Kamikaze Series

36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." 38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Did you get the irony? Here is a man who cannot see. Yet he recognizes the Messiah before the Jewish religious leaders, who’s job was to look for the messiah, ever did.

He doesn’t ask for a spot in Jesus’ throne room, like John or James. He doesn’t ask how he can kick Roman butt for Jesus like Peter did. These three, by the way, are Jesus’ three closest disciples. This blind man on the side of the road, who isn’t even named by Luke, asks for the one thing that everyone else missed.

He just wanted mercy. That’s what he needed most. That’s what everyone needed most.

39Those 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!"

40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied.

I’m not much of a risk taker. If I were ever sitting in Cash Cab and I was offered that double or nothing question at the end of the ride. I think I would take my money and run every time.

This guy takes a risk.

He was there to beg for money. He could have stuck to that game plan and would have easily gotten money from all those people around Jesus trying to impress him. Instead, his faith led him to ask for the impossible.

42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Did you catch that? Two miracles just happened in that man’s life. The sight was just icing. You probably missed it because the NIV goes weak on the Greek behind “your faith has healed you”

That verb behind “has healed you” literally means “has saved you”.

This man came to Jesus with pure faith and was given more than he asked for. Everyone else in that crowd was coming to Jesus with agendas, asking for this and that, what they needed was faith.

Jesus has one more appointment before heading into Jerusalem…

Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

Luke is hinting that these two encounters, the first with the blind man and the one we are about to see happen back to back. There’s something about them that connects.

At this point, Jericho has all the grandiosity of Washington DC. Herod has built this place up with palaces and pools and monuments to the power of his kingdom. The way Herod got all this power and prestige was by selling out to the Romans. This is an important backdrop for the kind of guy that Jesus is about to run into.

2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

Zach. Wasn’t just a tax collector. He was the chief. He wasn’t just he chief tax collector in some po-dunk Washington, NC. He was the chief tax collector for Washington DC!