Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar--Luke 18:31-43

As Jesus gets closer and closer to Jerusalem, he comes near Jericho and encounters a blind beggar whom he heals. This account is in Luke 18:31-43, which falls into two parts. I. Jesus tells "The Twelve" that he must be killed and rise from the dead on the third day, but they do not comprehend his message. Luke 18:31-34. a. Jesus took The Twelve aside from those who were listening to him in 18:26. He told The Twelve that they were going up to Jerusalem and everying written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. The expression "written by the prophets" occurs also in Acts 2:23; 3:18; 17:3; 26:22-23. 18:31. b. Then Jesus explains what this means: Jesus will be handed over to the Gentiles [the Romans], mocked, insulted, spat upon, flogged [on this verb, see the similar language in Isaiah 50:6], and killed. But on the third day he will rise again. Jesus made the same announcement in Luke 9:22, 43-45. 18:32-33. c. But Jesus' disciples did not grasp or understand or comprehend what Jesus meant. This calls of mind the lack of comprehension of Joseph and Mary when Jesus was twelve in Luke 2:50, and prepares for the audience of Luke in the Emmaus story in Luke 24:27, 44-45. 18:34. II. Jesus heals blind beggar near Jericho. Luke 18:35-43. a. Jesus approached Jericho, which is very near Jerusalem. A blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:35. b. A crowd of pilgrims going to Jerusalem passed by, and the blind him asked them what was happening. They told the blind man that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. The term "Jesus of Nazareth" may be connected with the Hebrew word "nazir," indicating a consecrated one or Nazirite, and with the Hebrew word "netser," indicating a shoot, scion, or sprout," calling to mind Isaiah 11:1, alluding to the Davidic lineage. 18:36-37. c. The blind man immediately cried out to Jesus: "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me." Those in front of the blind man sternly ordered him to be quiet, but the blind man shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me." 18:38-39. d. Jesus stopped and order the man in front who had spoken to order the blind man to come to Jesus. When the blind man came to Jesus, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do to you?" The blind man responded, "Lord, let me see again." 18:40-41. e. Jesus replied, "Receive your sight; you faith has saved you." God the Father through Jesus Christ is the great doctor, the great physician, the great healer. So Jesus healed the blind man. This is because the blind man clearly had faith in God through Jesus Christ. A similar statement appears in Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:48; 17:19. God our Father through Jesus Christ does miraculous things when we have true faith. 18:42. f. Immediately the blind man received his sight. Naturally, the blind man "followed" Jesus and "glorified" God the great healer. When God does great things for us, it is very important to "glorify" God--see the emphasis on this point in Luke 2:20; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 23:47. Then when all the people saw this miracle, they "praised God." See Luke 2:13, 20; 4:15; 19:37. 18:43. Share YOUR experiences and surprises and insights and reversals and aspirations with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis