I. Introduction
A. Do you know the song "Yesterday"? Then sing along to this computer version. Yesterday, All those backups seemed a waste of pay. Now my database has gone away. Oh I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, There's not half the files there used to be, And there's a milestone hanging over me. The system crashed so suddenly. I pushed something wrong. What it was I could not say. Now all my data's gone and I long for yesterday-ay-ay-ay. Yesterday, The need for back-ups seemed so far away. I knew my data was all here to stay, Now I believe in yesterday.
1. Lets begin by turning to Matthew 9:27
B. This chapter seems to be loaded with miracles
1. Remember the paralyzed man whose friends tore up a roof to let the man down before Jesus?
a. In order that you might know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sin, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Take up your bed and walk.”
b. And the man walked.
2. Of course then Jesus called Levi and gave him the name Matthew
3. Matthew gave a dinner party to which came sinners and tax collectors
4. Jesus answered the question about fasting
a. "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?
5. Then there was the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter
6. And the healing of the woman with the issue of blood
7. And now we see the healing of two blind men
II. Body
A. Persistence
Matthew 9:27 NKJV
When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
1. Apparently these two blind men had been sitting by the road side and heard what was going on
a. It could be that they heard the commotion and asked one in the crowd what was going on
b. Needless to say, they discovered the who, what, and how of the hubbub going on around them
c. Something happened within both of them
(1) A spark
(2) A hope
(3) A belief
d. And they both got up and began to follow Jesus
(1) The Scripture says, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
(a) Turn to Acts 1:15 and Acts 1:21-22
(2) Jesus usually had His disciples with Him
(a) And not necessarily just the twelve
Acts 1:15 NKJV
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,
Acts 1:21-22 NKJV
"Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, {22} "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
(b) We know that there were many who walked with the Lord all during His ministry on earth
(3) Further, it seems as though crowds of the curious were around Jesus often
2. Such crowds are noisy and so the blind men must have been shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
3. Notice, too, that they did everything they could to get their needs met
a. They followed Jesus
b. They shouted, “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
c. They would not let anything distract them fro their purpose
d. They were persistent
(1) Lets turn to Matthew 7:7-8
e. Jesus taught that we must be persistent
Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. {8} "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
(1) This is hard to see in English, but this is in the Greek present tense which must be understood, keep on
(a) Ask and keep on asking
(b) Seek and keep on seeking
(c) Knock and keep on knocking
(2) With persistence
(a) What we ask will be given
(b) What we seek we shall find
(c) When we keep on knocking the door shall be opened
4. These men were blind
a. Turn to Romans 10:17
b. They could not see what Jesus was doing
c. They could only hear
(1) The lost, the unbeliever, are blind
(2) They cannot see
(3) They cannot understand
d. The lost, the unbeliever, can only hear.
Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
i) Turn to another passage, Luke 18:2-5
Luke 18:2-5 NKJV
saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. {3} "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' {4} "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, {5} 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"
(b) The lesson is persistence
i) We need to go back to Matthew 9:27
B. Courage
Matthew 9:27 NKJV
When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
1. These two men were not ignorant
a. Perhaps sitting beside the road everyday they heard things
(1) Gossip
(2) Local news
(3) And national news
(4) They probably had heard of the Jesus and who He is
(a) They had heard of the miracles
(b) They had heard about His origins
(5) They had been educated in the synagogue and knew about the promised Messiah
(a) Apparently they put two-and-two together and came up with four
(b) They were convinced that Jesus was the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ
(6) These two must have heard also that Jesus was very unpopular with the religious elite
(a) But that didn’t make them at all cautious
b. Sitting beside the road begging day after day must had done some great things with in them
(1) First, they were humble
(2) Second, they were bold
(3) Third, the opinions of the elite was not important to them
2. They shouted, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
a. They were determined
b. They were persistent
c. And they were courageous
(1) Turn to Ephesians 2:4 - 5
3. The blind men shouted for mercy
Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
a. The lessons are persistence
b. And courage
(1) Now turn to Matthew 9:28
C. Faith
Matthew 9:28 NKJV
And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."
