The document recounts the story of Jesus healing two blind men who called out to him for mercy, demonstrating his compassion and willingness to help those in need. After Jesus touched their eyes, they received their sight and followed him, symbolizing both their physical and spiritual awakening. Various biblical commentaries are referenced to provide insights on faith, prayer, and the nature of divine mercy in this miraculous event.

1. JESUS WAS COMPASSIONATE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 20:30-34 30Two 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!" 31The crowd rebuked them and told
them to be quiet, but they shoutedall the louder,
"LORD, Son of David, havemercy on us!" 32Jesus
stopped and called them. "Whatdo you want me to do
for you?" he asked. 33"LORD,"they answered, "we
want our sight." 34Jesushad compassionon them and
touched their eyes. Immediately they received their
sight and followedhim.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

2. (34) So Jesus had compassion.—Literally, andJesus. It was not His purpose to
meet the popular demand for signs and wonders, but compassiondrew from
Him the work of powerwhich otherwise He would have shrunk from here.
And then the two followedHim, glorifying God. In St. Luke’s narrative the
incident is followedby the story of Zacchæus and the parable of the Pounds.
Possibly(see Note on Matthew 20:30) they precededit.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
20:29-34 It is goodfor those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or
mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage
one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were
earnestin prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Colddesires beg denials.
They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring
themselves cheerfully to, the Mediator's mercy. They showedfaith in prayer,
by the title they gave to Christ. Surely it was by the Holy Ghost that they
calledJesus, Lord. They perseveredin prayer. When they were in pursuit of
such mercy, it was no time for timidity or hesitation: they cried earnestly.
Christ encouragedthem. The wants and burdens of the body we are soon
sensible of, and canreadily relate. Oh that we did as feelingly complain of our
spiritual maladies, especiallyour spiritual blindness! Many are spiritually
blind, yet say they see. Jesus curedthese blind men; and when they had
receivedsight, they followedhim. None follow Christ blindly. He first by his
grace opens men's eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. These miracles
are our call to Jesus;may we hear it, and make it our daily prayer to grow in
grace and in the knowledge ofthe Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And touched their eyes - Mark and Luke say he added, "Thy faith hath saved
thee." Thy "confidence, orbelief" that I could cure, has been the means of
obtaining this blessing.
Faith had no power to open the eyes, but it led the blind men to Jesus;it
showedthat they had just views of his power; it was connectedwith the cure.

3. So "faith" has no power to save from sin, but it leads the poor, lost, blind
sinner to him who has power, and in this sense it is said we are savedby faith.
His "touching" their eyes was merely "a sign" that the powerof healing
proceededfrom him.
Here was an undoubted miracle.
1. These blind men were well known. One, at least, had been blind for a long
time.
2. They were strangers to Jesus. Theycould not have, therefore, "feigned"
themselves blind, or done this by any "collusionor agreement" betweenhim
and themselves in order to impose on the multitude.
3. The miracle was in the presence ofmultitudes who took a deep interest in it,
and who could easilyhave detectedthe imposition if there had been any.
4. The people followedhim. They praised or "glorified" God (Mark and
Luke). The people gave praise to God also (Luke). They were all satisfiedthat
a real miracle was performed.
Remarks On Matthew 20
1. From the parable at the beginning of this chapter Matthew 20:1-16 we
learn that it is not so much the time that we serve Christ as the "manner,"
that is to entitle us to high rewards in heaven. Some may be in the church
many years, yet accomplishlittle. In a few years, others may be more
distinguished in the successoftheir labors and in their rewards.
2. God will do justice to all, Matthew 20:13. He will give to every one of his
followers all that he promised to give. To him entitled to the leasthe will give
everything which he has promised, and to eachone infinitely more than he has
deserved.
3. On some he will bestow higher rewards than on others, Matthew 20:16.
There is no reasonto think that the condition of people in heavenwill be
"equal," any more than it is on earth. Difference of rank may run through all
God's government, and still no one be degradedor be deprived of his rights.

4. 4. God does as he pleases with his own, Matthew 20:15. It is his right to do so -
a right which people claim, and which God may claim. If he does injustice to
no one, he has a right to bestow what favors on others he pleases. In doing
goodto another man he does no injury to me. He violated none of my rights
by bestowing greattalents on Newtonor greatwealth on Solomon. He did not
injure me by making Paul a man of distinguished talents and piety, or John a
man of much meekness and love. What he gives me I should be thankful for
and improve; nor should I be envious or malignant that he has given to others
more than he has to me. Nay, I should rejoice that he has bestowed such
favors on undeserving people at all; that the race is in possessionofsuch
talents and rewards, to whosoevergiven;and should believe that in the hands
of God such favors will be wellbestowed. Godis a sovereign, andthe Judge of
all the earth will do that which is right.
5. It is our duty to go into the vineyard and labor faithfully when ever the
Lord Jesus calls us, and until he calls us to receive our reward, Matthew 20:1-
16. He has a right to call us, and there are none who are not invited to labor
for Him.
6. Rewards are offeredto all who will serve him, Matthew 20:4. It is not that
we deserve any favor, or that we shall not say at the end of life that we have
been "unprofitable" servants, but He graciouslypromises that our rewards
shall be measured by our faithfulness in His cause. He will have the glory of
bringing us into His kingdom and saving us, while He will bestow rewards on
us according as we have been faithful in His service.
continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
Mt 20:29-34. Two Blind Men Healed. ( = Mr 10:46-52;Lu 18:35-43).
For the exposition, see on[1332]Lu 18:35-43.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Ver. 29-34. Mark repeateththe same story, Mark 10:46-52, with severalmore
circumstances.

5. 1. He mentions only one blind man, and nameth him Bartimaeus, the Song of
Solomonof Timaeus. He saith, the blind man was begging.
Mark saith, when Christ calledthe blind man, they said unto him, Be of good
comfort, rise; he calleththee. And he, casting awayhis garment, rose, and
came to Jesus. He further adds, that Christ saidunto him, Go thy way; thy
faith hath made thee whole. Luke relates the same, Luke 18:35-43. He saith,
As he was come nigh to Jericho. He mentions but one blind man. In repeating
Christ’s words he saith, Jesus saidunto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath
savedthee. And immediately he receivedhis sight, and followedhim,
glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Our Lord presently gives his disciples a demonstration of what he had said,
that he came to minister, to serve even the poorestand most despicable
creatures. Jericho was a city not far from Jordan, Joshua 3:16; it was taken,
Joshua 6:1-27, and upon the division of the land fell within the lot of
Benjamin, Joshua 18:21. Our Saviour took it in his way from Galilee to
Jerusalem. Probably these blind men, or Bartimaeus at least, who alone is
mentioned by Mark and Luke, hearing Christ was coming, satfirst on the side
of Jericho next Galilee, and then got him on the other side, as our Saviour was
leaving the town. Which makes Luke say, as he was come nigh; and the two
other evangelists say, as he went out of Jericho, he satbegging. Bartimaeus
being (as it should seem) the most known, and the most famous, is alone
mentioned by Mark and Luke. Matthew (naming none) saith there were two;
which Mark and Luke deny not, but knowing only the name of the one of
them, they mention only one. They speak to our Saviour under the notion of
the Song of Solomonof David, by which they owned him as the true Messias;
for that was a title by which the Messias wasknownamongstthe Jews,
according to the prophecies of him. They ask him for mercy; they continue in
their cry, though the multitudes rebuked them, as possibly thinking they only
came to ask some alms, and were too importunate, seeing our Lord seemed
not to regardthem. God sometimes trieth our faith by delays, how it will hold
out, but he never frustrateth it. This minds us of our duty, to pray without

6. ceasing. Christstops, calleththem, asks them what they would have. They
seemmost sensible of their bodily wants, and answer, Lord, that our eyes may
be opened. Jesus hath compassiononthem, toucheth their eyes, (Christ
sometimes, but not always in healing, touched the affectedpart), and (as Luke
saith) he said, Receive thy sight. The miracle is wrought; they presently are
able to see. Luke addeth, that Christ said, Thy faith hath savedthee. We have
met with the same phrase before. I have made thee whole, but thy faith in me
hath prevailed with me to do it. Their faith in his power was seen,
1. In their owning him as the true Messiah;so able to do it.
2. In their imploring his mercy, and going on in their cries of that nature,
though they met with a rebuke.
Faith and fervent prayer do greatthings with God, because ofhis compassion.
The prayer of faith shall save the sick, Jam 5:15. The effectualfervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much, Jam 5:16. Nor is any man so mean and
contemptible in the world, (these two blind men were beggars), but if they can
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, if they will lie in Christ’s way, if they will cry
unto him, and not give over their cries, they shall obtain at our Saviour’s
hands greaterthings than these. This miracle gains God glory from the
multitude, and from the blind man not only praise, but a resolution to follow
Christ. This should be the effectof all salvations wrought for us. Mercyis then
duly improved, when it bringeth forth in our hearts glory and praise to God,
and engagesus to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Saviour had wrought his
former miracles in Galilee, where the witnesses ofthem were remote; he hath
now two witnessesin the province of Judea, who go along with him towards
Jerusalem, where we shall find him in the next chapter.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

7. So Jesus had compassionon them,.... His bowels moved towards them as a
man; he pitied their miserable and distressedcondition, and discoveredthe
tenderness of his heart towards them by some outward sign, by his looks, or
by some gesture or another:
and touched their eyes;with his bare hand, without the use of any instrument
or medicine. The Ethiopic version adds; "and said unto them, according to
your faith shall it be unto you"; which seems to be takenout of Matthew 9:29.
The EvangelistMark relates, that "Jesus saidunto him (Bartimaeus) go thy
way, thy faith hath made thee whole":not that the virtue of healing came
from the actof faith, but from the object of it; his faith was not the cause of,
nor the reasonwhy, but the wayand means in and by which he receivedthe
cure:
and immediately their eyes receivedsight; or, as the Syriac and Persic
versions render the words, "that moment their eyes were opened":the cure
was wrought at once, directly; a clearproof of the omnipotence of Christ, and
of his true and proper deity: the words, "their eyes", are not in some copies:
and are omitted by the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, which
read thus, "they immediately saw". The Persic versionadds, and they saw the
world; the men and things of it, which they either had never seenbefore, or, at
least, for a considerable time; which must be a very surprising and agreeable
sight to them.
And they followedhim; in a corporalsense they joined the multitude, and
went after him to Jerusalem;partly to express their gratitude for such a
wonderful favour bestowedupon them; and partly that they might be
witnesses ofthe power of his deity, and the truth of his Messiahship, as they
went along, and at Jerusalem:and in a spiritual sense;they became his
disciples, they embracedhis doctrines, believed in him as the Messiah,
submitted to his ordinances, imitated him in the exercise of grace, andin the
performance of duty: for, at the same time he restoredtheir bodily sight, he
gave them a spiritual one to look to him, and follow him, the light of the
world, that they might enjoy the light of life in another world.
Geneva Study Bible

8. So Jesus had compassionon them, and touched their eyes:and immediately
their eyes receivedsight, and they followedhim.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 20:34. σπλαγχνισθεὶς. Note the frequent reference to Christ’s pity in
this gospel(Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, and here).—τῶν
ὀμμάτων, a synonym for ὀφθαλμῶν, as if with some regard to style which the
scribes might have been expectedto appreciate, but have not (ὀφθ., thrice,
T.R.). ὄμμα is poetic in class. Greek.—ἠκολούθησαν, they followedHim, like
the rest, without guide (sine hodego, Beng.), so showing at once that their eyes
were opened and their hearts grateful.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
34. they followedhim] It is probable that very many of those who had received
sight and soundness of limb by the word or touch of Jesus followedHim to
Jerusalem.
followed]Jesus Himself leads the procession. SeeLuke 19:28.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 20:34. Σπλαγχνισθεὶς, being moved with compassion)The
compassionofJesus was arousedby every human misery.—ἠκολούθησαν
Αὐτῷ, they followedHim) with the multitudes mentioned in ch. Matthew 21:8,
and without any one to lead them.[898]
[898]Sc. as formerly, when they were blind.—ED.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 34. - Touchedtheir eyes. Only St. Matthew mentions this action of our
Lord; but in all other casesofthe cure of blindness the healing touch of the
Man accompaniedthe word of the God (comp. Matthew 9:29; Mark 8:23;

9. John 9:6), and Christ did not now depart from his usual practice. Thus, as we
have noticed before, he connectedthe cure with himself. He proved that his
flesh takenunto the Godheadwas life-giving, remedial, efficacious;and he
confirmed the faith of the sufferers and bystanders by showing that there was
no deceit or collusion. The other synoptists give Christ's assurance to the men,
that the restorationof their sight was the reward of faith - a faith exhibited by
the invocationof Jesus as "Sonof David," by continued importunity amid
surrounding difficulties, by confidence in his powerand willingness to heal
brought to a point by Christ's question, "Whatwill ye that I shall do unto
you?" They followedhim. A fact only less remarkable than the miracle that
led to it. The impulse of a grateful heart drew them along the road which the
Saviour travelled. They may have accompaniedhim to Jerusalem, and joined
the applauding multitude which escortedhim to the holy city, and employed
their new powerof sight in observing that wonderful spectaclewhichthe next
few days afforded. One, at any rate, of these men, Bartimaeus, seems to have
become knownin the early Church as a devotedfollowerof Christ, and hence
his name is recordedfor all time in the sacrednarrative.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
So Jesus had compassionon them - Σπλαγχνιαθεις, He was moved with tender
pity. The tender pity of Christ met the earnestcry of the blind men, and their
immediate cure was the result.
They followedhim - As a proof of the miracle that was wrought, and of the
gratitude which they felt to their benefactor. For other particulars of this
miraculous cure, see the notes on Mark 10:46, etc.

10. Reader, whosoeverthou art, act in behalf of thy soul as these blind men did in
behalf of their sight, and thy salvationis sure. Apply to the Son of David; lose
not a moment; he is passing by, and thou art passing into eternity, and
probably wilt never have a more favorable opportunity than the present. The
Lord increase thy earnestnessandfaith!
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touchedtheir eyes;and straightway
they receivedtheir sight, and followed him.
Christ's wonderful compassionsethim apart from others. Alas, compassionis
not a common human trait. How few there are who have the grace to see and
the compassionto pity the sufferings of others. It is far easierto ascribe their
woeful condition to their own sins or misdeeds and to go blindly and
heedlesslyonwardwithout regard to those of our fellow mortals who make up
the company of earth's wretchedsufferers. How glorious it is that Jesus saw
the man, and all the human tragedy, and the bleeding human heart that beat
beneath the beggar's tatteredshirt. H. Leo Boles observedfrom Mark's
accountthat Jesus bade them, "Go thy way." And yet, with an affectionate
disobedience, they followedhim as their benefactor.
It was their way to follow him, since they were obedient after all. The blessing
which they sought in receiving sight may have led them to become his disciples
and receive spiritual blessings.[4]
ENDNOTE:
[4] H. Leo Boles, A Commentary on the Gospelaccording to Matthew
(Nashville: The GospelAdvocate Company, 1961), p. 408.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

11. So Jesus had compassionon them,.... His bowels moved towards them as a
man; he pitied their miserable and distressedcondition, and discoveredthe
tenderness of his heart towards them by some outward sign, by his looks, or
by some gesture or another: parpat and touched their eyes;with his bare
hand, without the use of any instrument or medicine. The Ethiopic version
adds; "and said unto them, according to your faith shall it be unto you";
which seems to be taken out of Matthew 9:29. The EvangelistMark relates,
that "Jesus saidunto him (Bartimaeus) go thy way, thy faith hath made thee
whole":not that the virtue of healing came from the act of faith, but from the
objectof it; his faith was not the cause of, nor the reasonwhy, but the way and
means in and by which he receivedthe cure:
and immediately their eyes receivedsight; or, as the Syriac and Persic
versions render the words, "that moment their eyes were opened":the cure
was wrought at once, directly; a clearproof of the omnipotence of Christ, and
of his true and proper deity: the words, "their eyes", are not in some copies:
and are omitted by the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, which
read thus, "they immediately saw". The Persic versionadds, and they saw the
world; the men and things of it, which they either had never seenbefore, or, at
least, for a considerable time; which must be a very surprising and agreeable
sight to them.
And they followedhim; in a corporalsense they joined the multitude, and
went after him to Jerusalem; partly to express their gratitude for such a
wonderful favour bestowedupon them; and partly that they might be
witnesses ofthe power of his deity, and the truth of his Messiahship, as they
went along, and at Jerusalem:and in a spiritual sense;they became his
disciples, they embracedhis doctrines, believed in him as the Messiah,
submitted to his ordinances, imitated him in the exercise of grace, andin the
performance of duty: for, at the same time he restoredtheir bodily sight, he
gave them a spiritual one to look to him, and follow him, the light of the
world, that they might enjoy the light of life in another world.
People's New Testament

12. Jesus... touchedtheir eyes. The faith of the blind men had saved them.
Compare Mark and Luke. Faith saved. The blind Bartimæus (1) askedabout
Jesus as he passed;(2) cried to him as the Son of David, the Messiah;(3) asked
for mercy; (4) kept on crying when they tried to stop him; (5) when permitted,
sprang up and hurried to Jesus;(6) askedofhim to receive his sight. This is
faith in action.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Touchedtheir eyes (ηπσατο των ομματων — hēpsato tōn ommatōn). A
synonym for οπταλμων— ophthalmōn in Mark 8:23 and here alone in the
N.T. In the lxx and a common poetic word (Euripides) and occurs in the
papyri. In modern Greek ματια μου — matia mou (abbreviation) means
“light of my eye,” “my darling.” The verb απτομαι — haptomai is very
common in the Synoptic Gospels. The touch of Christ‘s hand would sooththe
eyes as they were healed.
The Fourfold Gospel
And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touchedtheir eyes;and straightway
they receivedtheir sight, and followed him1.
And straightwaythey receivedtheir sight, and followed him. See .
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
Matthew 20:34.And followed him. This was an expressionof gratitude, (673)
when the blind men became followers ofChrist; for, though it is uncertain
how long they dischargedthis duty, yet it showeda grateful mind, that they

13. presentedthemselves to many, in that journey, as mirrors of the grace of
Christ. Luke adds, that the people gave praise to God, which tends to prove
the certainty of the miracle.
Hawker's PoorMan's Commentary
REFLECTIONS
Who can read in this Chapter, the striking Parable of the householderhiring
laborers into his Vineyard, and not feelconviction at the free, sovereign,
purposing, appointing, carrying on, and completing grace ofGod? Is not the
Vineyard of the Lord of hosts, his Church: and every plant in it of the Lord's
right hand planting? What! if Jesus sends his under servants his ministers to
labor in his service;or calls his people to sit down under his shadow, do either
lessenthe right and property of the Almighty owner? Is not the whole his, by
gift, by purchase, by right, by conquest, and by power? And is it not separated
by redeeming grace from the world's wide wilderness, and fencedin with
love? Ye ministers of my God! esteemit the highest honor, to labor within the
sacredinclosure, and be more anxious to win souls than to win kingdoms. Ye
children of the Lord! whether in the early, mid-day, or later calls of his grace;
bless God for the distinguishing mercy. Soonwill the evening of life come;and
the Lord of the Vineyard will callye home, from his courts below to his
heaven above.
Precious Lord Jesus!I behold thee by the eye of faith in thine ascentto
Jerusalem!Yes! truly there thou wastdelivered for our offences and raised
againfor our justification! Grant me dearestLord to be more anxious to be
brought under the continual baptisms of thy spirit, than to arrive at the
highest temporal honors. A door-keeperin thy house, far exceeds the golden
tents of the ungodly.
In the review of my Lord's mercy to those poor blind men, and the grace
imparted to them to be so earnestwith Jesus for bodily sight; teachme, thou
gracious giverof eyes to the blind, to imitate their cries for spiritual
apprehension of my Lord's person, work, and righteousness.Oh! for grace to

