Against The Current
- Deacon Dan DeLuca
- Nov 14, 2022
- 5 min read
Following Jesus means not following the culture and the prevailing thoughts of the world. It requires that we go against the current. This can be extremely difficult to do. It requires us to remain focussed on Jesus, understanding always who he is. It also requires us to mute the voices around us: those voices telling us to be quiet and change direction. However, when we do the reward we receive is so much greater than anything this culture and this world can ever offer us. As we read about the blind beggar, our model for remaining focused on Jesus, let us ask the Lord for the strength to remain focused on him always.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “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 receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Luke 18 : 35-43
Scriptural Analysis
The city of Jericho was about seventeen miles northeast of Jerusalem and about a mile south of the palaces built by Herod the Great. The road that passed near the city was well-traveled by pilgrims and merchants. There was a blind man on the side of the road begging. That is not surprising given how busy this road was. He would likely come in contact with numerous people. Although Luke does not give the blind man a name this is likely Bartimaeus which we hear about in Mark’s Gospel.
As Jesus passes by, the blind man hears the crowd that is accompanying Jesus and inquires as to what it was, literally what might this be. He was informed that Jesus of Nazareth (literally the Nazorean in the original Greek) is passing by. It is clear that the blind mind must have heard about Jesus: potentially he may have even heard about Jesus’s previous healing of a blind man. He cries out to Jesus asking him to have pity or mercy on him: the same terms used by the ten lepers who cried out to Jesus.
Although he is blind, spiritually the blind man’s eyes are open wide. He addresses Jesus as the Son of David. The term Nazorean was perhapses interpreted by him to mean the messianic branch. The title, Son of David, indicates that Jesus is king and that the blind man recognizes him as such.
The blind man is rebuked for referring to Jesus as king. These people do not yet understand the mission of Jesus. However, just like the persistent widow, the blind man continues to call out to Jesus. It worked as Jesus commanded that the man be brought to him.
Jesus then aks the man what he wants him to do. The blind man replies now addressing Jesus as Lord and asks him to see again. Jesus issues a very simple command to receive his sight. That is also followed up with what should be a familiar acknowledgment that it was the faith of the man that ultimately saved him.
The miracle takes effect immediately as the blind man receives his sight. Rather than remaining on the roadside he becomes a disciple and follows Jesus. The man gives glory to Lord along with those around him. This indicates that they understand Jesus is carrying out the work of God.
Daily Application
The story of the blind man on the road to Jericho holds for us two key lessons: recognition and persistence. The blind man recognizes Jesus. It all starts there. Nothing else will happen unless we first recognize Jesus for who he is. Second, the blind man is persistent. When all those around him told him to stop, he pushed in. Let us examine each of those in greater detail.
First, let us consider the blind man recognizing Jesus. His understanding of Jesus’s identity is expressed in the titles that he gives Jesus, Son of David, and Lord. This man, who could not see, had a clearer understanding of Jesus than almost anyone around him. That is because he saw through the eyes of faith. He had heard the stories about Jesus but ultimately, it was his faith that enabled him to see Jesus for who he really was. This faith then allowed him to have this amazing encounter.
Do we recognize Jesus for who he is? It is just as hard for us to recognize Jesus in our time as it was for the blind man to recognize Jesus in his time. Our modern culture has all sorts of identities for Jesus: everything from a fictional character to a great philosopher. However, ultimately Jesus claimed he was God and that is the identity that we need to come to understand and see. Do we see that? We can read the Bible and other texts and learn all about him but at some point in time, to truly see who he is, we will need to look at him with the eyes of faith just as the blind man did.
Second, the blind man was persistent in his call out to Jesus. Note how those around him rebuked him and yet that did not dissuade him. He continued to call out to Jesus and ultimately, that call was answered with a miracle. Once again, Jesus is showing us the need to be persistent.
Do we have that same level of persistence with our call out to the Lord? The world will try over and over to rebuke us. It will try to tell us that our faith is nothing more than a fairytale. It will tell us that religion is pointless or as Karl Marx is famous for saying, “Religion … It is the opium of the people.” Or, it will try to convince us that Jesus is not who he said he is. How well do we drown out those voices and allow what we know to be true to continue to guide us? Do we persistently call out to the Lord with our needs and give him praise for who he is and what he is doing?
Jesus is the Son of David, he is king and Lord. The blind man, through faith, knew that. He believed, with all that he was, that Jesus was the Messiah. His faith saved him: saved him physically but more importantly saved him spiritually. The world may try and convince us to run away from Jesus however, we need to run towards Jesus, run against the current. Let us pray for the strength we need to continue to grow closer to him.
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