by David Scott Robertson
(Mat 20:30 NIV) Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
(Mat 20:31 NIV) The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
(Mat 20:32 NIV) Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
(Mat 20:33 NIV) "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
(Mat 20:34 NIV) Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him."
Can you imagine what it must be like to be born blind?
How about being born blind thousands of years ago in a culture that offered no welfare, no social services, no handicapped helps, rules or protection?
How would you handle these assignments?
Describe to a blind person what a rose looks like…
Describe the color red…
Describe what a dog looks like…
Describe a camel…
Describe your mother's hair…
I wonder, which is worse: To have been born blind and never seen at all or to have seen and then lose the privilege?
At any rate, life was very, very hard for these two men the Bible describes.
Now, imagine this:
Jesus shows up in their world.
A light touch later of the Master's hand and behold!
The first sight, the very first sight the blind pair saw was the face of God!
It was love at first sight!
Their eyes, brain, and senses immediately began to function in an unprecedented way!
Talk about sensory overload!
Their eyes probably drank in the rivers of sights - everything, absolutely everything and everyone they looked at for the first time they looked at for the first time!
Oh, how I would have loved to have been there!
But the best part was that the two ex-blind men experienced love at first sight.
The love of God expressed through the compassion of His Son.
They had seen the face of Jesus…
…the face the prophets longed to see but never did.
…the face that modern-day Christians long to see but rarely do.
…the face that one steady gaze satisfies the deep places in your soul.
What a rare and unusual privilege these two obscure and extremely blessed former blind men had! How many people in the history of the planet can testify with them "I was blind but now I see?"
Out of dark tragedy these two blind men emerged into a bright world filled with hope.
Now only dark memories remained…
How disappointed their parents must have been on the day that they made the discovery that their sons could not see.
The hardships this must have created in trying to raise these handicapped children…
The inability to function properly in society,
The absence of a normal childhood,
The teasing of unkind teenagers,
The inability to work and make a living rather consigned to beg to sustain themselves,
The impossible thought of marrying and having a family…
Who among us that has the gift of sight to read these words can even begin to understand?
(John 9:2 NIV) His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
(John 9:3 NIV) "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
God had a plan from the foundation of the world for these two blind boys.
God knew them and loved them right from the start right up until the fateful day.
One day, God's watch read "due season."
One day was "the fullness of time."
One fine day two blind fellows were at the right place at the right time.
It was at this intersection that desperate need and God's power collided.
(Mat 20:34 NIV) "Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight AND FOLLOWED H IM." [emphasis mine]
Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands saw the face of Jesus of Nazareth as He walked the dusty roads and spoke words with authority like no other. Most saw Him but never knew Him, fewer still followed Him.
But the Bible specifically says that these two men followed Him.
Two nameless, happy men walked with God.
I like to think that they went on to live fruitful, productive lives in society.
Maybe they picked up a trade.
Every day was a wonder, every chore a delight, every mundane task tolerable, palatable, no, enjoyable, because of the gift of sight!
At last, at long last, they were able to "earn" a living and make a contribution to the family's income!
Maybe these men even went on to meet a special woman, fall in love, get married and raise a family. What bedtime stories these men could tell their own sons and daughters about the time that Messiah came to town and touched their lives!
For all we do not know about the lives of these two former blind men
This one thing we do know…
…they followed him (Matthew 20:34).
The conclusion of the matter to my view:
To be born blind is not the worst thing that could ever happen to a person.
To see Jesus Christ, and not become His follower, I should think, is a far greater tragedy than blindness.
DSR
3/16/03