14. see the king in his beauty, and to have my soul so awakenedto desires after
Christ, that I may follow my God and Saviorby faith here, till in open vision I
shall see him as he is, and dwell with him forever!
John Trapp Complete Commentary
34 So Jesus had compassiononthem, and touched their eyes:and immediately
their eyes receivedsight, and they followedhim.
Ver. 34. And Jesus had compassionon them] He made their case his own.
Misericordia Mercysounds as much as misery laid to heart. Christ’s heart
sounded upon the sight and suit of these blind beggars, Isaiah63:15, and this
was beyond all alms, should he have done no more for them. Forwhen one
gives an alms, he gives somewhatwithout himself, but by compassionwe
relieve anotherby somewhatwithin and from ourselves, while we draw out
our soul (not our sheafonly) to the hungry, Isaiah58:10.
And immediately their eyes receivedsight] This is not every blind man’s
happiness, that yet prays for sight. But there is a better eyesightthan that of
the body, which if God vouchsafe to any in bodily blindness (as he did to that
blind boy of Gloucesterthat had suffered imprisonment there for confessing
the truth) it may be said to such surely, as BishopHooper the martyr did to
him, Ah, poor boy, God hath takenfrom thee thy outward sight, but hath
given thee another much more precious, &c. (Acts and Mon.) The like favour
God showedto Didimus Alexandrinus, who though blind from his childhood,
yet was not only an excellentartist, but an able divine; and wrote certain
commentaries on the Psalms, and likewise onthe Gospels;being now (saith
Jerome, who relates it) above 83 years of age. Trithemius and Bozius report
the like things concerning one Nicasius de Voarda, a Dutchman, who being
struck blind at three years old, became nevertheless anexcellentscholar, and

15. skilful in the laws, which he publicly professedatCollen. Afterwards he
proceededMasterof Arts at Lovain, Licentiate in Divinity at the same
University, and lastly Doctorof the Laws at Cullen; where, after he had
printed his public lectures, he died, and was buried in the Cathedral Church,
A.D. 1491, 17 Calend. September. (August 16.)
Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Matthew 20:34. And they followedhim— The blind men travelled along with
Jesus, perhaps all the way to Jerusalem, being deeply affectedwith a sense of
his powerand goodness, andearnestlydesirous to shew their gratitude, by
declaring openly to all the persons they met, what a great miracle Jesus had
performed upon them. Besides by following him in the road without any
guide, they put the truth of the miracle beyond all suspicion. Accordingly St.
Luke tells us, Luke 18:43 that the people, when they saw what was done, were
thankful to God for the mercy of the cure, and acknowledgedthe divine
mission of the prophet who had performed it, and who, before the cure, had
been addressedby the blind men as the Son of David, or the Messiah, The
allegoricalreflectionwhichErasmus makes on this circumstance is beautiful:
"Thus Jesus by his touch cures the mind, which is blinded by worldly lusts,
and gives light for this end, that we may follow his footsteps."
Inferences.—Ofwhatvast meaning and high importance are the concluding
words of our Lord's awakening parable in this chapter! Many are called, but
few are chosen. We ought often to meditate upon them, that we may not
content ourselves with having the offers of the Gospelmade to us, or even with
being admitted into the visible church of God, but may give all diligence to
make our calling and electionsure.
We are summoned to a course of holy labour, even to work in our Lord's
vineyard; or in every station, whether public or private, to do our utmost to
promote the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind. With so many calls,
and so many advantages, shallwe stand all the day idle? No; rather let us be

16. active and patient, and cheerfully willing to bear all the burden and heat of
the day in so gooda cause;knowing that ere long the evening will come, and
that he who employs us, saith, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with
me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
It is an encouraging thought to those who have long neglectedthe great
business of life, that some were calledat the eleventh hour; but it will be
dangerous indeed for any to presume on their having such a call. It will be
delusive and erroneous to strain the parable so far, as to imagine that an equal
reward awaits all, without any regard to their characters orimprovements;
for this is most contrary to the reasonof things, to the word of God, and to the
greatintent of that day, which is to render to every man according to his
works. The Gentiles are indeed now calledto equal privileges with the Jews, to
which this circumstance of the parable refers; and we all see how odious a
temper it was in that favourite nation to be offended with the Gospelon that
account, which should rather have recommended it to their most joyful
acceptance. It should be our care to avoid every degree of envy, whoevermay
be put on a level with, or preferred to us; acknowledging the sovereignright
of God to do what he will with his own, nor suffering our eye to be evil and
malicious, because he is bountiful and good. To prevent this, we should labour
after that unfeigned love to the brethren, which will never allow us to repine
at their advancement, but will engage us to rejoice in their honour and
happiness; so shall we exchange the basestand most uneasypassionof human
nature, for that which is of all others the noblest and most delightful.
He, who had his own time and ours in his hand, foreknew and foretold the
approachof his dissolution; Matthew 20:17-19. When men are near their end,
and ready to make their will, then is it reasonable to sue for legacies. Thus did
the mother of Zebedee's children. It is an uncommon stile which is given to
this woman. It had been as easyto have saidthe wife of Zebedee, or the sister
of Mary, or of Joseph, orplain Salome;but now, by an unusual description;
she is stiled the mother of Zebedee's children. Zebedee was an obscure man;
she, as his wife, was no better: the greatesthonour she ever had, or could
have, was to have two such sons as James and John; those gave a title to both
their parents. Honour ascends as wellas descends;holy children dignify the
loins whence they proceed, no less than they derive honour from their parents.

17. Salome might be a good wife, a goodwoman, a goodneighbor, but all these
cannot ennoble her so much as being the mother of Zebedee's children.
The suit was the sons';but by the mouth of their mother. It is not
discommendable in parents to seek the preferment of their children: why may
not Abraham sue for an Ishmael? So it be by lawful means, in a moderate
measure, and in due order, this endeavour cannot be amiss.
He, who knew all their thoughts afar off, yet, as if he had been a strangerto
their purposes, asks, Whatwouldestthou? Our infirmities do then best shame
us, when they are drawn out of our own mouths; like as our prayers also serve
not to acquaint God with our wants, but to make us the more capable of his
mercies.
Our Saviour had said, that his twelve followers should sit upon twelve
thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. This goodwoman would have
her two sons next his person, the prime peers of his kingdom. Every one is apt
to wish the best for his own: worldly honour is neither worth our suit, nor
unworthy our acceptance:yes, Salome, had thy mind been in heaven; hadst
thou intended this desired pre-eminence in that desired state of glory, yet I
know not how to justify thine ambition.
The mother asks,the sons have the answer. To convince them of their
unfitness for glory,—they are sent to their impotency in suffering, Are ye able,
&c.? Matthew 20:22. O Saviour! even thou, who art one with thy Father,
hadst a cup of thine own; never portion was so bitter as that which was mixed
for thee; it is not enough for thee to sip of this cup, thou must drink it up even
to the very dregs. When the vinegarand gall were tendered to thee by men,
thou didst but kiss the cup; but when thy Fathergave into thine hands a
portion infinitely more distasteful; thou for our health didst drink deep of it,
even to the bottom; and saidst, It is finished. And can we repine at those
unpleasing draughts of affliction which are tempered for us sinful men, when
we see thee, the Son of thy Father's love, thus dieted? We pledge thee, O
blessedSaviour! we pledge thee according to our weakness, who hastbegun to
us in thy powerful sufferings: only do thou enable us, after the natural
struggles ofreluctant nature are over, at lastwillingly to pledge thee in our

18. constantsufferings for thee; for if thou hast not grudged thy precious blood to
us, well mayst thou challenge some worthless drops from us; through many
tribulations must we enter into the kingdom of heaven. Let who will hope to
walk upon roses and violets thither, I will trace thee, O Saviour! by the track
of thy blood, and by thy red steps follow thee to thine eternal rest.
The motion of the two disciples was not more full of infirmity than their
answer:—We are able; out of an eagerdesire of the honour, they are ready to
undertake the condition. The best men may be mistakenin their own powers:
alas, how striking an instance have we in the case ofour Lord's followers!
when it came to the issue, They all forsook him, and fled. It is one thing to
suffer in speculation, anotherin practice. There cannot be a worse sign than
for a man in a carnalpresumption to vaunt of his own abilities: how justly
does God suffer that man to be foiled, on purpose that he may be ashamed of
his ownvain confidence!O God, let me ever be humbled in the sense of my
own insufficiency; let me give all the glory to thee, and take nothing to myself
but my infirmities.
Oh the wonderful mildness of the Son of God! He does not chide the two
disciples, either for their ambition in suing, or their presumption in
undertaking; but, leaving the worst, he takes the best of their answer;and,
omitting their errors, encouragestheir goodintentions. Ye shall drink indeed,
&c. Matthew 20:23. Were it not as high honour to drink of thy cup, O
Saviour, thou hadst not promised it as a favour: I am deceived, if what thou
grantedstwas much less than that which thou deniedst. To pledge thee in
thine own cup, is not much less dignity and familiarity than to sit by thee. If
we suffer with thee, we shall also reign togetherwith thee: what greater
promotion canflesh and blood be capable of, than a conformity to the Lord of
life and glory?—Enable thou me to drink of thy cup, and then seatme where
thou wilt.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The parable with which this chapter opens, is a
comment on the text which concluded the foregoing chapter, and represents to
us the Gospeldispensation, and this with particular applicationto the Jews
and Gentiles;the former of whom were ever for excluding the latter from all
the blessings ofthe Messiah'skingdom, and could never endure the thoughts

19. of the heathen being admitted to equal privileges with themselves. But so God
had ordained; and though for their fathers' sakes the first offers of the Gospel
were to be made to them, yet the Gentiles were shortly to be admitted to the
same high privileges, and glorious dispensation. But I have enlargedso fully
on this parable, in the critical notes and the Inferences, that I refer my reader
to them for every thing which I judge it necessaryto advance on this subject.
2nd, To prepare them for that scene of distress and sufferings on which he
was about to enter, our Lord once more took his disciples apart, as they went
up togetherto Jerusalem, and repeatedwhat he had said before, chap.
Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:22-23 informing them now more particularly
concerning the manner of his sufferings and death, which he had foretold:
that he should not only be betrayed into his enemies'hands, but persecuted
with unrelenting malice, and by a most unrighteous sentence condemnedto
die: that he should be delivered to the Gentiles, the Romans, who alone had
then the powerof life and death in Judaea;and, after enduring the most
shocking and barbarous indignities, should suffer death—tidings that no
doubt filled them with horror and dismay: but he adds, for their comfort and
support, that on the third day he should rise again. Note;In all the troubles
that we feel or fear, it is a comfort to look forward to a resurrection-day.
3rdly, Far from being cured of their national prejudices by all the sufferings
which our Lord had foretold them he should endure, they concluded that
these would be only the prelude to the glorious manifestation of his temporal
powerat his rising again. And therefore,
1. Two of the disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, with their
mother Salome, who is supposed to have been nearly related to Joseph, and
might therefore hope to have a strong interest in Jesus, came to their Master,
and, through her preferring their request, with deep respectshe besoughthim
to grant her a favour; and being ordered to name it, she desiredhim to confer
on her two sons the first honours of that temporal kingdom which they shortly
expectedwould appear.
2. Pitying their ignorance and weakness, insteadof upbraiding their pride and
folly, our Lord turned to the two disciples, and gently admonished them,

20. saying, Ye know not what ye ask:your notions of the nature of my kingdom
are utterly mistaken: it is not an earthly throne to which I shall be exalted:
and as mistakenare you in the means of attaining the honours that you seek.
You are not aware of the sufferings and trials which must be endured by all
those who would come to reign with me. Through much tribulation lies the
entrance into heaven; and canyou, think ye, drink of my bitter cup, or bear to
be baptized in blood, as I must shortly be? Such sufferings as these they were
not prepared for: their ambition lookedso high, that they saw not the dangers
which were before them, nor knew what manner of spirit they were of. Note;
(1.) They who would reign with Christ, must first suffer with him; and every
Christian should well count the cost, before he begins to take up his cross. (2.)
In all our sufferings it should sweetenour cup to think that Christ has drank
of it before us, and all the bitterness of sin he has takenaway.
3. Their self-confidence is a natural consequenceoftheir pride; and therefore
without hesitationthey boldly engage fortheir own ability and fidelity;
though, alas!they were sad strangers to themselves, and knew not what they
said. Note;Young converts are often very forward, till sad experience has
taught them their own weakness.
4. Christ replies, and assures them that they shall suffer for him, and in a
manner which they probably at that time little apprehended. But though they
did so, still he left their request in suspense. The honour they soughtwas not
to be given, unless to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. See the
notes.
5. The same ambitious spirit which spake in the request of John and James,
equally appearedin the indignation of the other ten againstthem; who each
thought himself as much entitled to the superiority which they desired. They
did not grieve for the sin of their brethren, but were angry at what they
conceivedan affront to themselves;and, while they violently condemned the
ambition of the other disciples, were, like too many, blind to the same spirit in
their own hearts. Note;Desire of pre-eminence is among the most fruitful
sources ofdisputes among brethren. Insteadof being in his own eyes the last
and the least, eachis for assuming a superiority, which the proud heart of his
fellow is very unwilling to admit.

21. 6. To silence the dispute, and strike at the rootof the evil, Jesus with the
greatesttenderness calledthem to him; and, to beat down that spirit of
ambition, so evil in itself, and so peculiarly unbecoming their holy and humble
profession, he endeavours to undeceive them respecting the nature of his
kingdom, which was purely spiritual. The kings and princes of the Gentiles
indeed thirsted after dominion and despotic sway, and the more potent
exercisedunbounded authority over their weakervassalsand subjects;but
utterly unlike them must their conduct be. Their greatnessmust consist, not in
lording it over God's heritage, but in their abounding labours; not in aspiring
desires to rule, but in humble endeavours to promote the salvationof men's
souls. The only laudable ambition that Jesus canapprove, is the holy strife
who shall be most condescending, and the first in every work and labour of
love to serve the meanestwho bear the Christian name. Nordid he, their
Master, recommendaught to them, of which himself had not setthem an
eminent example, who came not to take state upon himself, and be served with
earthly pomp and grandeur; but humbled himself to the lowestoffices in the
service of men's souls and bodies; and, after living the life of a servant, was
about to die the death of a slave; that by the sacrifice of himself he might give
his life a ransom for many, even for the whole world, but especiallyfor them
that believe and endure to the end; in order to redeem them from the guilt
and powerof their sins, and from the wrath of God which they had provoked:
having him therefore for such a pattern of humility, they were peculiarly
obliged to copy after it. Note;(1.) The affectationof earthly pomp and
splendor is utterly unbecoming those who pretend to be the ministers of the
meek and humble Jesus. (2.)The church of Christ has never suffered greater
injuries than from the tyranny and oppressionof those, who, professing to be
the successors ofthe Apostles, seemto have inherited nothing from them, but
that lordly, ambitious, and domineering spirit, for which Jesus so justly
reprimanded them. (3.) The only allowable ambition among the ministers of
Christ is, who shall be most humble and serviceable to their brethren, and
herein most conform to their blessedMaster's image.
4thly, Advancing still towards Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples passed
through Jericho, attended as usual by a vastmultitude, whom curiosity to
hear him or to see his miracles, desire to learn, or want of his healing

22. influence, had drawn together; when behold a wondrous instance of his power
and compassionappears.
1. Two blind men, beggars, satby the way-side, and hearing from some of the
multitude, that the famed prophet of Nazareth, who had wrought so many
miracles, was passing by, they immediately concludedit a most providential
circumstance, and with united and loud supplications cried out incessantly,
Have mercy on us, O Lord thou Son of David. Note; (1.) In these blind
beggars we may behold a lively emblem of our own souls in their natural state.
Our understanding is darkness, and we are utterly destitute of all good,
perishing inevitably in want and wretchedness, unless the divine mercy
respectour misery and relieve us. (2.) They who feel their real state, will cry
after Jesus, the only hope of the miserable and the destitute. (3.) Providential
opportunities should be improved; if we neglectthem now, they never may
return.
2. They made so loud a noise, and cried so vehemently, that the multitude
rebuked them as troublesome, and bade them be silent. But this only made
them redouble their prayers, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of
David: thou, who art so able to help us, whose tender mercies have been so
often extended to others, let our pitiable case engagethy notice, and move thy
wonted compassions. And herein they have set us a noble example, (1.) Of
fervent prayer. Their wants were great;they felt them with deep sensibility;
therefore they cried so loud, so perseveringly: so should we do. We may meet
with many discouragements in seeking Christ; but these, instead of silencing
our prayer, should quicken our importunity. (2.) Of confident faith. They
were fully persuaded, that what they asked, he was willing and able to grant
them. His power as the Lord, his office as the Son of David, emboldened their
trust in his mercy. It is by faith that we must thus in every distress honour
Jesus by casting our care upon him, pleading his name as the ground of our
confidence. (3.) Of deep humility. They ask for mercy alone, referring
themselves intirely to him for the manner in which he pleases to dispense it to
them. We have no merit; can claim nothing at God's hands; deserve nothing
but wrath and hell: all our hope is in his boundless grace, to supply all our
poverty and wretchedness, to pardon our guilt, and to bestow the graces ofthe

23. spirit, and thereby all the great privileges of the gospeldispensation. This
mercy grant, O Sonof David!
3. Christ, who had heard their cries, and knew what rebukes they had met
with, stoodand calledthem to him; for he delights to revive the spirit of the
contrite, and to relieve the wants of the miserable. He bids them therefore
prefer their request, intimating his readiness to grant the mercy they had so
importunately sought. Note;The promises of Christ give an unlimited scope to
our prayers; we can ask nothing really goodfor us, which Jesus is not willing
to borrow.
4. The poor blind men have a ready answer:Lord, that our eyes may be
opened. They ask not for silver or gold, but for a boon far more difficult to be
granted, which yet they are assuredhe can easilybestow. We have need to
prefer the same prayer every day; and would to God we were more deeply
affectedwith our spiritual blindness, that our applications might be more
frequent and fervent.
5. Their cure is immediate. The compassions ofJesus leftthem not in
suspense:he touched their eyes;a flood of day instantly broke upon them; and
joining the company, they joyfully followedhim, testifying their gratitude,
love, and praise. Note; They who are enlightened by the Redeemer's grace,
will from that moment cleave to him in his holy ways, and gratefully labour to
advance his glory.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
Matthew 20:34. σπλαγχνισθεὶς, being moved with compassion)The
compassionof Jesus was arousedby every human misery.— ἠκολούθησαν
αὐτῷ, they followedHim) with the multitudes mentioned in ch. Matthew 21:8,
and without any one to lead them.(898)
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible

