Mar 25
16
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 18:35-43
“As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” (Luke 18:35–43, ESV)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
We’ve encountered a lot of blindness in Luke’s gospel.
Luke has repeatedly told us about scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers who were blind to their sin and their need for a Savior. In Luke’s gospel, we have encountered men who were blind to the true identity of Christ. Perhaps they regarded him to be a good teacher, but they could not see that he was the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, as he claimed. Luke has presented us with men blind to their mortality, the frailty of this life, and the folly of trusting in their riches. Most recently, we have considered the rich young ruler. That man could see clearly with his physical eyes— he had them fixed on this world and the things of this world—but he showed that he was spiritually blind when he, after hearing Christ call him to repentance and faith, walked away very sad.
At this point in Jesus’ ministry, even the disciples of Christ were blind concerning the work he would soon do to accomplish redemption. The previous passage says, “And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV). Christ commanded his disciples to “see” these things, but they could not see them. Though they regarded Jesus to be the Messiah and followed him, they could not yet comprehend that the Christ would usher in the eternal kingdom of God by dying and rising again.
This theme of spiritual blindness is a major theme in Luke’s gospel that will continue to develop and find its resolution only after Christ’s resurrection. In Luke 24, we will hear of two of Jesus’ disciples on the road to Emmaus. The risen Christ appeared to them, but Luke tells us “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16, ESV). Jesus spoke with them, and eventually, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:31, ESV).
Clearly, Luke wants to see that spiritual blindness is a major problem that must be overcome. Here in the passage open before us today, Christ demonstrates he that has the power to open blind eyes. The healing that we will consider today was physical, but it illustrates the spiritual. Christ opened the beggar’s blind eyes to demonstrate that he has the power to give spiritual sight to those who are spiritually blind. He is able to illuminate the eyes of the mind and heart to enable those who were once blind to the things of God, Christ, and salvation through faith in him so they might see clearly.
The Story
Let us now briefly consider the story. In Luke 18:35, we read, “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.”
Jericho is a city in Judea about 18 miles south of Jerusalem. There is a road to Jerusalem that passes through Jericho. This was the road that Jesus was on as he resolutely journeyed toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would suffer there and be killed by lawless men.
Luke tells us there was a blind man who sat on the roadside begging. This man would have been unable to work. He was completely dependent on the generosity of others for his sustenance.
One day, this blind man heard a crowd going by, and he inquired what this meant. Some in the crowd “told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ And so he cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”
Notice a few things about this scene.
First of all, notice how far the word about Jesus had spread and how popular he had become. Great multitudes followed him. Even this blind beggar knew who Jesus was and who he claimed to be.
Secondly, consider how marvelous this blind beggar’s profession of faith was. He confessed that Jesus was the “Son of David”. This was no mere acknowledgement that Jesus was a descendant of King David. No, it was a profession of faith acknowledging that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah— the long-awaited King of God’s everlasting Kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7). When the poor beggar cried out to Jesus, saying, “have mercy on me”, it showed that he believed Jesus could rescue him out of his miserable condition.
Thirdly, notice that those following Jesus erred in attempting to silence him, presumably because he was a lowly person of no repute. The crowd had their own plans for Jesus. They desired certain things from him and did not want him to be distracted or delayed by the requests of this lowly individual, and so “those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent.” This shows us that even the crowds that followed Jesus were still largely blind and ignorant concerning the mission and heart of Jesus. Perhaps there is a warning here for the church to be sure that we are always in sync with the heart and mission of Jesus.
Fourthly, notice that the blind beggar was persistent. He was so thoroughly convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and that he had the power to rescue him out of his miserable condition, he cried out all the more, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
It should be apparent to all that though this man was physically blind, spiritually, he could see. He is to be contrasted with the rich young ruler. That man could see with his physical eyes. They were fixed on this world and his possessions. And yet he was spiritually blind. He could not see the surpassing worth of Christ and his kingdom. As you likely know, riches and pleasures do have a way of blinding people spiritually. But this man who was blind as it pertained to this world and the things of this world could see Christ and his kingdom in a way that others could not. As you likely know, the Lord often uses afflictions in this way in the lives of his people. Worldly afflictions are often used by our Lord to heighten our senses and desires for things spiritual and eternal.
Though the crowd attempted to silence this man, we are told that “Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.’”
Some might be tempted to criticize the man, saying, why didn’t he ask for the forgiveness of his sins or life eternal? Why did he ask for physical healing? As has been said, when he called Jesus the “Son of David”, it was a profound profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. That profession shows us that this man had an interest in things spiritual and eternal. Now, he requests relief from his physical affliction. This teaches us that those who have faith in Christ are permitted to ask for relief from physical affliction.
