Matthew 20:29-34 29And as they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside hearing that Jesus was passing by cried out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 31The crowd rebuked them so that they might be quiet, but they cried out more saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, that our eyes might be opened.” 34And having compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
This passage hints that the previous events of chapters 19-20 took place east of the Jordan river in the area in and around Jericho. Matthew as the narrator moves the story towards Jerusalem by mentioning the large crowds that followed Jesus out of Jericho as he and the disciples headed towards Jerusalem, which also meant the cross. Apparently, Jesus had make quite a stir in Jericho and excited many people. Matthew records one example of the excitement surrounding Jesus and calls his readers to behold, look, pay attention; here is further proof of Jesus’ identity.
An interesting conundrum related to this story is that Matthew records two blind men while Mark and Luke give only one, and Mark gives the man the name as Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus may have been better known and so his name and situation was remembered more and retold by others. These two men were sitting by the roadside likely begging for money or food. Being blind in that day made it nearly impossible to work. Often, the only source of income for basic necessities was to beg. We take for granted today the advancement in eye care. Many people would be basically blind without glasses and cataract surgery. Word reached them that Jesus was passing by. Many blind people develop their other senses such as hearing to compensate for the loss of sight. Since these men were along the road, they would have heard the latest news. If Jesus had become popular among the crowds, surely these men had heard about Jesus’ miracle-working power, and this had sparked hope and faith in them.
Their cry to Jesus implies faith. Each part of their cry is significant. The first thing they say is a cry for mercy. Mercy (eleēson) is related to compassion, pity, and concern for some by granting help or aid in some way. Mercy is one of the key attributes of God (Exodus 34:6-7). Second, they acknowledge Jesus as Lord. This word could simply be a title of honor or recognition of importance, but in the New Testament, it almost always has deeper meaning. Whatever these men meant, they saw power and authority in Jesus and believed he could heal them. Third, the recognized Jesus as the Son of David, another description of the Messiah. They saw without eyes what many people, including the Jewish leaders, did not.
The rest of the people who were following Jesus told the blind men to be quiet. The others lacked the spiritual insight that these men did. Why were so many people following Jesus? They likely had the same attitude as the disciples verses 20-28: they were in it for themselves. Jesus was simply a tool to be used for their selfish purposes. These two men, however, saw something deeper in Jesus and would not let the others shut them up. Faith sometimes needs to be shouted in the face of opposition and ignorance.
Jesus’ response in the form of a question offers the opportunity for the men to express their hope and the faith that supported this hope. Jesus, stopped, gave his attention to two rejected blind men, and answered their cry for mercy by his compassion (splangchnistheis) for them. Jesus as the Incarnated Son of God shares this same divine attribute. He was moved by the faith of these men. His touch brought immediate healing. Sometimes Jesus touched people he healed and other times he spoke. What these men needed was the touch of compassion and care. The immediate healing leaves no question as to Jesus’ power and identity. Their response is what all people should do when experiencing the healing touch of Jesus: they followed him. Basically, they became his disciples.
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