24. Ver. 29-34. Mark repeateththe same story, Mark 10:46-52, with severalmore
circumstances.
1. He mentions only one blind man, and nameth him Bartimaeus, the sonof
Timaeus. He saith, the blind man was begging.
Mark saith, when Christ calledthe blind man, they said unto him, Be of good
comfort, rise; he calleththee. And he, casting awayhis garment, rose, and
came to Jesus. He further adds, that Christ saidunto him, Go thy way; thy
faith hath made thee whole. Luke relates the same, Luke 18:35-43. He saith,
As he was come nigh to Jericho. He mentions but one blind man. In repeating
Christ’s words he saith, Jesus saidunto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath
savedthee. And immediately he receivedhis sight, and followedhim,
glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Our Lord presently gives his disciples a demonstration of what he had said,
that he came to minister, to serve even the poorestand most despicable
creatures. Jericho was a city not far from Jordan, Joshua 3:16; it was taken,
Joshua 6:1-27, and upon the division of the land fell within the lot of
Benjamin, Joshua 18:21. Our Saviour took it in his way from Galilee to
Jerusalem. Probably these blind men, or Bartimaeus at least, who alone is
mentioned by Mark and Luke, hearing Christ was coming, satfirst on the side
of Jericho next Galilee, and then got him on the other side, as our Saviour was
leaving the town. Which makes Luke say, as he was come nigh; and the two
other evangelists say, as he went out of Jericho, he satbegging. Bartimaeus
being (as it should seem) the most known, and the most famous, is alone
mentioned by Mark and Luke. Matthew (naming none) saith there were two;
which Mark and Luke deny not, but knowing only the name of the one of
them, they mention only one. They speak to our Saviour under the notion of
the Sonof David, by which they owned him as the true Messias;for that was a
title by which the Messiaswas knownamongstthe Jews, according to the
prophecies of him. They ask him for mercy; they continue in their cry, though
the multitudes rebuked them, as possibly thinking they only came to ask some
alms, and were too importunate, seeing our Lord seemednot to regardthem.
God sometimes trieth our faith by delays, how it will hold out, but he never
frustrateth it. This minds us of our duty, to pray without ceasing. Christstops,
calleth them, asks them what they would have. They seemmost sensible of

25. their bodily wants, and answer, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. Jesus hath
compassiononthem, toucheth their eyes, (Christ sometimes, but not always in
healing, touched the affectedpart), and (as Luke saith) he said, Receive thy
sight. The miracle is wrought; they presently are able to see. Luke addeth,
that Christ said, Thy faith hath savedthee. We have met with the same phrase
before. I have made thee whole, but thy faith in me hath prevailed with me to
do it. Their faith in his power was seen,
1. In their owning him as the true Messiah;so able to do it.
2. In their imploring his mercy, and going on in their cries of that nature,
though they met with a rebuke.
Faith and fervent prayer do greatthings with God, because ofhis compassion.
The prayer of faith shall save the sick, James 5:15. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James 5:16. Nor is any man so mean
and contemptible in the world, (these two blind men were beggars), but if they
can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, if they will lie in Christ’s way, if they
will cry unto him, and not give over their cries, they shall obtain at our
Saviour’s hands greaterthings than these. This miracle gains God glory from
the multitude, and from the blind man not only praise, but a resolutionto
follow Christ. This should be the effectof all salvations wrought for us. Mercy
is then duly improved, when it bringeth forth in our hearts glory and praise to
God, and engages us to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Saviour had
wrought his former miracles in Galilee, where the witnesses ofthem were
remote; he hath now two witnessesin the province of Judea, who go along
with him towards Jerusalem, where we shall find him in the next chapter.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
34. Touchedtheir eyes — To show that the miracle was no coincidence or
accident, but the immediate effectof divine power. His finger was the visible
conductor of invisible omnipotence. Mark says that our Lord uttered the
words “Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.” Some miracles early in
his ministry, our Lord performed before their faith, in order to create faith;

26. other miracles he performed subsequent to their faith, to reward and thus
increase faith. And they followedhim — He had bidden them “Go thy way;”
but with an affectionate disobedience theyfollowedtheir benefactor. Perhaps
they concluded that their “way” was to follow his footsteps.
We may suppose, that as our Saviour crossedthe Jordan, and came acrossthe
deserttract betweenthe Jordan and Jericho, he walks at the head of his train
of twelve disciples. As he departs from Jericho, his fame and the idea that he
is on his way to Jerusalemattractthe multitude to follow him. Matthew 20:1.
From Jericho he mounts the ascending hills of bleak limestone rocks,
celebratedat that time as a route of danger from robber hordes, and
characterizedfrom that time to this as a scene ofdesertdreariness. It was the
scene ofthe parable of the goodSamaritan. By the same route that the men
went down from Jerusalemto Jericho, and fell among thieves, did our Lord
go up from Jericho to Jerusalem. Some miles he walks, whenBethany appears
in a distant view, a little wide-spreadvillage, perched upon a shelf of the
easternside of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. He
arrived at Bethany, according to John 12:1, six days before his lastpassover;
the six days of what has been calledin the Church, with true propriety, THE
PASSION WEEK. Of the events of that week Matthew now proceeds to
furnish a narration.
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
‘And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touchedtheir eyes, and
immediately they receivedtheir sight, and followedhim.’
For moved with compassionHe touched their eyes and they immediately
receivedtheir sight and followedHim. The personal contactwas very much
part of Jesus’methods (compare Matthew 8:3; Matthew 8:15; Matthew 9:25;
Matthew 9:29), and the compassiona constant feature of His ministry
(Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14;Matthew 15:32), while the immediate total
successofthe healing was His trademark. So Jerusalemwas receiving
advancedwarning that the time promised by Isaiahwas here, and that it was
at the hands of the compassionateand powerful ‘Son of David’.

27. Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Matthew 20:34. Touchedtheir eyes. Peculiarto Matthew: the other Gospels
insert： ‘Thy faith hath savedthee.’ The question of Matthew 20:32 was
designedto call forth an expressionof this faith.—‘Thousands have read this
simple and touching story as a truthful history of their own spiritual
blindness, and its removal through the abounding grace ofJesus Christ’ (J. J.
Owen).
The Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 20:34. σπλαγχνισθεὶς. Note the frequent reference to Christ’s pity in
this gospel(Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, and here).— τῶν
ὀμμάτων, a synonym for ὀφθαλμῶν, as if with some regard to style which the
scribes might have been expectedto appreciate, but have not ( ὀφθ., thrice,
T.R.). ὄμμα is poetic in class. Greek.— ἠκολούθησαν, they followedHim, like
the rest, without guide (sine hodego, Beng.), so showing at once that their eyes
were opened and their hearts grateful.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(34) So Jesus had compassion.—Literally, andJesus. It was not His purpose to
meet the popular demand for signs and wonders, but compassiondrew from
Him the work of powerwhich otherwise He would have shrunk from here.
And then the two followedHim, glorifying God. In St. Luke’s narrative the
incident is followedby the story of Zacchæus and the parable of the Pounds.
Possibly(see Note on Matthew 20:30) they precededit.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge

28. So Jesus had compassionon them, and touched their eyes:and immediately
their eyes receivedsight, and they followedhim.
Jesus
9:36; 14:14; 15:32;Psalms 145:8;Luke 7:13; John 11:33-35;Hebrews 2:17;
Hebrews 4:15,16;1 Peter3:8
touched
9:29; Mark 7:33; Luke 22:51;John 9:6,7
and they
8:15; Psalms 119:67,71;Luke 18:43; Acts 26:18
MostRelevantVerses
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to Me, all who are wearyand heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take Myyoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is
easyand My burden is light."
Hebrews 2:17
Verse Concepts
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might
become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to
make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Luke 7:13

29. Verse Concepts
When the Lord saw her, He felt compassionfor her, and said to her, "Do not
weep."
Matthew 15:32
Verse Concepts
And Jesus calledHis disciples to Him, and said, "I feelcompassionfor the
people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing
to eat; and I do not want to send them awayhungry, for they might faint on
the way."
Isaiah40:11
Verse Concepts
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gatherthe lambs
And carry them in His bosom; He will gently leadthe nursing ewes.
Isaiah42:3
Verse Concepts
"A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not
extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
Isaiah63:9
Verse Concepts
In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved
them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemedthem, And He lifted them
and carried them all the days of old.
Matthew 8:3
Verse Concepts

30. Jesus stretchedout His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be
cleansed."And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:16-17
When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed;
and He castout the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was
to fulfill what was spokenthrough Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK
OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES."
Matthew 9:36
Verse Concepts
Seeing the people, He felt compassionfor them, because they were distressed
and dispirited like sheepwithout a shepherd.
Matthew 14:14
Verse Concepts
When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassionfor them
and healedtheir sick.
Matthew 18:11-13
["Forthe Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]"What do you
think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does
he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and searchfor the one
that is straying? "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I sayto you, he rejoices
over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
Matthew 20:34
Verse Concepts
Moved with compassion, Jesus touchedtheir eyes;and immediately they
regainedtheir sight and followed Him.

31. Matthew 23:37
Verse Concepts
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent
to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Mark 6:34
Verse Concepts
When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassionfor
them because they were like sheepwithout a shepherd; and He beganto teach
them many things.
Mark 8:2-3
"I feel compassionfor the people because theyhave remained with Me now
three days and have nothing to eat. "If I send them awayhungry to their
homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great
distance."
Luke 19:41-42
When He approachedJerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If
you had knownin this day, even you, the things which make for peace!But
now they have been hidden from your eyes.
John 11:34-38
and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and
see." Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"read
more.

32. John 18:8-9
Jesus answered, "Itold you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their
way," to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Ofthose whom You have given Me
I lost not one."
2 Corinthians 8:9
Verse Concepts
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become
rich.
Hebrews 4:15
Verse Concepts
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
END OF STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
The Compassionofthe King
Series:Matthew
Sermon by J. Ligon Duncan on Mar 7, 1999
Matthew 20:29-34

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If you have your Bibles, I’d invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 20.
For the last few chapters Jesus has been teaching His disciples about true
greatness.Jesus has beenemphasizing that kingdom greatness is measuredby
the yardstick of humility. He had taught us that in Matthew chapter 18. He
had taught us that salvation belongs to the little ones and those who are like
them in Matthew 19. That trusting fully in the Lord and denying oneself, and
giving instead of getting, is the mark of His true followers. In Matthew
chapter 19 he had taught that eagernessto labor for the masterwithout
asking the question what's in it for me, is the characteristicofHis true
followers. And it's the characteristic ofthose, who in the final days, though
they are counted by some to be last, they will be found to be first. Larry
Richards says this, “The disciples had askedaboutgreatness in Jesus'present
kingdom. And Jesus had answeredthem fully. Greatness involves humbling
ourselves and taking our place as one of God's little ones. Greatnessinvolves
accepting others as little ones, too. Seeking to restore when they go astray.
Having patience. And always being willing to let forgiveness washawaythe
hurts that sin must bring. Greatnessalso meanrejecting the attractive but

34. destructive ways in which religious people often seek greatness, to build
themselves up by their works, by their outward acts and by ritual.”
And so Matthew brings us now here at the end of Matthew chapter 20 to the
end of an entire sectionof this gospel. We are about to be ushered into the
final sectionof the gospelof Matthew. And here he gives us a deeply moving
incident which helps us sense the kind of greatness thatJesus has. And so let’s
turn to Matthew chapter 20 verse 29 and hear God's holy word. And as they
were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followedHim.
Matthew 20:29-34
Father, we do thank you for this word, and we ask that by the Spirit our eyes
would be open to understand it and that our hearts would be yielded to
obedience to it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God is teaching us one grand lessonin this passage. He is showing us the
greatness andcompassionofour Lord Jesus Christ as a picture of what true
kingdom greatness is. As the disciples are jostling amongstthemselves to be
counted great, here is Jesus ministering to outcasts. It is a picture of what true
greatness is in His kingdom. But, along the waythere are severalother
important, valuable, relevant issues that are dealt with. And I’d like to look at
those as well as we considerthis passagebefore us today. There are three
parts to the passage, andI’d like you to see two or three things.
I. We cry out to the Lord when we realize we need Him.
First, if I could direct your attention to verses 29 and 30. We see a picture
here of these two blind beggars. And they are a picture of outcasts, those who
are lastin the eyes of the world, those who are nobodies. They are
unimportant as the world counts important. And they are in dire need. Now

35. that's setting us up for something we're going to learn about Jesus laterin the
passage. Buteven as we see that picture, there's something else we learn. We
see here a striking example of our need and a rather surprising example of
faith where you might not expect it to come from. And we learn from these
two verses that we only cry out to the Lord when realize our need. Let me say
that again. We only cry out to the Lord when we realize our need. It is those
who realize themselves to be needy who cry out to the Lord for mercy.
Let's rehearse this story. Jericho was about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
Why then in the scriptures do we always hear about going down to Jericho? I
mean isn't that like saying I went down to Starkville from Jackson? Well,
Jericho was 3300 feetlowerin altitude than Jerusalem. And so even though it
was northeastof Jerusalem, you literally went down to Jericho. Jericho was
also a very prosperous city in Jesus'day. In some ways it was a resorttown.
Very wealthy and beggars gatheredtheir, because if you were a beggarin
Jericho, you weren't likely to lack for bread. There would be somebody to
show you mercy on the roadside. By the way that road from Jericho to
Jerusalemwas also notorious for robbers and highwaymen. Wealthy people
were on their way from Jericho to Jerusalemand oftentimes they were going
to Jerusalemfor pilgrimage and they'd go that way. And so highwaymen and
robbers would wait to pounce upon you, and so it's no surprise that Jesus
actually went in a rather large group as He went from Jericho to Jerusalem,
because robbers wouldn't be likely to attack sucha large retinue of folks. If
there were just a few of you, you might wind up like that poor man that the
goodSamaritan ministered to. But if there was a very large group the robbers
would leave you alone.
At any rate, let me say before we go on with the story, that there is a little
difficulty in this passage. If you've read aheadand comparedthis passageto
its parallels in mark and in Luke, you know that there is an apparent
discrepancyabout the number of beggars and about where Jesus actually
performed this miracle. Mark and Luke only speak of one man. If you want to
look at those parallel passages,you'll find it in Mark chapter 10 verses 46 to
52, and in Luke chapter 18 verses 35 to 43. Mark and Luke speak ofone man.
In fact, mark names him, Bartimaeus, and tells us who his dad was. Matthew
speaks oftwo. On the other hand, Matthew and Mark saythis miracle

36. occurredwhile Jesus was leaving Jericho. Luke tells us that it occurredwhen
he was entering. Now those who do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture,
those who discount the authority of God's word, like to pick on little passages
like this and say that the Bible has mistakes. But I want you to understand
that that itself would be a grosslymistakennotion. There are solutions at
hand to these apparent differences. Let me suggesta couple.
For instance, remember that Matthew was an eye witness to this account. And
Matthew had seentwo beggars healedby the Lord. And he was interestedin
us knowing that fact, that the Lord Jesus had, in fact, dealt with both men.
Whereas Luke and Mark were not eye witnessesofthis account. They
depended for their accounton other eye witnesses andapparently wanted to
zero in on Bartimaeus who was very well known amongstthe early Christian
community. He was well knownenough that even though he was a beggar,
they knew his father's name ,which would not have been usual unless you had
been a rich and influential man. And so apparently, Mark and Luke want to
zero in on Bartimaeus, becausehe was better knownamongstearly Christians
than was the other beggarwho was healed.
As to the location, there are various solutions that have been suggested. Some
have suggestedthat perhaps Jesus met both beggars as he was entering,
healed one of them as he entered into the city. And as He was leaving the city
healed the other one, as the other continued to walk with Him. Matthew often
will compactaccounts. He will tell us a lot in few sentences leaving out certain
details in order to zero in on other details. The gospelwriters are selective in
the things that they tell us though they are never ultimately contradictory.
There's another solution that has been suggestedas well. Many of you may
know that there were two Jerichos in Jesus'day. There was the old city which
had been destroyedin the Old Testamentdays, and then a little bit south of it,
there was the new city that had been built up. So it would be entirely possible
for one to be leaving the environs of the old city and entering into the environs
of the new city simultaneously. We'll just have to ask Luke and Matthew
when we getto heaven. But there is no reasonto think that they are
contradictory in the accountthat they give. They simply zero in on different
aspects ofthe one truth that is recorded here in God's inerrant word.

37. Now let's go back to our story. As Jesus is passing through Jericho, onthe way
to Jerusalem, He is encounteredby two blind men. Now Jesus was being
followedby a greatcrowd. And the blind men perceived that Jesus was
coming. Perhaps, they heard Him. They heard people talking about the fact
that He was in the vicinity. And so they immediately begin to cry out for
mercy. And is it not a picture of those who are the leastfortunate, those who
are the last those who are the outcastthose who are unimportant in the society
around them. And yet the Lord Jesus takestime to minister to them.
Friends, in the description of these beggars, we have a picture of everyone
who stands in need of the grace of Christ. This text is a mirror for us. For
though we may not have physical infirmities, we all have moral and spiritual
infirmities. And the Lord Jesus is the only one who can heal them. We must
cry out to Him for grace if we are going to be helped in our need. These
beggars, yousee, are a picture of you. People need the Lord. All people need
the Lord. But not all people perceive that they need the Lord. The credit to
these beggars is that they knew that they needed Jesus. And the sad thing is
there are many people, even in churches, that don't know that they need
Jesus. Theythink that they're just fine. They think that they're lives are all
right.
But this is a picture, these beggars, blind and infirm, this is a picture of us if
we do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And by a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ, I don't just mean that we prayed a prayer
sometime. And that we've signed a card. I mean a real saving relationship
with Jesus Christ where we have a right knowledge ofChrist. We know who
He claims to be. We believe who He claims to be in the word. We have
embracedHim and are embracing Him in His claims about Himself. We're
actively trusting in Him to save us from ourselves and from our sin. We're
endeavoring, by His help, by the grace of His Spirit to live like a Christian.
We're growing in a love for Him and a love for His word. We love to hear it
preached. We love to hear it explained. We love to study it. When we disagree
with that word, we repent, because we know it's right and we're wrong. We
live according to that word as our standard submitting to it. We're attracted
to God's people. We're growing in our love, reallove, self-denying love for
God and neighbor and especiallyfor God's people. That's what I mean by a

38. saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Our lives have been turned upside down
and transformed by His grace. And if we don't have that saving relationship,
then we are just like beggars on the road blind and in dire need.
John Flavel, the old Puritan, once said, “Christ is not sweetuntil sin is made
bitter to us.” And the fact of the matter is there are a lot of people who don't
think they need Christ's grace, becausethey don't see their sin and they don't
see their need. And this passageis a mirror to us. And it's saying to us, if we
are spiritual beggars, thenwe ought to be crying out for mercy to Christ. Do
we realize what we are if we're apart from Him?
You know, a personwho doesn't recognize His need for Christ is sort of like a
husband whose marriage is falling apart and his wife has been trying to tell
him for years that his marriage is falling apart. And he just doesn'tget it. He's
living in denial. He thinks that just a few changes here and there will fix
everything. And he doesn'trealize how dire things are. And you know, there's
a sense in which the day he wakes up and realizes what a mess he's made of it,
is really the most hopeful day of His life. Becauseit means, that at leastat that
point he cancry out for the help that he needs. Until we have gotten to that
point, until we've wokenup to see our need, if we do not have Christ, then we
are worse that these beggars. We're like beggars onthe side of the road proud
of our infirmities, not aware ofwhat they costus. You see, if we don't know
that we need the Lord Jesus Christ, we're just like an alcoholic whose family
is all telling him, “You need help, you've gota problem.” And he's saying, “I
don't have a problem. I've gotthis under control.” You see, the moment of
greatesthope is when you realize that you are in need and you cry out for
mercy to the Lord Jesus Christ. This passageis a picture of how we cry out to
the Lord Jesus whenwe realize we need Him.
II. A healthy prayer life flows from a sense of need and apprehension of the
Savior.
And then if you look at verse 31, we see a picture of the crowd's callous
indifference to the needs of these men. These men are crying out for help, and
the people who are following Jesus are doing their best to make sure that

39. these people don't getto Jesus. They're doing their best to make sure that
these people are quieted, silenced, castout. And we see the compassionof
Jesus in this verse in bold contrastto the crowd's attitude. We're not told why
the crowdreactedlike this. Maybe the crowd didn't want these two
insignificant individuals bothering Jesus while he talked and walkedand was
on His way with this greatcrowdfollowing Him. We don't know exactly why.
But, for whateverthe reason, they went to these men and they sternly rebuked
them. And they said, ‘You stop crying out to Him.’ But these men refused to
stop crying out. And in the next verses we'll see Jesus'compassionin stark
contrastto the crowd. In fact, Don Carsonputs it this way, “the crowds were
willing to bask in Jesus'presence, but they reflectednone of Jesus'
compassion.”And the longerJesus ministered, the more He stoodout. He
stoodout from those around Him. He stoodout in His mission, in His
attitudes, in His graspof the kingdom, and in His presentation of the freedom
of grace.
But even as the crowdtold these men to be quiet, these men because they
clearly sensedtheir need, they were not deterred from crying out to Jesus.
They perceived who He was. Theyperceived their need. And so they cried out.
And so we not only see in verse 31 the callous indifference of the crowdto
these needs, which again, is setting up this beautiful picture of Jesus'
compassionin verses 32 through 34.
Let me suggestto you that in verse 31 we also see a pattern for persistent
prayer for believers. I know this passageisn't ultimately about prayer. But
don't we see a paradigm for Christian prayer set forth in the attitude of these
men. A healthy prayer life, you see, flows from a sense ofneed and a sight of
the savior. If you sense your need, and you have seenthe savior, you've got the
essentialingredients needed to motivate you to a healthy prayer life. Look at
how these men respond to Jesus Christ. They calledout to Him, “Lord, Sonof
David, have mercy on us.”
Now they may not have fully understood what they were saying. Certainly
they didn't. The disciples didn't even understand the full meaning of those
words at this time. And yet, notice how they had latched on to two essential
components of Jesus'claim. Jesus claimedto be Lord. He was the Son of God.

