The Two Blind Men by Arthur V. Fox

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 29, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 34.

The Two Blind Men

By Arthur V. Fox

ESUS was going to Jerusalem, not by the direct way through Samaria, but through the country on the other side of the river Jordan. Hence it was that He had to pass through Jericho, which lay between the Jordan and Jerusalem, eighteen or twenty miles distant from Jerusalem. It was as He was leaving Jericho, having passed through it, that He met the two blind men.

'A great multitude followed Him.' Besides the disciples, numbers usually went about with Him, and now doubtless many of the people of Jericho were with Him too. It is the same now. Numbers follow Him outwardly, who are not His disciples. Let us not be content to follow Him thus. Let us join ourselves to Him heartily as His disciples. Let us learn of Him, believe in Him, love Him, and serve Him. Let us be His altogether.

It seems likely that the two blind men took their place by the wayside on purpose to speak to Jesus as He passed. At all events, when they heard Him come, their whole desire was to make themselves heard by Him. 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David.' Perhaps if they had not been blind, they would never have sought Him at all. How many have been brought to Jesus by affliction! Loss of sight, ill health, sickness, and bereavement are grievous in themselves; but when they bring our hearts to God, then they are blessings. All sanctified affliction is blessing.

Jesus had compassion on the blind men. He pities the blind still, for He is not changed. He knows their case. He sees them as plainly as He saw these two. He knows all they feel, and has compassion on them in their blindness. How full of comfort is this thought! Even tho the blindness may continue, yet the very thought that He knows and pities is comforting. In this case He touched their eyes, and gave them sight; but He has compassion, even when He does not see good to do this.

It was difficult to get a hearing in that crowd; and the multitude tried to stop their cries, for man is not so compassionate as Jesus is. But no crowd can really hinder prayer. Jesus heard, and stopped, and called the blind men. We may sometimes have outward difficulties about prayer. We may not be able to be alone, for instance. But this need not hinder us from praying. We can pray even in a crowd, and our Saviour will hear us. He will hear us even tho we do not speak a word. He will hear and attend to the cry of our hearts.

How urgent real prayer is! The more people rebuked them, the more the blind men cried; for there was no time to lose; Jesus was passing by, and would soon be gone. Let but a man feel his need, and believe that there is mercy for him in Christ, and no discouragement will stop his praying. Our time is short, too. Jesus is near now; but time is passing, and with it our opportunity for prayer. Let us cry to Him for mercy, while we may; let us be urgent in prayer.

But what is the mercy that we want? — Mercy of every kind; for we are sinners. We want to be looked upon with pity by our Saviour in all our need,—in our sinfulness, our ignorance, our weakness; in our greater temptations, in our little daily difficulties, in the worries and vexations of common life.

We may ask for mercy in a general way. We may cry to our Lord, as the blind men did, 'Have mercy on us,' feeling sure that He knows our necessities before we ask. Yet He invites us also to lay our special wants before Him. Did He not know what the blind men wanted? Yet He said, 'What will ye that I shall do unto you?' He knew, yet He would have them tell Him. He knows what we want, all that we desire, and all that we stand in need of; yet He bids us tell Him of it in prayer. The blind may even now tell Him of that trouble, and seek His mercy; and He will give them such relief and blessing as is best.

But in another way we are all blind. We want spiritual sight. We want to know more of God in Christ, to have clearer views and deeper experience. 'O Lord, that our eyes may be opened, that we may know Thy will and see Thy truth!' He who had compassion on the blind men, will never turn away from such a prayer. 'Their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.' Mercy received binds us more closely than ever to our Lord. That true light, which is given from above, enlightens not the understanding merely, but the heart, and leads us to follow Christ.