1. Remember when the four men lowered the paralyzed man down through the roof?
a. Jesus said the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
b. Remember what thoughts went through the minds of the scribes, “Blasphemy, no one can forgive sin except God.”
c. And what does the Bibles say about that, Jesus knew their thoughts
2. If Jesus knew these two blind men’s thoughts, why did He ask them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
a. Perhaps Jesus asked this question to help solidify their faith in Him
b. Perhaps Jesus asked this question to help those around Him to increase their faith
c. But perhaps Jesus asked this question to help us to help solidify our faith
3. Notice, as well, their answer, “Yes, Lord.”
a. They voiced their faith
b. But, as well, they called Him Lord
(1) Lord in the Greek is kurios and it means supreme in authority
(a) Turn to Matthew 9:29
c. The lessons are persistence
d. Courage
e. And faith
D. The result
Matthew 9:29 NKJV
Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."
1. Jesus' response was immediate, compassionate and forceful
a. There was an unmistakable readiness to help
2. This is seen in three acts
a. Jesus questioned the two blind men: "Believe ye that I am able to do this?"
(1) Jesus stands ready to help-always
(2) There is never a time when He is not ready to help
(a) But there is a prerequisite to His helping
(b) There is one qualification: "Do you believe that I can do this?”
b. Many hesitate at the question of faith: "Do you believe that I can do this?”
(1) Some do not believe at all
(2) Some doubt that Jesus has the power or interest to help
(3) Some ignore and couldn’t care less
(4) Some follow after Jesus and even ask for mercy, but they never commit their lives in faith to Christ
(a) They believe in the head, but they never believe with their heart, that is, commit their lives to what Jesus claims, that He is the Messiah, the Son of God.
3. Some call Jesus Lord, that is they talk the talk, but they lack the one essential: doing what they profess, that is they don’t walk the walk
a. Turn to Hebrews 11:6
b. They have never turned over their lives to the One they say they trust
c. A person that has not trusted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior can expect nothing from the Lord
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(1) Turn tp Psalm 37:5
d. Faith is the only way, faith in the Lord by Jesus Christ
Psalms 37:5 NKJV
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
(1) Now we turn to Matthew 9:29
E. The healing
1. Jesus touched the two men. Note the tender touch of Jesus. These men could see nothing; they had a special need so Jesus met their need in a special way.
Matthew 9:29 NKJV
Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."
a. Jesus always meets every facet of our need
b. He touches all who sincerely come to Him in whatever way they need to be touched
(1) You may be praying for sight
(2) But Jesus knows you need something else entirely
(3) Yes, He had compassion on the blind men and healed their sight
(4) But, others have not received their physical sight or bodily healing
(a) But then these others are given something even more precious
i) The ministry of
a) Helps
b) Encouragement
c) Evangelism
ii) This fact should make every man come to Him. There is no need, no special problem existing that He cannot meet
a) Lets turn to Matthew 9:30
F. The final point
Matthew 9:30 NKJV
And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."
1. Jesus exercised His power
a. He healed them, but it was based on their faith
(1) Turn to 1 John 5:14-15
2. Their faith in Christ and His power brought their healing
a. It didn’t take works, but faith
b. It did not take health, but faith
c. It did not take money, but faith
d. It did not take friends, but faith
e. It took nothing more or less than faith in the person and work of the Son of God
3. Jesus knows our faith and He knows how to grow our faith
4. Jesus receives our faith, accepts it, as much or as little we have, and does miracles
5. No one is dealt with according to their profession
a. They are dealt with according to their faith
1 John 5:14-15 NKJV
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. {15} And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
b. The lessons are
(1) Persistence
(2) Courage
(3) And faith
(4) Remembering Paul’s lesson in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
c. And with this passage we will close
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NKJV
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. {9} And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. {10} Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
