipulate Jesus into giving them the highest seats in heaven. But as we saw last week, their motives were wrong. They were asking for power for themselves, not to serve others. James and John were the real two blind men in this section of Scripture – blind to their ambition, blind to the true meaning of greatness, blind to their selfishness and sin.

   C. Jesus: “What do you want me to do for you?”
      – John 9:39-41

Back to today’s passage, Jesus asks the two blind men who are crying out for mercy, “What do you want me to do for you?” It is a penetrating question because it will reveal their motives and force them to think through what they really want from Jesus.

But before we get to their answer, let’s pause and reflect. How would you answer Jesus? What do you want Jesus to do for you? It’s not a theoretical question. Jesus is alive and well. This is his word, and he is speaking directly to you this morning. He wants you to be specific in your request. What do you want Jesus to do for you? It’s one of the most important questions you will ever answer.

And just as with the two blind men, how you answer will tell a lot. It will reveal your motives. It will show if you really understand your need this morning. It will also show what you think about Jesus. If you ask for something small or trivial, it will show you have a small view of Jesus. If you ask for something large and wonderful, it will show you have a large and wonderful view of Jesus. John Newton, who wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace,” also wrote these words: “Thou art coming to a King, / large petitions with thee bring, / for His grace and power are such / none can ever ask too much.”

But this is also not a genie in the bottle scenario. When Jesus asks you what you want him to do for you, it’s not like the genie where the genie has to do whatever you ask. Remember, when Jesus asked James and John what they wanted, they asked for the highest seats in heaven and Jesus told them no. Jesus is not a genie in a bottle. He is the King of the universe. Which means you can’t ask with unbelief. You can’t ask with bad motives. You can’t ask contrary to Jesus’ name. You can’t ask contrary to God’s will.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? The King of the universe is asking you right now. Here’s a hint to help you with this. What is your greatest need? For the two blind men their need was clear. They wanted to see. How foolish if they had wasted this question from Jesus on something lesser like, “We want a Big Mac,” or “We want a quarter pounder with cheese,” or even, “We want to win the lottery.” What a waste to have all that money but still not be able to see.

Jesus once described his whole mission in terms of giving sight to the blind. We read in John 9:39-41: “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ 41 Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” (John 9:39-41) What do you want Jesus to do for you? It is a penetrating question.

III. “Lord Jesus, open my eyes to follow you.” (33-34)

So, here is a possible answer for you today. In light of Jesus’ mission as described in John 9, in light of this teaching story here in Matthew 20, how about answering Jesus this way: “Lord Jesus, open my eyes to follow you.” This is a good prayer. It is good to ask the Lord for your eyes to be opened. Let’s looks now at how the two blind men responded to Jesus’ question:

“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:33-34)

   A. Physical level: “They received their sight and followed him.”

The two men responded, “Lord, we want our sight,” demonstrating once again their faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord. Jesus has compassion on them and touches their eyes. Immediately, they receive their sight and follow him.

It’s interesting, one old manuscript adds the phrase: “that we may see you” (Curetonian MS; Old Syriac version) – “Lord, we want our sight that we may see you.” It’s not a part of the original text, but it reminds us that the first person the two blind men would have seen is Jesus and that our greatest desire should be to see Jesus, too.

So, on the physical level the two men told Jesus, “We want to see.” They demonstrated faith in Christ. They received their sight and followed him.

   B. Spiritual level: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, that I may see and follow you.”
      – Ephesians 1:18-19

But Jesus’ miracles always have a spiritual meaning as well. And on the spiritual level, we demonstrate faith by recognizing our spiritual darkness and need. We cry out for mercy. We call on Jesus as Messiah and Lord. We persist in faith by persevering through the obstacles in our way. We ask Jesus to open the eyes of our heart that we may see and follow him.

That phrase “the eyes of your heart” comes from a beautiful prayer in Ephesians 1 where Paul writes: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19)

When you cry out for mercy, when you ask Jesus to open the eyes of your heart, he will have compassion on you. He will touch you. He will give you the sight you need. You will be able to sing those other words John Newton wrote in the hymn Amazing Grace: “I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.”

CONCLUSION: There’s an old saying: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” Is that you this morning? Please know that only Jesus can save you from your sins. Only Jesus can open your blind eyes and help you to see. You need to believe God’s promise: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…. for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:9,13)

And if you’re a believer, this morning you also need to have your eyes opened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19)

When you come to Jesus believing, he will save you from your sins. He will give you new life and purpose. He will open the eyes of your heart to his goodness and grace. He will set you on the path to heaven where one day you will see him face to face. What can be better than to see Jesus? Oh, what glory that will be!

Jesus asks you this morning, “What do you want me to do for you?” What better response than: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, that I may see and follow you.”

© Ray Fowler

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