Showing Mercy

• 20^th Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew 20:29-34  Two blind men are restored to sight by Jesus

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• When I took a college math class for the first time I had no idea what I was doing. My math professor, Dr. Herman, had compassion on me. He gently guided me, gave me vision, and because of him I learned to love mathematics.
It’s wonderful to help a student and watch them “see”.

• Today’s story of healing of blind men. There are several levels.
One: two blind men. Disadvantaged. Fringe of society. Perhaps beggars, perhaps cared for by family or synagogue. Perhaps sense of shame. Mistreated. Rejected by crowd.

They’re blind and they’re also invisible.

They cry out to Jesus, asking him for mercy,
asking to be able to see,
to be able to be normal productive part of society.

And Jesus does see them, is moved with compassion, treats them as human, touches & restores vision.
They interact with Jesus and they become followers.

• Another level: this is a story of spiritual blindness. Jesus has been teaching about living as a disciple, about the community that is kingdom oriented instead of worldly, and the two blind men represent the unseeing community. They are outsiders longing for belonging, searching for the way, and not even the crowd can guide them. Thank God that God has mercy, gives direction, vision.

This story also demonstrates both the need for Jesus (and the Jesus community)
and the effect of interaction with Jesus.

They receive the teaching of Jesus,
they “see” and they become followers.

• This story is a repeat from Matthew chap 9. Examine the differences. Earlier “do you believe I can do this?” Also earlier just addressed Son of David, now 3x confession of Jesus as LORD. Also this time Jesus had compassion. Last time, after the healing, Jesus had compassion on the crowds and he healed them and taught them.

• A “take home point” is that In Jesus there is compassion and not rejection, there is hope of restoration. In Jesus there is life.

• Can you hear the cry of people today, rejected by the crowd, wishing they could be normal, wishing not to be known for what separates them from others?

Can you offer them Jesus, speak a word of hope and restoration?

Do you need to hear that word of hope and restoration?

Our challenge and our role is to not be like the crowds, unfeeling and unseeing,
but Christ like.

Lord, we want to see. Teach us. Be thou our vision.

• Hymn 451 Be Thou My Vision

         

Isaiah 40:6-11   Common English Bible (CEB)

⁶ A voice was saying: “Call out!” And I said, “What should I call out?”

All flesh is grass; all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field.
⁷ The grass dries up, and the flower withers when the Lord’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are grass. ⁸ The grass dries up; the flower withers,
but our God’s word will exist forever.

⁹ Go up on a high mountain, messenger Zion! Raise your voice and shout, messenger Jerusalem!
Raise it; don’t be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
¹⁰ Here is the Lord God, coming with strength, with a triumphant arm,
    bringing his reward with him and his payment before him.
¹¹ Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock;
    he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. He will gently guide the nursing ewes.

Matthew 20:29-34   Common English Bible (CEB)

²⁹ As Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ When two blind men sitting along the road heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”

³¹ Now the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet.
But they shouted even louder, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”

³² Jesus stopped in his tracks and called to them.
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³³ “Lord, we want to see,” they replied.

³⁴ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.
Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him.