40. He was the Lord of God's people. He would rule at the right hand of God. All
authority has been given into His hands he would say in the great commission.
He is Lord. That is the essentialconfessionofa Christian. Jesus is Lord.
That's how you confess Jesusas Savior. Lots of people make a distinction
betweenthose things. But in the Bible, to confess Jesusas Savioris to confess
Him as Lord. But also, notice they callHim out as the sonof David. They're
acknowledging that He is the Messiahthat had been promised by the
prophets. Now howeverdimly they saw those truths, it's apparent that they
knew more about Jesus than many of those people in the crowdthat were
following Him. And they continued to cry out. They saw who He was. They
confessedHis lordship and His messiahship. And that confessionis at the
heart of what it means to be a Christian.
But look at the qualities of their request and what they teach us about prayer.
These men were earnest. They would not be deterred even though the crowd
tried to beat them out of calling out to the Lord Jesus. Theywere earnest.
Now I want to stop and I want to remind you of something. Do you realize
that Jesus nevercame to Jericho again? This was it, friends. This was the last
time Jesus was everin Jericho. And these men were earnest. They didn't put it
off til tomorrow. They knew that this was the day of the Lord's appointment,
and this was their opportunity to cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ and there
might not be a tomorrow. And you know what? There wasn't. For Jesus was
on the way to Jerusalemto be crucified. They were diligent in their means of
grace. We never know when we come into this sanctuary, if it will be the last
time that we will hear the word of God. There is never a time where we can
say, well, we'll put it off til next week. We'llput it off the next week getting
right with the Lord. We'll put it off next week trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord
and Messiah. We'llput it off next week to submitting to His rule, being
transformed by His grace. These menwere earnest. And that's the way
Christian prayer ought to be.
Notice also that these men were humble. They cried out, “Lord, have mercy
on us.” They knew that they were in need. You know, so often, we know we're
in need when we have a physical problem, when we have a relationship
problem, when we have a money problem. But so often we are not aware that
we're in need morally and spiritually. We don't ever realize that the problem

41. is us. The problem is character. The problem is that we need to be
transformed from the inside out by God's grace. Thesemen knew their need,
and they didn't even tell Jesus how he was supposedto answerthat need.
Notice their first prayer is, “Lord, have mercy on us.” They didn't direct Him
specificallyhow he was supposedto have mercy. It was only when the Lord
Jesus came to them and said, ‘What is it you want Me to do for you.?’ It was
only then that they specifiedtheir request. They humbly said, ‘Lord, we're in
need, have mercy on us.’
Thirdly, not only were they earnestand humble, notice that they were
believing. They specificallycall Him “Lord, Sonof David.” They confess who
He says He was. Christian prayer is not only earnestand humble, it is
believing prayer. It believes who Jesus says He is.
Notice that they persevered. When they were told to stop, they kept going.
They continued to persevere in their prayer. And Christian prayer perseveres.
Notice that their prayer was simple. Their prayer was basically, ‘Lord help
us.’ That's a good, scriptural prayer. Prevailing prayer does not have to be
complex. It doesn't have to be made up of strung out compound sentences.
Prevailing prayer can be very simple. And so their prayer was simple, but it
was real. And it was heartfelt.
And I want you to notice, too, their prayer was scriptural. They had gone to
two important concepts setforth in the Bible, in the Old testament, and of
course, revealedin the gospels as well, that Jesus is Lord and Jesus is Messiah.
That's why we call Him the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus the Messiah.
And they latched on to those two realities about Jesus. And they lifted them
up before His eyes, saying Lord we confess you as Lord and Messiah.
Now there's our pattern for prayer: Earnest. Humble. Believing. Persevering.
Simple. Scriptural. Could you find better qualities of prayer? There they are
right before our eyes. In the urgency of this situation, these men recognize
their need. They saw the savior and they knew he was the only one who could
meet their need. And they cry out to Him. Do we cry out to God in prayer?
Reallycry out to God in prayer. And do we cry out to Him in recognition of
our spiritual needs or is it only our temporary disasters? Whenwe're having

42. problems in the family, of course you cry out to God. When you're having
trouble with the children, of course you cry out to God. When the check book
is not balancing and the bill collectors are calling, of course you cry out to
God. But do we see ourselves spiritually impoverished and cry out to God?
How often do we do that? Do we commune with Him in prayer? This passage
reminds us that a healthy prayer life flows from a sense of need. And you
know there's never a time in this life when we're not going to need the Lord
Jesus Christ. There's never a point where you get, ‘OK, I've gotten enough
grace and I don't need the Lord Jesus anymore.’We always needthe Lord
Jesus. And so we always needto have that sense of need and that sight of the
Savior.
III. Jesus'compassionandpower canmake us whole.
One last thing I’d like you to see in verses 32 and 33. Here, of course, we see
this picture of the compassionofJesus in stark contrastto the crowds that
were following Him. But we also see something else. In verses 32 through 34,
not only do we see this contrastbetweenthe humble greatness ofJesus who
has time to minister to these outcasts evenwhile the crowdis saying, go away.
We also learn something else. That it is only Jesus'compassionand power
that can make us whole. Yes, this was a physical healing. But is this not a
reminder that it is only the mercy and the powerof Jesus that can heal our
hearts, our souls? Look at the passagewith me. Jesus in the midst of His own
responsibility and strain. He's on the way from Jericho to Jerusalem. He's
going to be tried. He's going to be prosecuted. He's going to be persecutedand
mockedand scourgedand finally crucified, dead and buried, and even under
the strain of that responsibility, He stops to take time to listen to these men.
To heal these men who were so insignificant to their contemporaries. They
were beggars. The lowestpart of the socio-economic class. Imean you can
almost hear some of the followers in the crowdsaying, ‘Jesus, couldn't you
heal a mayor or something? I mean, couldn't you heal somebody who's
influential who's going to have an impact on society? These menare beggars.
Who are they?’ And yet Jesus is going to build His kingdom with such as
these. These are the little ones about whom he has been talking for the lasttwo

43. chapters. Jesus, Larry Richards says, “Jesus was onHis way to Jerusalem
toward His trial and crucifixion. He was burdened by greatcrowds who did
not care, and by disciples who did not understand. But Jesus sets aside His
own burdens and need to respond to this call for help. Jesus stoppedfor these
individuals in the crowd, and he caredfor these outcasts whomthe crowd
consideredworthless. This is greatness.”
Now, have we even begun to have an inkling in our own lives, of that kind of
greatness forthe Savior, where we see spiritually the needs of people? We
don't care where they're from. We don't care what they cando for us. We
simply care that they come to meet Jesus and find the wholeness thatonly He
can give. Jesus in His compassiondoesn'tjust listen and pity these people.
Jesus does something about their circumstance. When we go to a therapist, we
don't want someone who is just going to feelour pain, we want someone who
can do us some good. And the Lord Jesus doesn'tjust come along side these
men and have compassionupon them; He does something for them. He
transformed them right at the central issue of their lives. Think about it,
friends. These men were blind, and that blindness was at the center of their
socialexperience. It meant that they couldn't hold a job. It meant that they
had to beg. It meant that they could not provide for their families. They
couldn't take a significant role in their community. Their blindness meant
everything to them. They were beggars in the streets. And He goes right for
the issue that was affecting their lives, and He changes it. He does the same
thing for us when we cry out to Him. The issue, the one necessarything he
tells us, is what? That we would be in living, eternal relationship with the one
true God. That's the one need that we have in life. And when we come to Him
and we cry out, “Lord have mercy on us.” When we have perceivedthat that's
our realneed. You see, it's not just that we're coming, “Lord, my marriage is
falling apart, and I need your help.” That's important, but that's not the one
thing. “Lord, my kids, I can't do anything with them. They're going crazy.
Help me, Lord.” That's important, but that's not the one thing. “Lord, I'm in
debt up to my elbows. I don't know where to turn. The bill collectorsare on
my heels. Lord, could You provide me $50,000real quick?” That's important,
but it's not the one thing. When we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, and
we see that the deepestneed of our life is to be in a living relationship with

44. Him where we glorify and enjoy Him forever, and we cry out, “Lord, have
mercy on me.” I promise you on the authority of a herald of God, that the
Lord Jesus will hear that cry. The Lord will come. And the Lord will heal us
and make us whole.
I want you to see that these men immediately followedthe Lord Jesus Christ
after He changedthem. So often earlierin His ministry, Jesus would send
people back into their villages. But now Jesus is literally weeks fromthe day
He would die on the cross. And so He just tells these men, ‘You come on and
you follow Me. You be part of that crowdthat comes with Me to Jerusalem
and you witness the things that are to come.’
Now Jesus in this passageshows us that he is not the kind of king that that
crowdwas expecting. And His kingdom isn't the kind of kingdom that that
crowdwas expecting. They might think of His kingdom as being peopled with
influential and important people. But it wasn't. It was peopled with outcasts
those who were beggars in need of His grace. And by golly, He was going to
conquer the world with that kingdom. And conquer the world with that
gospel.
Jesus is standing before us today. And He is saying, “What do you want Me to
do for you?” And your answerhas to do with the first thing. He's speaking
about the central issue of your life as He stands before you saying, “What do
you want me to do for you?” The centralproblem of our life is moral. There is
no circumstance. There's no situation that we are in, ever, which isn't an
opportunity for God to conform us to Christ and to bless us by drawing us
into an ever-closerrelationshipwith Him. That's why Alec Motyer cansay
that “There is no sorrow and joy in life that shouldn't be deflected at once,
upwards, into the presence of God. There is no experience that comes into our
experience which God does not intend for His people's upbuilding.” The
central problem of our experience is moral. And only Jesus canaddress it.
Have you realized that today? Do you realize that you are a beggarbefore
God apart from Christ? Thomas Brooks, the old Puritan, said, “No man can
feel sin except by grace.”

45. Have you by grace felt your sin and realized your need, and cried, out casting
yourself upon the Lord, saying, “Lord have mercy?” If you have, you have
known the healing powerof the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you haven't, today
is the day of salvation. Embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only hope. If
you don't know how to do that, you come see me, or you come see an elder
after this service. And we'll deal with the Lord Jesus Christ. You pray,
confessing thatHe is your Lord and your Savior. You embrace Him, trusting
in Him alone for your salvation. And you will find that He will heal that
central issue of life out of which everything else flows. May the Lord bless His
word. Let's pray.
O Lord and God, we pray today that You would remind us againhow needy
and dependent we are upon Your grace. And then by our awareness ofour
own need, and by the apprehension of your mercy, give us the grace to flee to
Christ, we ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
Did Jesus healtwo blind men (Matthew 20:29-34)or one blind man (Mark
10:46-52;Luke 18:35-43)?
Question:"Matthew 20:29-34 says Jesus healedtwo blind men as He left
Jericho. Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43 sayHe healed one man as He
entered Jericho. Is this a contradiction?"
Answer: In spite of apparent discrepancies,these three passagesdo refer to
the same incident. The Matthew accountcites two men healedas Jesus left
Jericho. Mark and Luke refer to only one blind man healed, but Luke says it
happened as Jesus was entering Jericho while Mark records it happening as
He left Jericho. There are legitimate explanations for the apparent

46. discrepancies. Let’s look atthem rather than deciding this is a contradiction
and the Bible is in error.
That this is the same incident is seenin the similarity of the accounts,
beginning with the two beggars sitting on the roadside. They call out to Jesus,
referring to Him as “Sonof David” (Matthew 20:30; Mark 10:48;Luke
18:38), and in all three accounts, theyare rebuked by those nearby and told to
be quiet but continue to shout out to Jesus (Matthew 20:31;Mark 10:48; Luke
18:39). The three accounts describe nearly identical conversations between
Jesus and the beggars andthe conclusions ofthe stories are also identical. The
beggars receive their sight immediately and follow Jesus.
Only Mark choses to identify one of the beggars as Bartimaeus, perhaps
because Bartimaeus was knownto Mark’s readers, orthey knew
Bartimaeus’s father, Timaeus, whereas the other blind man was a strangerto
them. In any case, the fact that Mark and Luke only mention one beggardoes
not contradictMatthew’s account. Mark and Luke never say there was only
one beggar. Theysimply focus on the one, Bartimaeus, who was probably the
more vocalof the two. Matthew refers to both of the blind men calling out to
Jesus, clearlyindicating there were two.
The other issue in question is whether Jesus was entering Jericho or leaving it.
Bible commentators cite the fact that at that time there were two Jerichos—
one the mound of the ancient city (still existing today) and the other the
inhabited city of Jericho. Therefore, Jesus couldhave healedthe two men as
He was leaving the ancientcity of Jericho and entering the new city of Jericho.
In any case, to focus on these minor details to the exclusion of all else is to miss
the point of the story—Jesushealedthe blind men, proving that He was
indeed the Son of God with powers beyond anything a mortal man could have.

47. Unlike the Pharisees who refusedto see what was before their eyes, our
response to Jesus should be the same as that of the blind men—call on Him to
give us eyes to see spiritual truth, recognize Him for who He is, and follow
Him.
https://www.gotquestions.org/one-two-blind-men.html
Dr. S. Lewis Johnsondicusses Jesus'visit through Jericho on his way to
Jerusalem, explaining the importance of the healings of the blind men in that
city.
SLJ Institute > Gospelof Matthew > Jesus as the Messiah> The Second
Joshua Working Miracles in Jericho Again
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48. Readthe Sermon
Transcript
The expositionof the word of God os the exposition of Matthew chapter 20
verse 29 through verse 34, but since what I am going to say is also built upon
the parallelaccountin Mark chapter 10, I want to read both of these passages
for our Scripture reading. So let’s turn first to Matthew chapter 20, and I
want to read verses 29 through 34, and then we’ll turn to the Markanpassage
in chapter 10 of that Gospel. Rememberthe context. The Lord Jesus is now on
his wayto the city of Jerusalemwhere he will offer himself as a sacrifice for
sinners. And Matthew writes in verse 29 of chapter 20:
“And as they departed from Jericho, a greatmultitude followedhim. And,
behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus
passedby, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David’.
And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace:but they
cried the more, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.’ And
Jesus stoodstill, and calledthem, and said, ‘What will ye that I shall do unto
you?’ They say unto him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ So Jesus had
compassiononthem, and touched their eyes:and immediately their eyes
receivedsight, and they followed him.”
Let’s turn now to Mark chapter 10 and verse 46. Mark chapter 10 and verse
46, and read the accountin the Gospelof Mark.
“And they came to Jericho:and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples
and a greatnumber of people, blind Bartimaeus, the sonof Timaeus, satby
the wayside begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus ofNazareth, he
beganto cry out, and say, ‘Jesus, Thouson of David, have mercy on me’. And
many chargedhim that he should hold his peace:but he cried the more a
greatdeal, ‘Thou son of David, have mercy on me.’ And Jesus stoodstill and
commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto
him,’ Be of goodcomfort, rise; he calleth thee.’ And he, casting awayhis
garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answeredand saidunto him,

49. ‘What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?’The blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I may receive my sight. Jesus saidunto him, ‘Go thy way; thy faith
hath made thee whole.’And immediately he receivedhis sight, and followed
Jesus on the way.”
Luke in his accountcomments that he followedthe Lord Jesus glorifying God,
and that the people gave praise to God as a result of what had happened. May
the Lord bless this reading of his word.
You may have overlookedthe fact in your study of the New Testamentthat
the name of our Lord Jesus Jesus is the same as the name for Joshua in the
Old Testament. The word Iesous in the Greek of the New Testamentis the
equivalent of Y’hoshua or Joshua, in the Old Testament. So what we have in
this accountthat we are looking at is an appearance ofthe secondJoshua
before Jericho, and so the title this morning for the message is “The Second
Joshua Working Miracles atJericho Again.”
The biblical critics have had a happy time studying this passageofScripture
which has to do with the healing of the blind men, as our Lord was at Jericho
on his last visit to the city of Jerusalemwhile in the flesh. And it contains
problems that lend some credence to their view that the Bible is after all only
an ordinary book. Confidently, they intone in details and many important
points, the gospels do not agree.
Then they go on to say, somewhatcondescendingly, that the differences in
these accounts do not really make a whole lot of difference, except insofaras
they give instruction to those who believe that the Bible is true in all of its
statements. So they tell us that these differences in the accounts don’t mean
anything, but they at leastshould instruct those simple-minded people – they
mean you and me – who think that the words of holy Scripture are inerrant.
What are the difficulties which give the detractors of the Bible such relish in
these accounts of the healing of the blind men?
There are two particularly. In the first place, Matthew speaks oftwo men who
are healed, while Mark and Luke speak only of one. Now of course you should
notice immediately if you have any facility for thinking logically, that when
Matthew says that there are two, and Mark and Luke speak only of one,

