Luke 18:35-43 (NIV) As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
This blind beggar couldn’t see what was happening, but there was nothing wrong with his ears – he could hear just fine, and he heard very clearly a large crowd coming down the street into the city. When he heard that Jesus was coming through on His way to Jerusalem, his heart leaped up within him. He had heard all kinds of wonderful things about Jesus of Nazareth, that He had done amazing miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, restoring sight to the blind, even raising the dead! Surely Jesus could heal him!
He immediately began to cry out at the top of his lungs in order to be heard over the noise of the crowd. Jesus was still far back on the street, but the beggar couldn’t see that. He could only hear that the front edge of the crowd was right in front of him.
His cry was simple on its surface, but rich in meaning and full of faith. The title “Son of David” was the vernacular equivalent of “Messiah.” Everyone had been taught that the Messiah would oust the Romans and the Herods, and take over the throne of Israel. As such, the Messiah would have to come from the line of David. So the beggar immediately affirmed that he believed that Jesus was the Messiah.
His words “have mercy on me” were similar to his cries for alms that he used every day. But this time they demonstrated an abundant faith in who Jesus was and in what He could do. He wanted more from Jesus that a couple of coins; he wanted Jesus to restore His sight, and in doing so to restore his life.
Those in the front of the crowd tried to shut the beggar up, but his need drove his voice to even higher decibels, until finally Jesus was close enough to hear him, and had His followers bring the beggar to Him. The beggar had been bold up to this point, and his boldness had brought him right into Jesus’ presence. So when Jesus asked, “What do you want Me to do for you,” there was no timidity in his answer: “Lord, I want to see.” Clear, unambiguous, bold.
Jesus never touched the man; He simply pronounced his sight restored, and suddenly the man could see clearly. The beggar realized in a moment that he was a beggar no more, that his life had just been graciously handed back to him. And now he got to make the decision as to what he would do with it. As Jesus and His entourage began to move on into Jericho, his decision was made, and he fell in with the crowd, and began to follow Jesus.
Father, this beggar’s boldness in prayer, his importunity that would not stop until he received what he desperately needed from Jesus, is exactly what Jesus taught about persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). He prayed, he persisted, even in the face of strong opposition, and he received. Help me to put that same lesson into practice in my own life, so that I can receive what I need each day from Your gracious hand. Amen.