Mark 10:47
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
A blind beggar hearing that Jesus of Nazareth is passing cries out to Him as the Son of David, the promised Messiah, seizing a precious last opportunity for help before it is lost. That passing by is Christ Himself coming to the guilty, depraved and spiritually blind outcast with freely offered grace, light and redemption through His Spirit and Word. The cry is an urgent prayer for mercy that risks everything, falling broken and repentant at Jesus' feet at once without delay, reasoning or fear of reproof, even at the eleventh hour. Jesus hears and answers such a cry, restoring sight and bringing light, righteousness, hope and new life so the healed one follows Him rejoicing. It is therefore the pattern for every guilty sinner and every sick sufferer now to seek Jesus for himself in faith, crying earnestly for mercy to be restored and healed.
Blind Man's Cry
The one who cries out was blind in natural sight, picturing a debased, guilty sinner. The one Jesus passes by is blind to all the higher interests of the soul and to the blessed, glorious attractions of heavenly life in the city of God. He has labored for that which is not bread and has sacrificed peace and honor and the companionship of God's children to walk without hindrance in his own way. He has striven to content himself in secret sinful pleasure and base gratification without regard for God and heaven. Yet even when such a person is without hope and without God, Jesus still passes by to offer what he most needs, which is of infinite gain even if it costs the toil and suffering of a whole lifetime.
Jesus of Nazareth passing by is Christ coming to the guilty and depraved outcast with freely offered grace. His mission and work from beginning to end is full of mercy to those who seek Him in confession of sin, repentance, and belief. He brings help for the needy, light for the blind, and redemption for the lost, and He comes even to the individual sinner in all the ministrations of His Spirit and His Word. His passing by is a precious and valuable opportunity from a long-forbearing Saviour. It is understood as one opportunity and the last, offered now, when if ever the pall of darkness must be lifted, so the cry is urgent and determined as a last chance that may be lost.
The address Son of David is the prophetic title of the Messiah, identifying Jesus as the promised Messiah. It was used by Bartimaeus when he cried for mercy and help, and by others who sought His help and acclaimed Him. They used it in response to His works of healing and raising the dead. The question of how David could call the Messiah his Lord points beyond mere descent from David to His divine status.
Mercy for Lost Sinners
Hearing that Jesus is passing by, the guilty sinner cries out at once for the mercy Christ gives to the guilty, knowing that with that mercy he has everything. The cry risks everything to obtain forgiveness, with no calculating of chances of failure and no wasting time on proprieties of speech or attitude. It is the cry a lost, sin-hardened, hopeless man must pray to be saved, prayed with a broken, repentant heart, meaning to fall on the Rock Christ Jesus and be broken before it is utterly too late, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus at once without waiting for anything or stopping to reason, even at the eleventh hour. It is the cry of a sin-hardened soul on the very borders of the eternal world, meaning to break the bands Satan has woven through a wicked course, refusing to stay away from the light for fear of reproof, refusing to heed efforts to silence supplication and keep peace, and coming to the sin-pardoning Saviour without delay, confessing sin and making thorough work of repentance even at the eleventh hour to grasp the crown of life and be rescued from the devil's snare rather than dying in his hands and perishing.
When Jesus calls, the one who cried does not wait for a second bidding and does not wait to be led, but rushes in blindness toward the voice. Whoever cries in this way will not be left to perish, for God alone will touch the heart with new tenderness and bring a sense of long-perverted obligation to Him. Jesus hears the request and answers it, restoring sight so that the one healed follows Him rejoicing, with righteousness shining into the darkened chambers of the mind, light and happiness and restored sight, the long night of years rolled back, a new world opened with hope and consolation in the heart, made through faith in Christ a partaker of the divine nature.
This cry is the call every guilty sinner may now make while it is called today without hardening the heart, to be restored to sight, restored to himself, and rescued from the terrible blindness of sin. God's word encourages sinners to turn their eyes to Christ and cry to Him for mercy with hope and expectation.
Seeking Jesus for Healing
The blind man's cry for mercy to the Son of David is the way to bring the sick and suffering to Jesus as the great Physician in the arms of faith. That plea expresses reliance and dependence on his power for healing. It provides the pattern of faithful prayer that brings an ill person to Jesus and trusts him for healing.
Such prayer brings comfort and a felt healing power. The faith expressed in it looks for complete restoration. The cry leads to laying aside all medicine and relying alone on God's arm, holding on in faith for entire restoration and still more of God's salvation to be seen and felt. It brings peace like a river, triumph in God, and unspeakable gratitude.
When Jesus is near and as he passes by, a person should seek him for himself and cry earnestly to him for mercy. Seeking him in faith brings sight through God's grace. That clearer sight and blessing is more valuable than riches or material wealth.