50. Mark and Luke do not say that there was only one blind man. Now that is
very important. All that Luke and Mark sayis that the Lord healed a blind
man. Mark gives his name as Bartimaeus. They do not sayhe healedonly one
man. So there is really no contradiction betweenthe accounts in that respect.
But there is something else that is of probably of greaterdifficulty. Mark and
Matthew place the healing after the Lord Jesus leaves Jericho, while Luke
appears to place the healing before the Lord Jesus enters Jericho.
Now that might be a serious problem for those who believe that the Bible is
inerrant in the statements that it makes. We must of course remember that so
far as the Scriptures are concerned, we do not have all of the details
surrounding the incidents of the Bible, and so we have to think in our own
minds of situations in which the words of Scripture may find their significance
and relevance. But there have been a number of suggestionsby individuals in
attempts to harmonize this fact that Mark and Matthew place the healing
after Jericho whereas Luke suggeststhat the healing occurredbefore the Lord
entered Jericho.
One Bible teacher, who has been a very prominent Bible teacher, has taught
that really we have two different healings. Now of course we have already had
the healing of two blind men in the Gospelof Matthew in chapter9 and since
it was the Messianic office ofthe Lord Jesus to healblind men, it’s certainly
true that he did heal many blind men through the three years or so of his
ministry. And so it has been suggestedthat what we have in Luke is one
accountwhereas whatwe have in Mark and Matthew is another account, and
if that is so that would of course solve all of our difficulties.
Still others have said, for example ProfessorA. T. Robertson, the well known
New Testamentprofessor, formany years in the last generationor so at
Southern Baptist TheologicalSeminary in Louisville, Kentucky, that there
were really two Jerichos. Thatis, an old or ancient city and a new modern
Jericho, which was new and modern in our Lord’s day. We know that this is
generallytrue, and it is ProfessorRobertson’s contentionthat in one of the
accounts, the author looks atit from the standpoint of the old city of Jericho
and thus the healing was as he came out of the city of Jericho, and as he was to

51. enter the new Jericho, and the other accountis written from that standpoint.
So if there were two Jerichos it would be very easyto harmonize these
accounts. The healing took place betweenthe leaving of one and the entering
of another.
Another ancient commentator, the PietistcommentatorAlbrecht Bengel,
whose writings have been readby countless thousands of students of the
Scripture, not only in the original Latin in the which he wrote them, but in
other of in other translations of them. Bengelhas made the suggestionthat
what happened really was that the blind men met the Lord Jesus as he was
entering Jericho, and since Jericho was a relatively small city, they followed
the greatcrowdseeking to get to him as he made his way through Jericho, and
then finally came into touch with him as they were leaving the city and thus
both of the accounts couldbe true: one written from the standpoint of the
entrance and the other written from the standpoint of the exit where the
healing really took place.
There are some modern interpretations, too. One of the modern interpreters
has suggestedthat really what happened was something like this: the two
blind men were seatedright near the outskirts of the city, but when they
heard the crowdwhich precededthe Lord Jesus, andthey heard word that
Jesus was coming, they began to shout, and so they beganto shout as the Lord
Jesus enteredthe city, and Luke writes his accountfrom that standpoint. But
finally as he came to leave the city, they came into contactwith him and were
healed as he left the city.
Still another has suggestedthis explanation. He has said that it’s shortly after
this that the Lord Jesus sees Zacchaeusin the in the tree, and he calls down
Zacchaeus, andremember, says that he was going to lodge with him that
night. Now since Zacchaeus lived in Jericho, and since he wantedto see the
Lord Jesus, he had racedoutside the city so he could catcha goodview of him
and when the Lord Jesus saw him with the multitude looking at the little man
up in the tree, he calledout to Zacchaeus as he came out of the city and said
Zacchaeus come downI must lodge with you tonight. And the incident
involving Zacchaeus took place ,and then he went back into the city and spent
the night with Zacchaeus.And so one of the accounts is written from the

52. standpoint of the leaving of the city whereas the other is written from the
standpoint of our Lord entering back into the city, and as he entered, he met
the blind men and healed them.
So there are a number of suggestions thathave been offered. The Gospels do
not really give us anything necessarilycontradictory. We just don’t know the
details. One of the interesting things that we shall be engagedin at leastfor a
little while when we get to heavenis the harmonization of many things with
which we do not have enough information to harmonize ourselves. So I don’t
think that there is any serious problem in this at all. It’s interesting. I don’t
know how it happened, and I’m looking forward to finding out how when I
get there. But I imagine that when we get there these will be rather
insignificant things. And you’ll probably say to me, Dr. Johnson, why did you
waisteight or nine minutes that morning talking about that? [Laughter]
There is a two-fold significance in this event that is more important, and I
think the first thing is what we cancall, for the sake ofa better word, a
dispensationalsignificance. Rememberthe Lord Jesus is coming to Jerusalem
as the King of Israel. When he enters—shortlyin the next messagewe shall
considerhis untriumphal entry—he will come and the people shall shout out,
“Blessedis the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” And I think since it
was one of the duties of the Messianic king to heal the eyes of the blind,
specifically, that it’s very appropriate that as he makes his plans for entering
the city of Jerusalem, he should heal againsome blind men making or
bringing to the forefront againthe fact that he is the Messianicking who
performs the miracles that he is supposed to perform according to Old
Testamentprophesy. That’s one of the important things.
But there is another thing that is even more important, and that is the
reference that this particular incident has to the spiritual life of men and
women. It is againa beautiful illustration of the Lord’s power to illuminate
the spiritually blind. The word of God tells us the Apostle Paul, particularly,
that the natural man – that is the man who does not have any relationship to
the Lord Jesus that is vital and life-giving – the natural man receives not the
things of the Spirit of God; they are foolishness to him, neither canhe know
them for they are spiritually discerned.

53. In other words, the Apostle Paul says that the natural man cannot understand
spiritual truth. There must be a previous working of the Holy Spirit by which
their minds are illuminated to understand divine truth. Paul puts it in other
ways. He says that we are dead in trespassesand sin. It’s just possible that
there are some in this audience this morning, in fact it’s probable, that there
are some in this audience who do not have a vital saving relationship with
Jesus Christ, and you rather wonder why it is that you are here this morning.
Perhaps some friend has brought you. Or perhaps out of what you thought
was mere curiosity, and you are wondering why it is that people come to hear
an exposition of an ancientbook written hundreds and hundreds of years ago.
You read it and you do not get anything out of it. You find it, in the words of
the Apostle Paul, foolishness. Youare actually fulfilling the words of Scripture
in the fact that you do not understand it and rather think that it is stupid—
that’s the meaning of Paul’s term really. Stupid.
Now the Bible tells us that those who do not have eternallife are spiritually
blind. Over and over again, the apostle mentions that. He says that we are
blind in our hearts. We are alienated from God and do not have the life of
God within us. And this incident is designedto illustrate the fact that it is the
Lord Jesus who works in the hearts of blind men. Men who are spiritually
blind.
I read a story not long ago about two farmers who rode on a train for the first
time. This happened many years ago. Theyhad never ridden on a train, and
so they got on a train – and I don’t know whether there’s anybody in this
audience old enough to remember what it was like to ride on a train – but in
the old days when you got on a train and satdown in the car it was not long
before the vendors came through with their goods on their little trays that
they brought through and they soldfruit and sandwiches and cigarettes and
drinks and things like that.
Well they were attractedto the fruit, and the two farmers bought some
bananas. And one of them peeledhis banana and was just ready to take a bite
of it, and took a bite as the train plunged into a tunnel, and he turned to his
friend and he said, “Have you eatenany of your banana yet?” And he said,

54. no, I haven’t. He said, “Welldon’t do it; it’ll make you blind as a bat.”
[Laughter]
Now there are people who sit in an audience such as this who do not
understand anything more about spiritual things than those two farmers
understood about bananas and tunnels. You are here and that’s all, and you
wonder why.
Now I know that’s true, because I attended church myself for about twenty-
five years and did not understand what in the world was going on. I was blind
as a bat spiritually. Now God the Holy Spirit must work in the hearts of men
for spiritual illumination to come, and this incident this miracle in the life of
our Lord is another illustration of his power. Let’s turn to it now, and first of
all, let me say a word about the historicalsituation againstthe background of
which the Lord Jesus ministers.
Now we are in the part of Matthew in which we are going to have a great deal
of stress upon the ministry of the Lord in the last days. To tell you the truth, I
am really excited. I don’t get excited very often. But I am really excitedabout
studying these last chapters of the Gospelof Matthew again, because I think
the most fruitful parts of biblical study are the passages inthe gospels that
have to do with the passionof the Lord Jesus. And we are fastapproaching
that part of the GospelofMatthew in which the Lord Jesus in the last days of
his life ministers there, preparatory to giving his life a ransom for many.
Now as he made his way down to Jerusalemon the last of his journeys to that
city in the flesh, he was making his way with the apostles, andalso with a
company of friends. Mark tells us in the 32nd verse of the 10th chapter, “And
they were on the way going up to Jerusalemand Jesus wentbefore them.”
And you canpicture the little crowdthe apostles gatheredcloseto the Lord
Jesus and then their friends and relatives who were a little back, and the Lord
Jesus suddenly beganto lengthen his steps, as he made his way toward
Jerusalem. Luke describes his countenance as an appearance as if he were
going to Jerusalem. And so as he lengthenedhis step and marched out with
increasing speedbefore them the apostles noticedthat that was not his

55. customary actionin their travels, and so the Scriptures say that they were
amazed, they were astonished.
And then looking at the people who were following Mark continues and says,
“As they followedthey were afraid.” So there was something about the
occasionin which our Lord had this different look upon his face moved out in
front of the company, there was something about it that causedthe rest of the
group that were with them to come under the influence of this sense ofthe
luminous, and awe strickenthey observed the Lord Jesus as he made his way
toward Jerusalem.
Bengel, that same German commentator, asks the question, what was he
doing?, and then answers it by saying that he was dwelling in his passion. He
was thinking about what now was immediately before him when he would
finally go to that cross and cry out, “It is finished” after having said “My God
my Godwhy hast Thou forsakenme?” That is really a kind of theme verse of
these final chapters of the gospelrecords.
So the Lord Jesus, having crossedthe Jordan now comes to the little city of
Jericho—andremember his name was Joshua. So a greaterJoshua stands at
Jericho with his sword drawn to storm the stronghold of the Prince of
Darkness,and he will win the battle by dying upon a Roman gibbet. And this
incident of the blind man is a kind of earnestof the victory the Lord Jesus will
obtain when he shed his blood.
Well as he draws near to Jericho, a greatmultitude is following him. They are
friends of his. No doubt many relatives of his too. They draw near to the city
of Jericho and behold Matthew says in the 30th verse, two blind men sitting
by the way side. It’s not surprising that our Lord’s miracles include the
healing of blind men because that was the Messianic work:to open the eyes of
the blind. Isaiah says that when the Messiahcomes he will do that. He says
that in chapter 29, about verse 17 or 18 of that chapter. He also says that in
chapter 35 and verse 5. So this was a specific Messianic miracle.
So it’s not surprising then that in his miracles there should be the healing of
many blind men. And furthermore, it’s not surprising that there should be
two of them. It’s pathetic when you think about it, of course, but it was

56. natural, because two blind men would naturally be anxious for sympathy and
encouragementand help, and it is true that equal sorrows cause mento creep
close for warmth and companionship. We know that when we have other
afflictions. Those that have similar afflictions do tend to come together
because they canmutually help one another.
Blindness was very, very common, unfortunately, in the easterncities in the
time of our Lord. One of the reasons for this was that there were conditions of
uncleanliness that causedsuch diseasesto abound. And in addition the bright
glare of the sun in those parts of our world were such, and since they didn’t
have protection from the sun, that they became afflicted in their eyes. A
visitor in our modern day to Cairo, Egypt has said that it was his observation
that out of one hundred people in Egypt, about fifty were affectedwith eye
disease. Twentywere blind, ten had lost one eye, and twenty had other eye
diseases. So we should not be surprised then that the Lord Jesus in his
ministry should encompass the healing of many blind men.
The text says that when the Lord Jesus passedby, they heard that Jesus had
passedby. And incidentally in the words that are the outpouring of their heart
which we’ll refer to in just a moment, it’s evident that they had already heard
of the Lord Jesus. Theyknew something about him. It’s even possible that
they had heard accounts ofthe healing ministry of this Jesus ofNazareth, and
incidentally since they had no doubt studied the Scriptures themselves and
paid because oftheir affliction particular attention to those prophesies of the
Old Testamentthat spoke of the healing of blind men, and longing for that
themselves, that they were naturally attractedto the stories concerning the
Lord Jesus.
You know, it is said in holy Scripture, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God. So the word concerning the Lord Jesus had been
disseminated, and they had heard it and on the basis of what they had heard
the Holy Spirit had wrought in their hearts.
This incident, incidentally is the origin of Sankey – Sankeywas the song
leaderfor Dwydell Moody – of Sankey’s hymn, “What means this eager
anxious throng which moves with busy haste along these wondrous gatherings

57. day by day / what means this strange commotion pray in accents hushed the
throng reply Jesus ofNazareth passethby.” Well, when the word came to the
blind men that the Lord Jesus might be near, they began to cry out. Now
Mark tells us they began to. We would gatherthat from Matthew, because in
the accounthere in Matthew, they cry out, “Have mercy upon us,” and then
when some seek to stop them they still cry out the more, “O Lord, thou son of
David, have mercy upon us.”
So they began to cry out, and I want you to notice what they say when they
cry out to him. They do not say, O man of Nazareth, have mercy upon us.
They do not say, O Yankee or Northerner have mercy upon us. They have
some very definite information concerning him. They cry out, have mercy on
us O Lord thou sonof David. So it is evident they have some faith in his
person as the Lord. That is, they have some conceptionthat he is a divine
person and also they have a conceptionof him as the Messiah, because sonof
David is a Messianicterm. So they know that he is the Son of God, and they
know that he is the Messiah.
Now whether they understood all of the significance ofit whether they would
understand what that meant in the light of the Council of Calcedonlater on,
that’s another matter. But at leastthey had come to the conviction he was the
Lord and come to the convictionthat he was the Messianic king. And not only
did they have faith in his person, but they had a greatconfidence in his power,
because they said, have mercy upon us. They knew that it was within the
powerof the Lord Jesus to heal them, and so they cried out have mercy upon
us.
Now you know these men are a picture in the kind of attitude that men ought
to have when they come into conviction for sin and desire to have deliverance.
They were earnest. They cried. They kept crying. Even the tenses of the verbs
in the other accounts stress the fact that this cry of theirs was a continual
thing. They were earnest. We are earnestabout everything but spiritual
things.
First thing I said to one of my friends this morning when I came in was I
shook his hand and said the Rangers didn’t do very well last night. I said you

58. know you cannot win a baseballgame if you have a hole in your bat.
[Laughter] Now some of you evidently haven’t read the morning paper, and
you do don’t know that the Rangers were nohitted last night. They didn’t get
a hit in the game. And my friend, who is a baseballfan said, that’s true, you
cannot win a baseballgame if you don’t geta hit.
Now we are very earnestabout our sports. We are very earnestabout our
business. We are very earnestabout our studies. We are very earnestabout
our calling in life about our friends our hobbies – about everything – but
when it comes to spiritual things, our hearts are as the old commentators used
to say, as cold as the arctic snows. These menwere earnest. Notonly that they
were persistent. When actually people said, shut up, they saidwe’re gonna not
only keepit up but we’re going to shout loud enough in order to getover the
heads of our hinderers, and so they cried out the text of Scripture says the
more. So the more they were told to shut up the louder they cried. They were
persistent. They knew what they wanted. And this is a very poignant fact
when you think of blind men who could not see in the midst of a multitude.
They must have been crying out all along where is he? Which way did he go?
What street did he turn down? And all at the same time shouting out, O Lord,
thou son of David have mercy upon us! Which way did he go? Lord have
mercy upon us. Did he turn that way? Show me. Take me to him. You can see
this was something that was very very important for them. They knew what
they wanted and incidentally they were humble.
These cries that they were making were confessionsoftheir unworthiness. O
Lord, thou sonof David have mercy upon me. They did not talk of their
merits. They didn’t say, for example, O Lord have mercy upon us, we attend
the synagogue regularly. We listen to the Pharisees.We study the Scriptures.
We do goodworks. We don’t put a sign our face “blind” when we really can
see. Theyhad no talk of merit whatsoever, because wheneverwe talk of merit
before the Lord, the doors of heaven are shut. O Lord, thou sonof David have
mercy upon us. They really were beggar—literally, Mark tells us—and they
were beggars spiritually seeking forhelp. And they plead as criminals, have
mercy upon us.

59. Now this illustrates of course the factthat according to the teaching of the
word of God, our wills are obstinate in rebellion againstthe Lord. You know,
the Scriptures so plainly teach—Ihave to talk about this constantly because I
find that this is one of the most difficult things for men to grasp. This morning
after I left the service at 8:30 and was sitting around a table with some who
had been in the eight-thirty service, this question came up again of the
relationship of the will in our salvation.
The Bible teaches that we have a will, that we do make decisions. But the Bible
teaches that the will is a secondaryagent. The will acts in accordancewith our
nature and our nature affectedby the fall is wickedand rebellious against
God. Therefore, the decisions of the will which are a response to the inmost
disposition of a man are always decisions contraryto the will of God. I’ve said
this over and over again, and I say it again, because there are always some
strangers in the midst. My old Bible teacherusedto saythat we never make a
decisionof the will that is favorable to God unless God has previously “jiggled
our willer.” [Laughter]
Now that is biblical teaching. It’s hard for men to understand that. But
nevertheless it is true. It is basic to the gospelof the Lord Jesus. The responses
that men make do not arise ultimately from the heart of men; ultimately they
arise from God’s working. That’s why salvationis of the Lord. So when we
read these men cry out, have mercy upon us, it’s obvious that God has already
wrought in their will, and they are crying out now in response to what he has
done.
Their wills naturally were obstinate. They were rebellious. Their
understanding was darkened. Their affections were depraved. They were
blind to the things that really counted. That’s the way we are born. We are
born in our sin. You know you can speak to someone about the wonders of
this creationabout us. I know that is difficult in Texas, but nevertheless there
are some things in Texas that are beautiful. I hope to see them some day.
[Laughter] No seriously, now, I’ve lived Texas longerthan any place else;I
considermyself a Texannow, at leastin part.

