Jesus Heals A Blind Beggar Series

It was in this context that Jesus healed the blind beggar outside Jericho. This was Jesus’ last miracle recorded by Luke.

Lesson

The analysis of Jesus healing a blind beggar in Luke 18:35-43 teaches us about the mercy of Jesus.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Condition of the Blind Man (18:35)

2. The Vision of the Blind Man (18:36-38)

3. The Determination of the Blind Man (18:39)

4. The Healing of the Blind Man (18:40-42)

5. The Response of the Seeing Man (18:43)

I. The Condition of the Blind Man (18:35)

First, let’s look at the condition of the blind man.

Luke said in verse 35 that as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

There are two things to note about this man that Jesus encountered as he drew near to Jericho. First, he was blind. Luke did not say how long he had been blind. Perhaps he had been blind since birth, or perhaps he had become blind later in life. Regardless, he was blind.

And second, as a result of his blindness, he was reduced to sitting by the roadside begging. Darrell Bock says, “His blindness had made him totally destitute; his life was dependent on the mercy of others.”

II. The Vision of the Blind Man (18:36-38)

Second, notice the vision of the blind man.

And hearing a crowd going by as he was sitting by the roadside begging, the blind man inquired what this meant (18:36). The blind man was sitting at a strategic location on the side of the road in order to beg from people. The road from Jericho to Jerusalem had lots of travelers, and it was a great spot to beg people for help. But, now there was a large surge of people going by him, and he wondered what was going on.

And so, they told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by” (18:37). The name Jesus was common in those days. It is from the Old Testament name of Joshua. So, this Jesus was identified as coming from Nazareth. By this time Jesus was well known, and calling him Jesus of Nazareth was instantly enough for the blind man to know exactly which Jesus was passing by.

And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (18:38). Though the blind man could not see physically, there are several things that he could see.

First, he could see who Jesus was. The blind man did not call him, “Jesus of Nazareth,” as the crowd did. No, the blind man called him, “Jesus, Son of David.” The title “Son of David” was familiar to any Jew who knew the Old Testament. The Jews believed that God would send a Son of David to be the Savior of his people. By calling Jesus the “Son of David,” the blind man acknowledged him as the Savior whom God had promised to send. Undoubtedly, the blind man had heard of Jesus’ preaching about the kingdom of God, as well as all the miracles that Jesus had done, including the countless healing miracles. But, while many might have seen Jesus only as a preacher and miracle worker, the blind man saw Jesus as the Son of David, the Savior of sinners.