We know that Christ healed sick people often in the days of his earthly ministry to demonstrate that he was indeed the Lord’s Messiah. This blind man had undoubtedly heard of these miraculous deeds. Having now confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, and having now an opportunity to request something more from Jesus, he displayed great faith by requesting the recovery of his physical sight. This quest provided Christ with an opportunity to show forth his glory.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.’” And Luke tells us, “ immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God.” The response of the blind beggar demonstrated that his faith was true. He was not looking for a hand out from Jesus. He was not merely looking for relief from his physical afflictions. After Christ healed him, he followed Jesus. After Christ healed him, he gave glory or praise to God.
Notice that this miracle was performed before the multitude, and that it was a true miracle was indesputable. Luke tells us, “all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:35–43, ESV). They gave praise to God because they could see that God was at work in their midst in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
Natural Blindness
Dear brothers and sisters, given the way that Luke presents this story in his gospel surrounded by passages about spiritual blindness and the opening of spiritual eyes, it is clear that this event involving the healing of a blind man, was meant to show that Christ has the power to give sight to those who are spiritually blind. He healed a man of physical blindness to manifest or show forth his power to cure spiritual blindness.
Friends, the Scriptures are clear. Now that man is fallen into sin, by nature, we are spiritually blind. By nature—that is to say, left to our natural selves and apart from the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit—we cannot see the truth about God, our sin, or Christ the Savior. Even if these truths are presented to us, we are blind to them! We cannot see or perceive these truths, in our natural condition.
Paul speaks of this natural, spiritual blindness in Ephesians 4:17-19. He speaks to those who have faith in Christ, saying, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:17–19, ESV). This was our condition before Christ healed our spiritual blindness, enabling us to see.
When Christ healed this blind man (and others—see Luke 7:21 & John 9), it was a demonstration that he was the Son of God and Son of David, just as he claimed. It was also a demonstration that he could heal this spiritual blindness.
But how does he do it? How does he give his elect eyes to see? In the remainder of the sermon, I would like to consider the healing of our spiritual blindness in regeneration, sanctification, and finally, glorification.
Regeneration
At the appointed time, Christ heals his elect’s spiritual blindness and gives them the ability to see through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 10 of our confession of faith speaks of this regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, when it says, “Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone; and giving to them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.”
The way that God effectually calls sinners to repentance and faith in Christ is by regenerating them through the preaching of the Word of God and by the internal working of the Holy Spirit. And what does the Spirit do within us to make us willing and able to believe in Christ? Three things are mentioned. The Spirit enlightens the mind, takes away the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh, and renews the wills. It is only by this internal working of the Holy Spirit that we can see, love, and choose to trust and follow after Christ.
The point is this: If a sinner is to ever see and understand that truth about God, their sin, and their need for the Savior, Christ the Lord, he must heal their spiritual blindness.
Sanctification
Those who are healed of their spiritual blindness by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit will certainly be sanctified further so that they come to see the truth about God, their sin, and Christ the Savior more and more clearly. It is not that we are regenerated over and over again. No, regeneration happens once at the beginning of the Christian life. It is a new birth. It is an obtaining of the ability to finally see. Those who are regenerated by the word and Spirit experience something similar to what Paul experienced when he was converted—he was struck with blindness, and then one day, the scales fell from his eyes and he could see. But what will someone who is cured of blindness do with this ability to see? Will they not immediately begin to take in the world around them to consider it and to grow their understanding of what they see? Will they not explore the world, take it in, study it, and grow in their appreciation for it? So it is with all who are enlightened spiritualy and savingly in Christ Jesus. The newfound ability to see God, their sin, and Christ, as revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture, will lead to a lifetime of growth in knowledge in the things of God.
Paul speaks of this dynamic in Ephesians 1:15–21, where he says, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:15–21, ESV)
Glorification
Finally, regeneration and sanctification will end in glorification. It will be in glory—in heaven, and in the new heavens and earth—that we will see God, Christ, and ourselves with perfect clarity. The Apostle John speaks of this in 1 John 3:2, saying, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, ESV)
Conclusion
To those who do not yet know Christ, I must exhort you to cry out to him, saying, Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Give me eyes to see.
To those who do know Christ—to those who have been regenerated and given the gift of spiritual sight—I ask you:
Are you grateful to God for the mercy and grace he has shown to you?
Are you using this gift of sight to contemplate God, his creation, and his word so that you might grow in your knowledge of him? When you come to his word, are you praying as the Psalmist did, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18, ESV)?
Are you using this gift of spiritual sight to consider the sin that remains in you so that you might turn from it truly?
Are you using this gift of spiritual sight to contemplate Christ, the marvelous salvation he has worked for us, and the hope of eternal life that we have in him?
Brothers and sisters, if Christ has given you eyes to see, then use them to follow after Christ, to contemplate God and Christ, to grow in your knowledge of the things of God, and to give God praise.