60. We cantalk to men about the beauties of and the wonders of his divine
creation, and men are able to understand with us. They can speak ofthe
wonders of creationthemselves, but when we turn to speak to them of the
wonders of the New Covenantand of the blood that was shed by which we
have everlasting life, by which we are brought into the family of God, by
which we are justified, by which we become the children of God, then the
beauties of the personof the Redeemerand the work of the Redeemerseemas
nothing as foolishness to them. They do not understand them at all.
So these men cry out humbly with confessions oftheir own unworthiness, and
the messagethatthey proclaim is that the Lord Jesus is the Lord and the
Messiah. It’s striking to me that these blind men, these poor bind men, give
the glory to the Lord Jesus that the leaders the religious leaders in Jerusalem
did not.
They did not own him as Lord. They rebelled againstthe very idea and they
did not accepthim as the son of David. They rebelled againstthat idea. So
these two poor blind men who did not have the religious training, and no
doubt the religious experiences that the Pharisees and the Sadducees did, had
by the grace ofGod been enabled to understand things that religious leaders
do not. There is a greatlessonin that.
Well the Lord’s reactionto this is remarkable. A cry of need brings him to a
complete stop. We read in verse 32, “And Jesus stoodstill.” Isn’t that
striking? When Joshua was here in his historicalministry in the Old
Testamentrecordedin the Book ofJoshua, Joshua spoke to the sun and the
sun and the moon stood still. Remarkable miracle. But here are two blind men
who address the Son of Righteousness – for that is one our Lord’s titles – and
the Sonof Righteousness stops attheir request. It seems as if it is even a
greatermiracle than that performed by Joshua in the Old Testament.
Reminds us that the apostle says that he is rich unto all that call on him. If
you’re in the audience this morning and you have never believed in the Lord
Jesus, letme assure you that if you callupon him, he is rich unto those that
call unto him. So he stopped. And interestingly those people that were trying
to keepthese two men quiet – shut up, shut up – are told by the Lord Jesus to

61. go get the blind men. I think that’s kind of ironical. These people who were
attempting to shut the blind men are forced to do errands for the blind men.
And so they go off and getthe blind men and they are brought into the
presence ofthe Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus said, what do you want me to
do?
Now isn’t it striking too the way Mark describes the way that Bartimaeus
came to the Lord Jesus? You cansee the blind man with his coat. It probably
was the only coatthat he had or ever hoped to have. He knew that there were
times when he neededthat desperately, but Mark says he threw away his
garment and came to the Lord Jesus.
You know if I were an artist. I think the most prolific source of artistry would
be the Bible itself. I’ve saidto you once before that one of the most striking
things in all of the New Testamentto me is when the Lord Jesus stoodup in
the boat in the midst of the storm, preparatory to saying, stop, or be muzzled
,and there came a greatcalm. And here, as Bartimaeus threw awayhis cloak,
figurative of the fact that everything must go when we come to the Lord Jesus
– as Paul said, “He suffered the loss of all things as he came to Christ.” What
a beautiful picture that is. And he came to Jesus, Mark says. There’s nothing
more fundamental, nothing more significant, nothing more necessaryin life
than to come to the Lord Jesus.
I think one of the saddestthings in the world is for a man to go through life
shine in his schoolwork, shine in his college work, graduate nearthe top of his
class, become a successfulbusinessman, be successfulin business, come to the
end of his days retired, and then to be placed in a grave like the rest of the
people who have lived up to this time without the knowledge ofJesus Christ.
What a pitiful what a pitiful thing. To come to the Lord Jesus is the
fundamental thing. To think of it. To become the Presidentof General
Motors, but not know Christ. To be the Chairman of the Boardof Texas
Instruments but not know Jesus Christ, what a failure.
So the Lord said, what do you want? These men have just no doubt been
acquainted with the words the Lord Jesus had saidnot long before this: the
Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister. And so they in

62. effectchallengedhim. You said you come to minister, well, minister that we
may see againthat we may have our eyesight. One of the manuscripts I think I
mentioned as I was reading the Matthian account—atleastI did in the
morning—they requested, Lord that our eyes may be opened, that we may see
Thee. That’s a very fitting addition. I’m sure that’s the way they thought,
having calledout, O Lord Thou son of David. That’s what they were thinking.
But first of all that our eyes may be opened.
And then the healing is described in the lastverse, and I want you to notice
just briefly that there are outward means, inward means, and ultimate means.
The text of Scripture says, “So Jesus hadcompassionon them, and touched
their eyes.” Now that was the touch of sympathy. Blind men no doubt needed
the encouragementof the personal touch, and it’s a beautiful expressionof the
true humanity of Lord Jesus who understands all of our human needs. He
touched them. But it also is an identification, for to touch, to lay hands upon
was a sign of identification.
And all he was saying, symbolically, was, as he touched them, yes I am
sympathetic with your condition. I identify with your sin – not that I’m a
sinner – but it is for sin that I have come. And the apostle puts it I think very
succinctly, He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might become the
righteousness ofGod in Him. And so he identified himself with suffering
sinning humanity for he shall die for sinners.
Mark says that he said to him your faith has made you whole. Incidentally, it
was faith not adulterated by sight. They couldn’t be savedby sight; they had
no sight. Our churches give you the impression that our faith is really
grounded in a greatdeal of sight, for as we draw up to church buildings we
are impressed. They are magnificent structures. And usually there’s a cross
sticking above them. And then you enter, and you enter into the auditorium.
Now I know our auditorium is very simple. That’s the way we like it. As a
matter of fact that’s the way the earliestchurches in this country were
constructed, and that’s the reasonwhy this auditorium is simple. But many of
our churches, and the churches in which I’ve grownup are very impressive,
and the services are very impressive. The men come in and they are dressedin

63. different kinds of clothes. Theyare either dressedin a robe, or they are
dressedin clericalgarb with the round clericalcollar. That, incidentally, is not
a slipped halo. [Laughter]
And when they stand in the pulpit, they not only stand in the pulpit but they
go through motions that are designedto impress our senses.Theytwist. They
turn. They genuflect. They kneel. They bow. They frequently take things and
do things with them. They stand before the altar, so-called. The whole
impression seems to be, faith does come by sight, to some extent at least. They
impress us.
But the Lord Jesus said, your faith—not your humility, not your persistence,
not your purposefulness—yourfaith has made you whole. God has so worked
that he has given you faith, and that faith is the basis of your salvation. The
ultimate means is his compassion. Jesushad compassiononthem. Paul says he
speaks aboutGod who was rich in mercy for his greatlove wherewith he had
loved us. And so out of compassion, the Lord Jesus respondedto what he had
produced in their hearts and gave them the pronouncement that they were
now whole forgiven men.
And not only that, but their eyes were opened. Men speak ofmerits. Proud
men getdown upon their knees and offer prayers to God, thinking that their
prayers are the means of God’s blessing. But the wind sweeps the prayers
away, for God does not hear that kind of prayer. When the messengerof
mercy the Lord Jesus came to this earth, he did not enter into the Hiltons and
the Sheratons and the Holiday Inns and the Howard JohnsonInns, but he
came to the inn of the broken heart and the contrite spirit, because God
responds to those who acknowledgethat they have nothing with which to
commend themselves to the Lord.
Well the result of the healing is that they followedhim, and Luke tells us that
they glorified God, which led to the praise of the Lord by the people. What a
beautiful thing that is, too. When I was growing up in the Presbyterian
Church, there was put in my hands the shorter catechism, and I was told to
memorize it. Now that is all very vague in my mind because that was back in
the first millennium. [Laughter] There are only little snatches that I

64. remember from that. Since then, of course, I’ve lookedat the confessionand
studied it, and many things have come back but there were severalthings that
persistedthrough my days of spiritual darkness, and one of them was the
purpose for men being here. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him
forever. And when the Lord Jesus workedin the hearts of these two blind
men, they were so happy over what God had done to them and they so praised
God that they glorified God. They had reachedthat ultimate goalfor which
we are here in this earth to glorify him.
Now the Lord Jesus has changedhis position. He’s no longer here in our
midst. He’s at the right hand of the majesty on high, but it’s still true, my dear
friends, that Jesus of Nazarethpasses by. He does not do it physically. He does
it through his word and through his spirit. And we have listened as we have
read the word of God to the expositionof the powerJesus Christ to heal. And
if there is someone in our audience this morning who under the influence of
the Holy Spirit, has been brought to the conviction of his sin, he stands ready
and waiting to deliver from the blindness of our heart, to bring you into the
knowledge ofthe Lord Jesus whichmeans everlasting life.
Remembering that in a few moments the Lord Jesus will die upon the cross at
Calvary for sinners, making it possible for all of our sin and guilt and
condemnation to be washedtotally clean. And if Godhas brought in your
heart the desire he brought into the hearts of these blind men for healing, may
God help you deep down within the recessesofyour being to cry out, O Lord
Thou son of David, have mercy upon me. And this greatmiracle of healing
will be accomplishedspiritually again. May God speak to your heart to that
end. Let’s stand for the benediction.
[Prayer] Father, we know that we have only inadequately expressedthe
greatness ofthe healing ministry of the Lord Jesus, but we do know deep
down within us, Lord, what Thou hast done for us and what Thou art able to
do for men who come through the Spirit’s enablement to the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, the MessiahofIsrael, the Saviorof sinners.
And Lord, if there should be some one present in this auditorium, one little
child, perhaps one young man, one young woman, one elderly man or woman

65. in whom the Holy Spirit has worked, O God, by the Holy Spirit, bring to their
inmost being that urgent request, O Lord Thou son of David have mercy upon
me.
Accomplish, Lord the supernatural work of the new birth.
May grace mercy and peace go with us.
For Jesus’sake. Amen.
JOHN MACARTHUR
The Blind Who Saw
Sermons Matthew 20:29–34 2349 Aug 7, 1983
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Let’s look at Matthew chapter20, the last wonderful, wonderful sectionin this
twentieth chapter. Matthew chapter 20. And I would like to read for you
verses 29 through 34.
“And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followedHim. And,
behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, whenthey heard that Jesus
passedby, cried out saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, sonof David.’
“And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace. Butthey
cried the more saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, son of David.’

66. “And Jesus stoodstill, and calledthem, and said, ‘What will ye that I shall do
unto you?’
“Theysay unto Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’
“So Jesus had compassiononthem, and touched their eyes, and immediately
their eyes receivedsight, and they followedHim.”
Very simple story. Very simple. Easyto understand. And not even unusual in
the life of Christ, for stories like this could be repeateda thousand times a
thousand. So much so, perhaps, that as John said, “All the books ofall the
world couldn’t even contain them.” Why this story? Why is it here as Jesus
goes to Jerusalemto die? Why stop in the progress ofsuch a greatevent as the
Passover, where He is to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world?
Why stop to include a story of two blind men?
Well, I think among many reasons. One sortof overpowering reasonis
indicated by the word “compassion” inverse 34. And if all other lessons were
setaside, one great, one great and profound truth would grab our minds, and
that is this: that Jesus had greatcompassion.
People who were nothing but an irritation and a distractionto the crowd were
a cause for deep pain to Him – the pain of sympathy, empathy, and
compassion. While the world wanted to silence these kind of people, Jesus
wanted to hear what they had to say. While the world wantedto make sure
they didn’t get in the way, Jesus wantedto be sure He stoodwith them. While
the world wanted to be sure they didn’t interrupt anything by articulating
their need, Jesus wantednot only to know their need but to meet it.
And so, at best, this wonderful little story is a demonstration of the heart of
God, which is a heart of compassion. And that is to say, beloved, that God not
only knows what pain we endure, He feels it. That’s right. He not only knows
it, it is not just cognition, it is not God in heaven saying, “Oh, I understand.
So-and-so is suffering.” It isn’t just that. It’s the feeling of that suffering; it’s
the pain of that which touches His own great heart. And therefore, when God
allows you to suffer, He allows Himself to suffer as well and be sure then that
if, indeed, you’re suffering is not alleviated, He continues to suffer with you

67. and must, therefore, have some greatpurpose in mind, for He Himself could
eliminate His own suffering as well.
And so does Jesus demonstrate compassion. We wouldimagine that He would
have been preoccupiedwith the disciples, perhaps, who were to carry on the
legacyafterHis death which will occurin a few days. We would imagine that
He could have been distractedby the thought of dying itself and becoming the
sacrificialLamb, as He lookedup the plateau to Jerusalemfrom the vantage
point of Jericho far believe.
It would have been easyfor us to understand that He really didn’t have time,
in this particular moment in history, to stop and take care of a couple of blind
men, of which there were many, many such, and maybe many, many such in
Jericho, for it was said of Jericho that there grew balsambushes, and balsam
bushes could be made into a specialkind of medicine which was good for the
curing of the eyes. And yet, He has time. And that is to saythat God is
compassionate.
And Jesus Christ is not too buy redeeming the entire world, to give sight to
two insignificant, blind men who have nothing to offer Him but their problem.
And that may be a more profound lessonthan we’ve thought.
Blindness, in fact, is a matter of recordin the Bible. It’s quite common,
physical blindness and spiritual blindness. Physical blindness occurredquite
frequently in the ancient world. Poverty, lack of medical care, unsanitary
conditions, brilliant sunlight, blowing sand, certainkinds of accidents, war,
fighting, all of these things could cause blindness. But most commonly,
blindness was causedbasicallybecause ofgonorrhealdiplococcus that would
find their way from a woman’s body into the conjunctiva of the eye of a child
at birth, and there they would form their disease, and permanent blindness
could occur.
Sometimes blindness came by the infecting virus trachoma. And I suppose
today, much of these things are curable because of the drugs that we have
available, but then they were not. So, it was not uncommon to be blind.
Especiallymaybe not uncommon, as I saidin Jericho, where they believed
there was a certain bush that healedblindness.

68. But even more common than physical blindness was spiritual blindness. And
metaphorically, the Gospels and the epistles speak oftenof the blindness of the
heart. In fact, it’s summed up in the words of John 1, which simply says,
“Thatwas the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
He was in the world. The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him
not. He came unto His own, and His ownreceivedHim not.”
Or in the third chapter, where it says that men loved darkness rather than
light because their deeds were evil. Or Romans 11:25, which says, “Blindness
in part is happened to Israel.” Or 2 Corinthians 3:14, “Theirminds were
blinded.” Or Jesus words in Matthew 23, “Woe unto you blind guides, you
blind Pharisee,” He said. Blind to God. Maybe able to see physically, but blind
to God.
Now, the case ofthese men is most interesting, because while they are
physically blind, they appear to have unusually clearspiritual sight.
Physically they see nothing; spiritually they see very well. And they will see
even better when the Lord Jesus is finished with them. And they will also see
physically.
Why are people spiritually blind? Well, sin. They’re blinded by sin I believe.
In Matthew 6, it talks about the fact that when you’re evil, your whole eye is
darkened. I believe Satansort of adds a double blindness by blinding the
minds of them that believe not, 2 Corinthians 4:4. And then I believe God may
add a triple blindness when he sovereignlymakes the eye blind as Isaiah 6
indicates in a judicial punishment of unbelievers.
And so, we see, then, that men are blind by sin and doubly blinded by Satan,
and doubly or triply blinded by God. And it is into the darkness of man’s
spiritual blindness that Jesus comes. And you’ll remember when He
announced His arrival in Luke 4:18, He saidHe had come to give sight to the
blind. And I don’t think He was primarily speaking of physical blindness; He
was primarily speaking of spiritual. He said in John 8, “I am the light that
lights the world. Whoeverfollows Me will never walk in darkness. He came to
give spiritual light to blind eyes.

69. And sometimes He gave physical sight to blind eyes. And I think He did that
for three reasons. Firstofall, it was part of messianic proof. He was
demonstrating that He was the Messiah.
Secondly, it was part of millennial preview. He was showing them what it was
going to be like in His kingdom when all of that kind of thing was turned over
and there was glorious wholeness andhealing in the kingdom.
And thirdly, I think it was a matter of symbol or picture. It was a marvelous
picture. Every time He healed someone ofphysical blindness, He was, in effect
saying, “That’s only a symbol of what I want to do to the soul.”
Every time He unstopped the ears so that someone couldhear sound, He was
in effectsaying, “And that is exactly what I want to do to the heart, so you can
hear the Word of God.” And every time He raisedsomeone from the dead
physically, He was saying, “I want to give life to the soul, as I am able to give
life to the body.” And that is why Jesus found it no more difficult to forgive
sins than to heal someone. And when posedwith that question, that’s what He
said, “What’s the difference? I am showing you by my absolute control over
the physical world and the natural laws that I have control over the spiritual
world and the supernatural laws.
And so, in the case ofthese two blind men, you have messianic proof, you have
millennial preview, and you have a marvelous picture of what He’s able to do
to the heart. And then you have the reality. I believe, before the story’s over,
these two blind men are saved, redeemedsouls. And so, they see physically;
they see spiritually. And they demonstrate to us that no matter how involved
our Lord is, His heart of compassionreachesoutto those who cry for His
help.
Now, let’s look at the scene in verse 29. It’s a very simple story and a simple
scene. “As they departed from Jericho, a greatmultitude followedHim.”
Jesus had finished His ministry in Galilee;He finished His ministry in Perea.
Perea is the area eastof the Jordan. Jesus had crossedthe Jordan, at some
northern point, near the Sea of Galilee, and descendeddown the easternside
of the Jordan River in that area knownas Perea.

70. He’s finished His ministry of a few weeksthere, and now He’s on His way to
Jerusalem. So, He has to recross the Jordan River to the west. He probably
crossedata fairy spot about five miles north of Jericho. Jericho’s the first city
you see whenyou cross the Jordan from the east. I’ve seenit sitting there a
couple of times.
And as you ferry across the river you walk across nowadayswhatis known as
the Allenby Bridge, the first sight you see is Jericho. It isn’t the Jericho of old;
it’s really the third Jericho;they keepmoving south. But in Jesus’time, there
was the Old TestamentJericho, which was ruins, and then a little south of
that – right againstit, really – was the New TestamentJericho that flourished
at this time, and it was a beautiful place. Still is. It has its own unique beauty.
In those days, it was so exquisite a place that Herod built himself a wonderful
fort and palace there, and that was his winter home. And they – Josephus
used to say that when there was snow in Jerusalem, they were wearing linen
because it was so warm in Jericho. And it’s only about 15 miles as the crow
flies. But it’s so far down into that desert that it stays warm. It’s the Palm
Springs, you see, of Palestine. It was knownas the City of Palms.
And if you want to understand the geographyof the land of Palestine, you’ll
be interested to note that it is almost an absolute, identical copy of Southern
California, both in terms of geographyand climate, for it has a seacoast – a
beautiful, gorgeous beachon the Mediterranean. And then there is a lovely
valley known as the Sharon Valley. And then the mountains rise up; we know
them as the Carmel mountain range. And at the southern end is this massive
plateau of Jerusalem. And from there, descendstraight down to the desert.
It’s almosta parallel. The only difference would be that whereas Los Angeles
is in a basin, Jerusalemis on a plateau. But it’s much like our area.
From the seacoastit rises to the mountains and then descends to the desert.
And Jericho was a lovely place in the winter – even in the spring, because the
crops all came in early in Jericho. Mark tells us it was not yet fig-picking time
in Jerusalem, but it would have been in Jericho because ofthe warmth. There
were citrus trees everywhere, because, yousee, Jericho was endlesslyfed by
some beautiful springs, one of which I’ve, myself, had a drink out of. Lovely

71. water, pure and clear. And that water was channeledby irrigation all through
that area around Jericho so that it flourished.
And there were palm trees everywhere and citrus trees, and then this balsam
bush which had some multiple uses that was growing there. And so, it would
have been a very lovely place. It was also a place that must have literally
exploded on the minds of Jesus – on the mind of Jesus with memory, because
He would no doubt remember a very specialwoman from that city by the
name of Rahab, who was a prostitute, but who hid the spies, you remember,
who came to spy out the land. And as a result and the grace ofGod, she was
given a place in messianic genealogy, andyou find her listed as an ancestorof
the MessiahHimself in Matthew chapter 1.
And as He stoodon the edge of the JordanRiver, ready to go south about five
miles maybe to the New Testamentcity of Jericho, He would have looked
straight aheadto a cliff of mountains that rises straight up into the sky,
chalky, white, limestone-like parapet that casts its shadow in the late
afternoonover the city of Jericho, and He would have remembered that that
was very likely the place where He was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights by
the devil. It’s calledby historians The Devastation – a bleak and desolate
place.
And so, His mind is literally filled with things. Around Him is pressing a huge
crowdmoving now from crossing the river down to Jericho, passing through
the ruins of Old TestamentJericho – which ruins, by the way, are still there
for our visitor to see, including the ancient wall which so accommodatedthe
plan of God by falling over on cue.
And as they came to the city, He could see the sights, and smell the smells, and
hear the sounds. And it would be such a fulfilling experience. And in the midst
of all of this, the tremendous anticipation of His own death only days away.
He’s only, by the way, six hours’ walk, maybe from Jerusalem, six miles north
of the DeadSea, and it’s a fulfilling thing.
Now, as He comes into the city, naturally the mob presses Him on all sides. He
can heal. I mean anybody today who even claims to heal can pack in a crowd.
You can get15,000people into Madison Square Garden if you just tell them

72. you’re going to heal them. Even if you can’t, they’ll come just to find out if
you can. And if you really can heal, they’re there; believe me.
In Jesus’time, they mobbed Him. That’s why the Lord had to tell the disciples
not to take any money, because they could have made literally a fortune in a
day selling healings. And so, the people pile all around Jesus, His teaching, His
preaching, the magnetism of His personality, His ability to raise the dead and
heal people from any disease.
And as He came into the city, with the press of the crowd, there was one little
guy who really wanted to see Him. You remember his name? Zacchaeus.And
he was number one public enemy. Hated. He was a Jew who sold out to Rome
for money. He became chief tax collector. He exacerbatedtax out of Israel to
the point of a fault. He defrauded them; he stole them blind, and he pocketed
it all for himself. And they hated him. Not only was he a traitor, but he was a
crook.
But he was fascinatedby Jesus. Now, how did he know about Him? Well, it
hadn’t been long before this that Jesus made a short trip to Bethany. And
when He was there, He raisedLazarus from the dead. And the word went like
wildfire. Bethany was the town betweenJericho and Jerusalemjust up the
hill. And it’s very likely that everybody would have known who the Mary,
Martha, Josephlittle family was – or Mary, Martha, and Lazarus rather.
They would have knownwho they were. And, of course, the whole city was in
an uproar when He raisedhim from the dead. And His enemies pursued Him
that He had to go back on the other side of the Jordan for a while for safety’s
sake - at leastHe had to retreataway. And so, they knew.
He had practically banished disease from Palestine, and so, everybody knew
who He was. They were all there. And Zacchaeus wanteda view of Him. Since
he couldn’t see, like a little kid at a parade, he crawledup in a tree. And Jesus
came along, and He stopped and said, “Come down out of that tree; I’m
coming to your house; I’m going to spend the night,” which wouldn’t have
done anything for the popularity of Jesus, superficially, because this was the
most hated man in town.

