Our journey in the synoptic gospels has brought us to the last miracle performed before Christ's triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. He and the disciples are beginning the journey up to Jerusalem from Jericho where they encounter two blind men.
Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43
We had a little geography lesson today concerning the land of Israel. Jerusalem sits at 2,575 feet above sea level. Jericho sits at 825 feet below sea level. This is a difference of 3,300 feet in elevation over the 27 mile walk that awaits them. Jesus's base of operation during his ministry was Capernaum, which sat at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is 700 feet above sea level. So, the 120 mile journey from Capernaum to Jerusalem would consist of an altitude change of 1,875 feet. Practically anywhere in Israel, traveling to Jerusalem was an uphill climb. That is why Jesus would say, “I must go up to Jerusalem.”
Matthew identifies two blind men in his account. So, we must believe there were two men. Mark and Luke record that there was one notable man, a certain man, a man named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus who was blind and crying out to the Lord to receive his sight. This is significant because this miracle is a picture of the blindness of Israel as a whole. We read Matthew 23:16-26 and the diatribe Jesus unleashed on the religious leaders outside the temple. He described them as spiritually blind five times!
These two men believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had the power to heal them! Jesus touched their eyes and they received their sight. There are so many devotional pictures in this scenario that we discussed in the recording. I encourage you all to please go to rdtw.org and watch today's video, because we were all blinded by the god of this world until the light of the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ opened our eyes to the grace of God when we got saved.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 4:17-24:
17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But ye have not so learned Christ;
21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We have a challenge, having been blind, and now can see, to put off the old man and his deeds, and to put on the new man daily, fighting the good fight of faith. Let us not allow the blindness of this world keep us from growing in Christ, and being the righteousness of God through the propitious death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
