Luke 18:35 - Meaning and Application

Christ came not only to bring light into a dark world, so that we could see the right things to aim for. He also came to give sight to blind souls, healing the eye of the heart so they could look at those things rightly. As a sign of this, he healed many who were physically blind. Here we read about one man whom he gave sight to near Jericho. Mark tells us about one blind man and names him, and says Jesus healed him as he was leaving Jericho (Mark 10:46). Matthew speaks of two blind men healed as Jesus departed from Jericho (Matthew 20:30). Luke says it was when Jesus was near Jericho, which could fit either entering or leaving the city.

This poor blind man sat by the roadside, begging (Luke 18:35). He was not only blind, but also poor. He had no means to support himself and no family to care for him. That makes him a fitting picture of the human race, which Christ came to heal and save. People are miserable because they are both poor and blind in spiritual things (Revelation 3:17). Since he could not work for a living, he had to beg. Those whom God’s providence has made unable to earn their bread should be helped by charity. People who sit by the road and are in need should not be ignored. Christ looked kindly on a common beggar. There are cheats among beggars, but that does not mean we should suspect them all.

When he heard the sound of a crowd passing by, he asked what it meant (Luke 18:36). We had not been told this before. It teaches us that it is good to ask questions, and that curious people often gain by it. Those who cannot see should use their hearing well. If they cannot learn with their own eyes, they should use other people’s eyes by asking what is happening. This blind man did that, and so he learned that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by (Luke 18:37). It is a good thing to be in Christ’s path. When we have a chance to come to him, we should not let it pass.

His prayer showed both faith and strong desire: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38). He called Christ the Son of David, meaning the promised Messiah. He believed Jesus was a Savior and able to help him. So he earnestly asked for mercy, that is, for forgiveness, pity, and relief from his misery. Christ is a merciful King. Those who come to him as the Son of David will find him to be merciful, and they ask enough for themselves when they say, “Have mercy on us.” Christ’s mercy includes everything they need.

Those who truly want Christ’s blessings will not be turned aside by opposition or rebuke. The people walking with Jesus told the blind man to be quiet, as if he were bothering the Master. They thought he was making too much noise and being out of place. But he kept asking. Their rebuke was like a dam blocking a strong stream, which only makes the water rise higher. He cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Those who want success in prayer must pray with persistence. This story at the end of the chapter teaches the same lesson as the parable at the beginning: people should always pray and not give up.

Christ welcomes poor beggars whom people dismiss. He invites them to come to him and is ready to receive them gladly: He commanded that the man be brought to him. Christ feels more tenderness and compassion for distressed people than any of his followers do. Even though Jesus was on his journey, he stopped, stood still, and ordered the man brought to him. The same people who had stopped the man before now had to help lead him to Christ.

Though Christ knows all our needs, he still wants us to tell him about them (Luke 18:41). He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” By laying our case before God and describing our needs and burdens clearly, we learn to value the mercy we are seeking. We must do this, or we are not ready to receive it rightly. The man opened his heart before Christ when he said, “Lord, I want to receive my sight.” In prayer, we should be this specific when the need is specific.

The prayer of faith, when guided by Christ’s encouraging promises and built on them, will not fail (Luke 18:42). It will not only receive a peaceful answer, but also bring honor to God. Christ said, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” True faith leads to earnest prayer, and together they bring rich blessings from Christ. Those blessings are especially sweet when they come that way, when we are saved by faith.

Christ’s grace should always be thanked for, to the glory of God (Luke 18:43). First, the man whose sight was restored followed Christ, glorifying God. Christ lived to glorify his Father, and those he healed pleased him most when they praised God. In the same way, those who honor Christ will please God best. To confess that Jesus is Lord gives glory to God the Father. It brings glory to God when we follow Christ, as this man did after his eyes were opened. Second, the people who saw it could not help praising God, who had given such power to the Son of Man and through him had shown such kindness to human beings. We should praise God for his mercies to other people as well as for mercies to ourselves.