73. But He had a wonderful evening with Zacchaeus, and He transformed him.
He redeemed him. The man was totally transformed. The reasonwe know
that was he said to Jesus, just before the dawning came, and the thing was all
completed, he said, “I’m going to give everything I give back to the poor –
everything I’ve evertaken from anybody fourfold.”
And Jesus said, “Surely salvationhas come to this house.” That’s the real
thing, folks;that’s the real thing. He is the perfectopposite of the rich, young
ruler. True salvation? He wants to give it all away. You don’t even have to tell
him to it; he wants to do it. Everything he’s defrauded and more.
And so, as the morning breaks and Zacchaeus is running around town,
settling his account, and he’s like some incredible Santa Claus, giving
everybody back four times what he took and saying it’s all because of Jesus.
The crowdperhaps even swelledgreater. And the whole place is lined with
people.
Now, you have to read the other accounts to getthat; you’re not looking at
that in verse 29. And so, by now, Jesus is ready to leave;he spent the night.
He’s going to Jerusalem;He must move to the Passover. And so, we pick it up
in verse 30.
“And, behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, whenthey heard that
Jesus passedby, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, sonof David.’”
Now, it says in verse 29, as they departed from Jericho this happened. Mark
says, in the comparative passage,“As they were leaving Jericho,” but Luke
says, “As He came near Jericho.”
Now people say, “How do you harmonize this? Isn’t this a biblical error? Two
have Him leaving, one has Him coming.”
And some say, “Well, if you remember that there was Old TestamentJericho
and New TestamentJericho, it’s possible that He was leaving Old Testament
and entering into New TestamentJericho;but why would He stay overnight
in the ruins?”

74. I don’t know, maybe Zacchaeus livedover there; it’s possible. We don’t know
the explanation, but I’m wonderfully content with the fact that there is an
explanation.
And I have my own personalexplanation. I believe beggars, frommy
experience of studying the Bible, usually hung around the thoroughfares
where the people were. And if you’ve ever been to Jerusalem, you know where
they hang around. In fact, I ran into the same beggars, almostevery day, just
outside the city gate. And that seems to be the rather traditional place for
them.
And so, I guess, perhaps one explanation of what might have happened is this:
that as Jesus is moving with this mob, and they come to the gate, and the
crowdand the noise and all that’s going on, and they pass out the gate, then
all of a sudden the cries of these blind men are brought to His attention, at
which point he turns to return into the city to confront them and meet them
and find their need. Certainly a possible explanation.
But I think it’s really wonderful to note that eachGospelwriter is not
intimidated by what the other says;therefore, they’re not copying some
extraneous source. Theyare, rather, writing from their own heart under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And when you pull it all together, it makes
wonderful and beautiful sense.
And so, as Jesus moves along, perhaps going out the gate, moving directly
westup that incredible incline to the plateau of Jerusalem, it is brought to His
attention that these blind me are crying after Him.
Now, verse 30 says, “Behold,” and that is a term of exclamation. And I think
the exclamationhere is not because of the blind men. It isn’t, “Behold, two
blind men,” like that was some big deal. Probably the same two blind men
that had been there a while. It wasn’tthat that they were sitting; they always
sat. It wasn’t that they were sitting; they always sat. And it wasn’t they were
along the road; they were always along the road.
The reasonthey put a “behold” in there is because ofwhat they said. They
said, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, sonof David,” and they callby his

75. messianic title. I mean two beggars - Mark says - who were begging - Luke
says - sitting by the wayside – Matthew says, screaming out the messianic title.
Where did these guys come off as such consummate theologians?Where did
they gettheir information and faith? That’s the “behold.” That’s the
exclamation. Not that they were blind, or that they were there, or that they
were begging, or that they were yelling, but it was what they were saying.
Now, at this point, we find another wonderful thought. Luke only discusses
one of the two, the more prominent one, but never says there was only one.
And Mark goes a step further; he only discusses one ofthe two, and he give us
his name. His name is Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. And I suppose we could
wonder why he bothers to name him. Matthew just wants us to see the
majesty of Christ; Luke emphasizes the same.
But Mark touches the real human cord by naming this man. And I think it
perhaps is because he was well known - oh, not then, but later – so that when
Mark pens the Gospel, and the letters are written to the Church to read about
the accountof the life of our Lord, when they cansit down and read this,
they’ll have there the story of the conversionof one who, by now, they greatly
love. It’s as if Mark is saying, “And you know who one of those guys was? It
was none other than your friend Bartimaeus.” And so, he picks up a little of
history of the history of one of the beloved brothers in the Church by the time
the Gospelwould be read by some.
It’s not unusual, by the way, for one Gospelwriter to mention two, and the
others to focus on one. You’ll find the same thing in the maniac across the Sea
of Galilee at Gerasa, where some writers note two, and some concentrate on
the healing of one. That’s the background.
Now, let me give you just a brief outline, and we’ll run right through the
simple story. Their sadplight – their sadplight, verse 30, it says, “Whenthey
heard Jesus pass by, they cried out saying, ‘Have mercy on us.’” And then in
verse 31, at the end, “They cried again, saying the more, ‘Have mercy on us.’”
The word “cry” here is krazō; it means to scream. It’s used in the New
Testamentof the screechings andscreamings ofdemon-possessedpeople,
Mark 5. It’s used of the screaming of insane people and epileptics. It’s used of

76. the cry – the loud, anguished cry of a mother giving birth to a child. And the
idea of the form of the text here is there was a constantscreaming. I mean
they were yelling at the top of their voice, “Have mercy on us.” A cry of
anguish and a cry of desperation. A cry of pain. I mean they know that if
Jesus gets out of the hearing of their voices, thatthey are doomed to blindness
the restof their life. They know this is the only one who can do this. And the
desperationis powerful – the drama. You can imagine the shrieking and
screaming of two men who know they’ve got one moment in time or the restof
their life they are to be blind as stones. And they screamin almost a frenzy.
And they say, “Have mercy on us.”
I like the fact they didn’t say, “Hey, God gave us a dirty deal, why don’t you
make it right?” They recognizedthat they neededmercy. Take pity on us.
Look at our sad situation. There’s a sense ofhumility in that that speaks of
the Mark of someone with true humility.
They wail with an intense desire to be healed, but they make no demands, and
they make no claim to worthiness. And they are so persistent that as a F. F.
Bruce says, “Theyrefused to be bludgeoned into silence by the indifferent
crowd.”
Verse 31, “The multitude rebuked them that they should hold their peace, and
they screamedlouder.” I guess the world always tries to keeppeople from
getting to Jesus - don’t they? - isn’t anything really different.
People getdisgustedwith beggars, and if you’ve ever been in a part of the
world where there are a lot of them, you really do kind of sloughthem off.
And they do get in the way, and they’re a little bit obtrusive. But I think their
heart was right, “Have mercy on us; take pity.” They felt their deep need.
They knew they deservednothing. They cried for mercy. There’s no merit in
mercy. There’s no merit to be given to one who seeks mercy. They were quite
different than the Phariseeswho sought no mercy because they believed on
the basis of merit they possesseda right to everything.
So, we see their sad plight, and then their strong persistence. In verse 31 it
says when the crowdtried to shut them up, they just kept screaming louder.
And these people really wanted to getto Jesus. Ilike that spirit, their strong

77. persistence. There’s a third thing here that I would just note for you: their
sound perception. As blind as they were physically, they were equally able to
see spiritually because ofsomething they said, “O Lord, sonof David,” verse
30. “O Lord, son of David,” verse 31. That’s the messianic title. They had
come to the place where they believed that He was the Messiah.
Now, to what extent that faith extends, I don’t know. I mean I can’t – I can’t
give you a – and insight into the dimensions of their faith, but it was there, to
some extent or they wouldn’t have been screaming as frantically as they were.
There wasn’t any doubt in their mind that this was their only chance.
Maybe I’m not sure we can say how sure they were it was a chance, or it was a
real opportunity, but they knew there wasn’tany other, and they put all they
had into this one. And when they said, “O Lord,” there must have been
something in that. I don’t know whether they assumedHim to be God, deity,
or whether they were giving Him a title of honor and respect, which indicated
that He was a sovereignof some kind, a Lord of some kind. But when they
said, “sonof David,” they were identifying Him as the Messiah, forit says in
Matthew 1:1, in the beginning of the genealogiesofJesus, thatHe is the sonof
David, son of Abraham. That is the most common Jewishterm for the coming
King, because in 2 Samuel 7:12 and 13, when God gave the covenantand
promised that there would come a greaterking than David, it would be
David’s greaterson. And so, “sonof David” became the title by which
Messiahwas designated.
And Jesus was the son of David, for Josephhis father had come in the Davidic
line, and Mary his mother had also come in the Davidic line. And He, indeed,
was the son of David. And when the birth of Jesus Christ occurredin Luke 1
and verse 32, we read, “He shall be greatand be called the son of the Highest,
and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He
shall reign, and the end of his kingdom shall never come.”
And so, they give Him a messianic name. It’s the same thing they called Him
in chapter 21, when He came into Jerusalemon that Palm Sunday in verse 9,
“Hosanna to the son of David. Blessedis He that comethin the name of the
Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” In verse 11, they said, “This is Jesus the

78. prophet of Nazarethof Galilee.” So, theyare saying, “Jesus ofNazarethfrom
Galilee, a prophet, is none other than son of David, the one who comes in the
name of the highest.
And so, it is a double actof faith. They have faith in His power to heal; they
have faith in His person as Messiah. Maybe it was due to the resurrectionof
Lazarus. Maybe it was due to the ministry of John the Baptista few years
before, for they would have been in the proximity of the Jordan River out
there, and they may well have known John the Baptist; they may well have
known that he had calledfor repentance in preparation for the Messiah – we
don’t know. They may well even have known Isaiah29:18 which said that
when Messiahcomes, He will give sight to the blind.” But whateverit was,
they had enoughfaith to know that they were in need of mercy and to believe
that this was the one who could do for them what they neededdone, and that
He was Lord, to some extent, and that He was Messiahto the full extent.
And I’ve always beenof a mind to believe that when you have come to the
point of all the faith that is possible, the Lord’ll meet you at that point of faith
and take you all the way to redemption. And I think that’s what He does with
these two men.
Alfred Edersheimsays it beautifully. He says, “The faith of the blind rose to
the full height of divine possibility.” And so we see their simple plea. Sad
plight, strong persistence,soundperception, simple plea.
Verse 32, “And Jesus stoodstill and calledthem, and said, “What will ye that
I shall do unto you?” He stoodstill, stopped the whole perception. Stopped.
Here was a greatmoment in which three things could occur generally:
messianic proof again, millennial preview, and a marvelous picture of what
He would do with a heart. It was a time to demonstrate His credentials all
over again, but it was more than that. It was a moment of tender compassion
on behalf of two needy people.
And He called them. How did He callthem? Well, if you read Mark’s account,
it seems as though He calledthem with a messenger. Someoneran back. And
that’s another reasonwhy I getthe feeling that they were out of the city, and
somebody ran back to these guys who were over there by the gate.

79. And he ran back, and in Mark 10:49, he says, “Be of goodcomfort. Rise, He
calls you. He wants you.” And in Mark 10:50, it says, “The blind rose up and
threw off his garment and went to Jesus.” I mean once he head that Jesus had
gottenthe message, he just threw awayhis garment and took off. Maybe he
figured he’d come back and be able to see enoughto find it again.
And Jesus says, “Whatwill you that I should do to you?” This is to evoke out
of their hearts a greaterexpectation. This is to confirm in the crowd exactly
what He was doing. And the response is a simple plea of verse 33, “Theysaid
unto him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’” You see, they’re confessing
they’re blind. And that needs to be very clear;they were blind. And that leads
to their supernatural privilege.
Supernatural privilege, verse 34, “And Jesus had compassiononthem,
touched their eyes. Immediately their eyes receivedsight.” Now, it says that
Jesus had compassion. And that’s the realmessage,I think, of this wonderful
story. He felt their need; He felt their pain; He hurt for them. There’s such a
tenderness in Him. He reachedout, and He touched their eyes. And Luke
adds, “He said, when He touched them, ‘Receive your sight.’” And instantly,
all physical laws were set aside. And just s God creates something out of
nothing, Christ createdseeing eyes.
Interesting that the Greek verb here is anablepō – blepō to see;ana to see
again, which is to saythat perhaps their blindness had occurred in life, not in
birth. And so, they were made to see again. And I’ve always felt that those
who have lost their sight have a greaterpain to bear than those who were
born blind and do not know what they’ve missed.
And so, He restores to them their sight againout of compassion, touching and
speaking. Oh, He used many methods. Sometimes He touched; sometimes He
didn’t. Sometimes they touched Him. Sometimes He spoke;sometimes He
merely thought a thought and they were healed. Sometimes He put fingers in
ears. Sometimes He used clay; sometimes He used spittle. He healedmany,
many different ways, but always His healings were total, complete,
instantaneous, and defied any natural explanation.

80. Let me just give you a footnote. There are a lot of people around today who
want us to believe that they can heal. And you’ll turn on your television, from
time to time, and you’ll see those kinds of things. But have you ever noticed
the absence ofblind people? You ever notice that? Oh, they pretend to be able
to help people hear, and lengthen legs, and help people with aches and pains.
But where are the people who have glass eyes, andall of a sudden they have
seeing eyes? This is a monumental miracle.
A person who may be crippled and full of pain canbe made - in the euphoria
of a moment and the hype of their own mind and the energy of a situation and
in a strong actof confident faith in some healer - to stand up and take a few
steps, but none of that stuff’s going to make a personwithout eyeballs see. So,
let the healers line up, who claim they have the gift, and heal the blind. Or
raise the dead.
Now, this takes us to a final point. This takes us to a final point. And I love
this, in verse 34. I callit their submissive pursuit. Sad plight, strong
persistence, soundperception, simple plea, supernatural privilege, submissive
pursuit. They pursue. I love this. The end of verse 34, “Theyfollowed Him.”
That’s just a simple little statement, but it’s a beautiful statement. And what
makes it especiallybeautiful is when they were healed – and one of the other
Gospelwriters – Mark – says, “Jesus saidto them, ‘Go your way. Go your
way.’” Well, you know what their way was? WhenHe said, “Go your way,”
what way did they go? Their way was His way from now on.
I think this is just the kind of stuff that indicates realregeneration. And Mark
10:52 says, “Jesus said, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you whole.’” Now
listen carefully. The word there, “Your faith has made you whole,” is not
iaomai – healedyou; it’s sōzō, “Youfaith has savedyou.” That is the classic
New Testamentword for to be saved. “Your faith has savedyou.” And I think
inherent in what our Lord said there in Mark 10:52 to these blind men was
this, “You’re redeemed.”
Now listen carefully. You do not have to have faith, in the New Testament
record, to be healed. There were plenty of people healedin the New Testament
didn’t have faith. Deadpeople don’t have faith. There are a lot of people

81. healed in the New Testamentthat didn’t have faith. You can look through all
kinds of illustrations of that; getDick’s book on divine healing today. You can
look them all up; they’re all listed for you there. But you can find all kinds of
healings where there was no faith, but you’ll never find salvationwithout
faith.
And so, whereas faith is not necessaryfor healing, faith is necessaryfor
salvation. And I like to think when Jesus said, “Your faith hath saved you,”
that’s exactly what He meant. Sure, there was physicalwholeness there, and
they did have faith in that. But it was more than that. I think of Luke 17, you
know, ten lepers came, and Jesus said, “Go, show yourself to the priest,” and
on the way, all ten were cleansed – katharizō, a form of healing. They were all
katharizō, cleansedofleprosy. How many came back? One, to whom Jesus
said, “Your faith has savedyou.” I believe there were ten healed; there was
one – what? – saved.
And there’s anotherreasonthat I think these guys really had a transformed
life. It says, “Theyfollowed Him.”
Somebody’s going to say, “Oh, yeah, but they were just following Him to
Jerusalem.”
Well, that’s right. But it says in Luke, “Theyfollowed, glorifying God.”
Glorifying God. And it even tells us, interestingly enough, in Luke 18:43, that
all the whole multitude startedchanting, “Praise to God.” And this thing
starts mounting. And by the time they get to Jerusalem, you know what broke
loose onPalm Sunday, right? I think – I think He touched that city from top
to bottom. He hit the richest guy, Zacchaeus, anda couple of poor beggars –
the most despisedup-and-inner and the most despiseddown-and-outers; He
got them all. What a demonstration. And it was sortof a final messianic
display that sweptthe crowd into the hosannas of Palm Sunday. I hope it’s
your testimony that you’ve been touched by the compassionofJesus because
you’ve cried for Him, and He’s made you see. Let’s pray.
We canall saywith the blind man in John 9 that once we were blind, and now
we see when we’ve been touched with the saving grace of Christ. We thank
You for that our Lord, for whereas we were blind, we do see. And we thank

82. You that Jesus is compassionate, thatHe is never too busy in the matter of
redeeming the universe to stopto hear the cry of those in need, and that His
heart is touched deeply with compassionforthat heart.
We thank You that when we who are spiritually blind come and cry out, “Oh,
that our eyes may be opened,” that the same Lord of compassionis there to
open our eyes as well. And our faith can make us to be saved, to be whole in
spirit.
We thank You also, Father, that Jesus Christ has the power to heal all disease
and somedaywill do that in glory at the redemption of our bodies, when all
sickness, andsorrow, and pain, and death is banished forever. We thank You,
and we wait for that display of power.
In the meantime, because we know that sicknessmust endure as long as sin
endures, we thank You that our Savioris compassionate.And He understands
our frailties. He feels the pain of our fallenness. He sympathizes with our
sorrow, and has even in the midst of them His holy purposes, that we through
those things might be made more like Jesus Christ who is indeed a
sympathetic high priest.
We thank you for this glimpse of our dear Savior. We pray that we might see
Him with as cleareyes as those two blind men saw Him: the Lord, the son of
David, the rightful King, the one alone who cansave those who come in faith
and cry for mercy out of their sad distress.
With your head bowed in the moment, as we close, if you have never come to
the light of Christ, we would invite you to do that this morning. Believe in
your heart, confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, acceptHis work on the
cross for you, and you will come to see with the eyes of the soul.
The GospelAccording to Matthew

83. By
G. Campbell Morgan, D.D.
Copyright © 1929
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
MATTHEW 20:17-34
THE words, “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give His life a ransom for many” (20:28), may be saidto constitute the
central statementof the whole paragraph.
The greattruth therein declaredexplains:
- The mind of the Masteras revealedin this story; - The perplexity of the
disciples;- The Master’s attitude toward need, as revealedin the crowds
which followed Him.
This sectionis most interesting, as it brings before us the different classes of
people by which the King was surrounded in the lastdays. Again we may
describe it as a microcosm, showing us the whole condition of affairs in those
last days.

