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Author: Stephen Weller
810 words, 4 minutes read time

Two Blind Men Healed

Scripture: Matthew 20:30-31, 33-34; Mark 10:46-47, 49-52

With the previous lesson we finished the section of the parable of the ten minas. Reviewing the results of three of the servants, we saw the importance for us to invest the resources God gives us to do the work assigned to us to do. With this lesson we will cover this short section in which two blind men are healed.

^{Mk 10:46b} “[As Jesus] was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, ^{Mt 20:30} there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, [including] ^{Mk 10:46} Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

In Luke 18:35, Jesus drew near to Jericho and met a blind man who was calling out to him for his eyesight to be restored. Jesus heals him and in Luke 19:1 enters Jericho and meets with Zacchaeus after calling him down out of a tree. Jesus goes with Zacchaeus to his home where he repents of his sin. While still in Jericho, Jesus presents the parable of the ten minas, and now Jesus is leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd.

As mentioned in lesson H542, the Jericho spoken of here was a new town that was built a short distance to the south of the pilgrimage road to Jerusalem. To get to it one had to leave the pilgrimage road and travel a short distance to it and then return. The commentaries I checked mentioned a single road going to and from the pilgrimage road to Jericho. Luke 19:1 mentions that Jesus was passing through Jericho, not going to Jericho and then returning. That suggest to me a road that branched off from the pilgrimage road to Jericho, through Jericho, and then continues back down to the pilgrimage road.

As Jesus leaves Jericho from the other side and heads back to the pilgrimage road to Jerusalem, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside. One of those blind men was Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus. The name of the other was not given. When Bartimaeus herd that Jesus was passing by, he cries out and says, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

^{Mt 20:31} “The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ^{Mk 10:49} And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” [So] they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.”

On their way into Jericho, the crowd told the blind man to be quiet when he cried out and now when Bartimaeus cries out the crowd tells him to be quiet, and as before Jesus stops and gives instruction that he be brought to him. So, they tell Bartimaeus to get up as Jesus was calling him, and throwing off his cloak, he springs up and comes to Jesus. With this kind of crowd response toward the blind men, it is clear that being blind, and a beggar makes one an outcast and despised by those who are healthy. In each case the crowd rejects them, but Jesus stops and takes time with them and meets their need.

^{Mk 10:51} “And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight. ^{Mt 20:33} Let our eyes be opened.”’

Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted, and his response was that he wanted to recover his sight, but notice he said, “Let our eyes be opened.” Bartimaeus was not thinking of only himself but also the one he sat and begged with.

^{Mt 20:34} “And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, ^{Mk 10:52} and said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.”

Jesus heals them both and then said to Bartimaeus, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Conclusion

Again, the crowd suppresses the cries of help and instead desires to walk along with Jesus and be ready to hear him when he stops to teach. Again, Jesus was willing to stop and meet the need of the one crying out. Which one are we like? Are we willing to meet a need when we can, or are we more concerned about what we want to do? “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 ESV).