84. We have watchedHim as He devoted Himself almost exclusively to His own
disciples, and yet manifested a perpetual readiness to turn to the multitudes as
they came, to Him in their need, and with their question, and continually
maintained His attitude of defense againstthe attacks ofHis foes.
Now in this paragraph:
- We see first the Lord Himself and there is a wonderful revelation of the
working of His mind at this point. - We see next the group of disciples, the
first circle immediately around Him, and we learn what they were thinking. -
We see beyond them, a greatmultitude following Him, curious, interested,
and expectant.
We shall divide the paragraphinto three sections for our study.
- First, that revealing the mind of the King (verses 17-19). - Secondly, that
revealing the mind of the Kingdom, as it was establishedin the hearts of those
who were yielded to the King (verses 20-28). -Finally, that revealing the
multitudes (verses” 29-34).
First, then, as to the revelation of the mind of the King.
It is first manifest that He had a clearunderstanding of what lay before Him
at the hands of lawless men. Mark the minuteness of His description. There is
not a perhaps in it, or a peradventure, or a maybe; not a single word that will
allow us to imagine that Jesus was speculating as to the future.

85. He said, “We go up to Jerusalem;and the Son of man shall be delivered unto
the chief priests and unto the scribes;and they shall condemn Him to death,
And shall deliver Him unto the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to
crucify.”
There is the utmost accuracyin the details, and a calm, quiet knowledge ofthe
actualthings that were before Him. The roads to Jerusalemwere thronged
with multitudes who were going to the feasts. Manyof them would be near
Him because oftheir interest in Him.
He took His disciples apart from these crowds perhaps turning off the
highroad into some bypath for a little, or making it evident that He desired to
be alone and calmly told them in brief words of the facts to which He was
moving in Jerusalem.
In the secondplace there was evidently in the mind of the King a clearvision
of the fact that what lay before Him was within the determinate counselof
God, for He ended the declarationof coming suffering with these words, “And
the third day He shall rise again.”
From that wonderful day at CaesareaPhilippi after the confessionofPeter,
when Jesus beganto talk about His Cross, He never mentioned His Cross to
His disciples upon any one occasionwithout also declaring the fact of His
coming resurrection.
Not only the clearvision of the darkness, and the clearvision of the light
beyond; not only a certainknowledge ofall the suffering and the pain, and an
equally certainknowledge ofthe ultimate triumph over these things in

86. resurrection;but, and because ofthis dual certainly in His mind, there was
manifested a quiet and dignified cooperationwith the “determinate counsel”
of God as He setHis face towards Jerusalem, saying quietly and calmly to His
disciples, “Beholdwe go up to Jerusalem.”
There was never a thought of turning aside; undeterred by what He knew
most certainly of coming pain, He set His face toward the suffering
deliberately, compelledtoward Jerusalemby no other than His perpetual
devotion to the will of God, and His perpetual determination to cooperate with
that will, to its ultimate purpose.
Then notice the action consequentupon that consciousness.
He took the disciples apart, and He told them in detail the things He knew. It
has been said our Lord was attempting to draw these men into sympathy with
Him; that He wanted them to come into a closercomradeshipwith Him, in
order to His own comfort. The probability is that He was not thinking of
Himself for a moment, that He was still a self-emptied soul; and that He was
rather getting them ready for the pathways of pain that lay before them.
He did not lean upon human sympathy as He faced the lonely sufferings of
the Cross. The only strength He knew was the strength of His unbroken
fellowship and communion with God. He was storing their minds with things
which at the moment they could not possibly understand, for these men never
knew Him while He was still amongstthem.
They loved Him, they saw enoughin Him to draw out their affections after
Him. They saw enoughto make them believe in Him in some unintelligent
sense, but they never understood Him.

87. In the Paschaldiscourses,whichJohn has preserved for us, He said to them in
effect, “The things I am saying to-day, you will understand in the days to
come, when the Comforterhas come and opened your minds. It is better for
you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter cannotcome, but
when He comes He will guide you into the truth.”
And in the first four-and-twenty hours after the baptism of the Spirit, on the
day of Pentecost, they were more familiar with the truth concerning Jesus
than they had ever been during the whole period of His ministry in their
midst. Nineteencenturies have passedaway, and now by the illumination of
that Spirit of God, Who has withdrawn the signs which were material, the
tongues of fire, but Who abides in all spiritual power, we can walk with Him
on the pathway of suffering in a more intimate fellowship than those men
could.
But let us consider the mind of the Kingdom.
Taking the story of the coming of these two men with their mother, let us
notice the revelationof mind which it affords.
First, in the mind of those who constituted the Kingdom, there was evident
present faith in Him. They still believed in His coming into His Kingdom. As
to what they meant by the Kingdom does not at all matter for the moment.
They were not perfectly clearconcerning His Kingdom; their ideas were
largely material ideas, yet not wholly; but they did not see all the spiritual
height and depth and spaciousness.

88. What made those two men persuade their mother to come and ask that they
should sit one on His right hand and the other on His left? They would never
have preferred the request if they had not believed that He was coming into a
Kingdom.
Then mark the angerof the ten, and remember that their angerand criticism
was because oftheir belief in the King, and because theywanted the positions
of importance themselves.
The twelve believed that He was coming into a Kingdom. Yet they were
strangelyperplexed since Caesarea Philippi. He was always making them
uncomfortable by talking of a Cross, and they could not believe that by death
life could begin, that through defeata crowncould come.
Perhaps they said within their hearts; He is tired, weary, and oppressed;He
thinks He is going to be defeated, but we do not. He is going to build His
Kingdom.
Perhaps in this request, a repeatedone, there was a desire on their part to
comfort Him. He said; “I am going to Jerusalemto be mocked, and scourged,
and crucified. They replied; Nay, Lord, who art Thou going to appoint in Thy
Kingdom, who will sit on Thy right hand and on Thy left?”
One’s admiration, for the faith of these men grows, the more we study the
records. They came to Him, and askedthings which evidencedtheir faith in
Him. No man asks to sit on the right hand and left of a man who is going to
the gallows.Theystill believed that He was a King, and that He was about to
establishHis Kingdom.

89. Again, we see not merely their faith in Him, but their devotion to Him.
When, in infinite patience and greatgentleness, andas it always seems, with a
touch of loving satire, He said, “Are ye able to drink the cup that I shall drink
of? “ they said, “We are able.”
Again they meant well; they thought they were able, and they were willing, so
far as they could, to go with Him. They were just as magnificent, devoted, and
honest-heartedas Peterwas when he contradictedhis Lord’s estimate of
himself, If “allshall be offended, yet will not I.”
It was a mistake, a blunder to put his opinion againsthis Lord’s, a mistake
also to put himself into comparisonwith his own brethren, to their
disadvantage. But it was devotion.
And these men meant it when they said, “We are able.” Had He not called
them sons of thunder?
Ah, but they were not able!
A few short weeks atmost, days in all probability, and He would see the sons
of thunder flying with the crowd of frightened disciples. The failure revealed
then, is the failure of the selfcenteredlife. Faith in Christ, devotion to Christ,
and yet self-seeking.“Grantthat these my two sons may sit, the one on thy
right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”

90. They wanted the places of power. He never’ spoke of Cross and Resurrection
but that some of His disciples broke in and askedHim who was the greatest
man, or who was to have the place of powerin His Kingdom.
If we read on to the lastSupper and the institution of the Christian feast,
when He said that awful and tragic thing that no man can read without
trembling, “One of you shall betray Me,” then we also read, “There was also a
strife among them, which of them should be accountedthe greatest.”
Their devotion was sincere, and yet there was the desire to getout of this
Kingdom something for themselves. Let us go back to CaesareaPhilippi once
more in memory, and see the shadow of it all. As long as Jesus talkedto Peter
about building the Church, and giving him keys, Peterwas contented. But
when He mentioned the Cross, he drew back.
The King had set His face towards Jerusalem, and the next thing was the
Cross, the thing for which He was almosteager, the thing concerning which
He continued to speak to these men. But they were anxious about the keys,
and the seats of power, and precedence.How these things have continued!
What did the King do with these disciples?
Observe first, His patience in that He did not say one single angry word.
Probably if we had been doing what He was doing, we should have been
angry. When they said, Grant that we may sit, one on Thy right hand, and the
other on Thy left, He lookedback at them with ineffable tenderness, and said,
“Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink
of?” And when they said, “We are able,” He did not even then tell them that it
was impossible. No, He allowedthem to come into fellowship, and He told

91. them they should do so; ‘“Ye shall drink indeed of My cup;” You also shall
come to death and sorrow. You shall follow Me presently, and shall consentto
the very thing from which you shrink.
- One, swift sudden death by the sword; - One, long wearisome exile in
Patmos.
They drank of His cup. They did not drink of its fulness. They never knew its
unutterable fulness, but they drank in some measure;but lo, they found it to
be the red wine of life as they drank. He pressedthat sacramentalcup of
sorrow to His lips alone, and then allowedmen to share in the sorrow. But as
for Him, so also for all who share that cup, it became full of blessing, the cup
of salvation, not in any narrow sense, but in the broadest, and deepest, and
highest sense. Whenthe shadows were aboutHis soul, and there was no
sympathy, He said I will admit you even to this.
His correctionis discoveredin the words, “But to sit on My right hand, and on
My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is
prepared of My Father.” These words “it shall be given to them” are in italics
in the Authorized, and they are put in by the translators, not so much by way
of translation as interpretation. If we leave them out, the wording is somewhat
awkward. If we include them it is as if Jesus said, “It is not Mine to give the
places of powerand precedence in My Kingdom, but they shall be given by
My Father, to those for whom it is prepared.” If we miss the words out. He
said, “It is not Mine to give these places, exceptto those for whom it is
prepared.” He did not for a moment sayHe had not power to give the places.
He had the power; but He could only give the places, the precedence, the
power, to those for whom it was prepared.
That is to say, He correctedthe thinking of the disciples.

92. He was telling them that when they came, asking Him to give to them
capriciously, or in arbitrary fashion, places of power, it was not His purpose
so to do.
That is the kind of thing that still goes onin the world, although we are
moving slowlytoward the greatideals of the Christ in this respect.
We are beginning to put men into powerupon the basis of their moral fitness
for power;to erectmonuments to men upon the basis of character. Christ
said, Notupon the basis of favour will men getinto office in My Kingdom;
they will be put into office according to fitness, and that within the will of
God.
When God prepares an office for a man, He prepares the man for the office;
and there is perfect fitness.
And the King said, So shall I appoint in My Kingdom. There was no angerin
it, He was correcting them, and He ended by giving them the one supreme
example, His own, of what brings a man to the place of powerin His
Kingdom.
He said, among the Gentiles this is the method, this exercise oflordship, but
not so among those of My Kingdom, “But it shall not be so among you: but
whosoeverwillbe greatamong you, let him be your minister; and whosoever
would be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”

93. We see the light flashing back upon their request.
They wanted the positions of power, not to do goodto others, but that they
might be ministered to. No, He said, “The Sonof man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
He had told them that He was going to Jerusalemto suffer, to rise. They had
broken in with this requestabout place and power. He took them back to the
original word - The Son of man came to give His life a ransom, by the
pathway of that suffering. Do not argue about your place of power, but get
ready for any place your King may give you by following the Sonof man, in
giving your life for the ransom of others.
- By sacrifice a man fits himself for power. - By self-abnegation, by the actual
denial of selfand readiness to serve does a man climb to the throne of power; -
He only retains his throne of power as he retains his badge of service.
Then we have one passing glimpse of the multitudes.
They took their way through Jericho, on that lastjourney to Jerusalem, and
as they went forth from Jericho, the multitudes lookedat them, curious,
expectant, wondering what He was going to do, following Him along the
highway, sharing the disciples’ idea of the Kingdom.
Now let us listen to the blind men.

94. They were in need, and they made a venture. We do not know whether it was
a venture of faith. Perhaps it was. If not, it was a venture of hope, as they said,
“Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Sonof David.”
Mark the crowd’s estimate of Him.
The crowdsilencedthese men, in all probability because they thought He was
too dignified to turn to beggars. But, “They cried out the more.”
It was their one chance, He was passing by.
Now let us leave the multitude, and the men, and look at the King.
He halted the whole movement, and stoodstill and calledfor these two men,
and they were brought to Him.
We shall fail to understand this if we forgetthat which we have been
considering. He was going to Jerusalemto suffer. He had a little group round
about Him, who did not understand Him at all. The multitudes were after
Him, the curious, crushing mob; but He halted the whole movement to help
these two men. He would wait till they came.
And then the old word recurs, surging in music, beating in beauty, He was
moved with compassion, He “touchedtheir eyes;and immediately they
receivedsight, and they followed Him.”

95. The first thing they saw was this wonderful King, and they followedHim in
the way.
Mark the relation of the lastscene to the foregoing sections, how by this action
the King correctedthe false idea of the Kingdom, the false idea of dignity, the
false idea of the right to place and power, as He revealedHimself as a King
Who had compassionenoughto halt the movement toward the mystery of the
Cross, for the sake oftwo men that neededhelp; that He would turn aside
from that pathway, which according to His ownshowing was a pathway
toward His crowning, to heal them.
One can only say again, Let us behold our King. Let us press more closelyto
Him, and, in order that we may be more kingly after the measure and manner
of His life, let us follow Him, even by the way of the Cross;knowing this, that
for evermore the light of resurrectionlife and power lies just beyond the place
of the pain and the suffering.
~ end of chapter 55 ~
http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/
The Mercyof Christ
Matthew 20:29-34
September 5, 2004

96. Have you ever felt desperate? I'm sure that the people of the Turks and
Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, andthe Florida coastline senseddesperationthis
week as Hurricane Frances came their way. Parents in a town near Chechnya
felt desperationas Islamic terrorists held hundreds of schoolchildren and
adults hostage, using some as human shields, sadisticallyexpressing their
demands. A walk through hospital intensive care units reveals desperate
people, hoping for some respite in their need. Scatteredthroughout
communities, desperate people hope againsthope for some financial crisis to
be remedied or a broken marriage to be mended or a waywardchild to return
safelyhome. Desperationis part of human existence. It matters not the size of
one's bank accountor positionin life, desperationcan dog anyone's steps.
When desperationsettles into the minds, the most natural reactionis to
despair of hope. We've all seenit, and maybe even experiencedit. A situation
arises that seems to have no resolution, desperationsets it, and despairreigns.
When I served as a pastor in Alabama, I visited with an older lady whose
daughter had been killed in a tragic car accident20 years earlier. She had
never come out of her feeling of desperationand despondency during that
time. Fortwenty years and more, she stayed at home with no sense ofhope, no
reasonto live. Nothing but desperationfilled her mind day and night.
Yet I would suggestto you that there is an even greaterdesperation - that of
the soulwhen facedwith eternity. The stark realization that our life-breath is
but a vapor that suddenly comes and suddenly goes, arreststhe mind in the
most pitiable desperation. Have you been there? Do you know someone that
is there right now?
I spoke to an eighty-year old lady recently, who upon hearing the gospelset
forth in clearlanguage and confronted with eternity, said, "I'm right there."
Facedwith eternity as her health slowlyfails, she wonders if she is ready to
"cross the bar," to use Tennyson's phrase. When that kind of desperation

97. settles on us, there is only one hope for liberation. And that hope is near! As
Jesus Christ is proclaimed in the gospel, greatmercycomes to desperate
people. All we have to do is recognize how Jesus Christ singles out desperate
people so often in the Gospels to know that He continues to do the same today.
In the midst of soul desperationwe meet the mercy of Christ. Such an
encounter transforms us forever. Have you felt desperationin your soul?
Have you known Christ's mercy in the midst of desperation?
I. The call for mercy
Jesus left the Galileanregion, traveled along the Jordan valley on His wayto
Jerusalem. The Triumphal Entry follows in the next paragraphof Matthew's
Gospel. About a day's journey from Jerusalem, Jesus made His last trip to the
ancient city of Jericho that had been the scene ofIsrael's entrance into the
PromisedLand. Right in the doorway of the land of promise sattwo blind
men living in desperation. Jericho stoodbelow sea levelas an oasis in the
desert. Known for its abundant fig trees and date palms, Jericho also was the
centerfor balsam trees, appreciatedfor its aromatic woodand medicalbalm
made from its "coagulatedjuice." The concoctionwas thought to having
healing properties for the many afflicted with eye problems. So the two blind
men sitting by the road were not the only blind men of Jericho;there were
likely dozens and dozens of others living in Jericho, hoping that the balsam
concoctionwouldheal their blindness [John Broadus, SelectedWorks,vol. 3,
420]. In this setting we hear a callfor mercy.
As Jesus passedby on the road coming from the city of Jericho, two blind men
sat, presumably asking for alms from the travelers heading to Jerusalemfor
the festival. "Hearing that Jesus was passing by," they "cried out, "Lord,
have mercy on us, Son of David!" Inappropriate! Or so thought the crowd of
people on the road as they chastisedthe men for making such a scene. But
desperate people, when hope is near, cannotbe silent.

98. 1. Nature of mercy
These men called for mercy. "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David." The
choice of words is by no means the solitary time we've heard this. Two blind
men in the Galileanarea used similar language, "Have mercy on us, Lord,
Son of David" (Matt. 9:27). So did the Canaanite woman whose daughterwas
cruelly possessedby demons, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David" (Matt.
15:22). A father, overwhelmed by the demon possessionofhis son that caused
him to be thrown into fire and water in attempted destruction, cried, "Lord,
have mercy on my son" (Matt. 17:15). Why did they use the phrase, "Lord,
have mercy on us"? Why not simply, "How about giving me a hand!" or "Do
something for me!" Why mercy?
Mercy is an appeal to the goodness ofsomeone much greater;in this case, it is
the goodnessofGod. Theologiansoftenconsidermercy as a subordinate
categoryto the attribute of God's goodness. Louis Berkhofcalls mercy, "the
goodness orlove of God shownto those who are in misery or distress,
irrespective of their deserts" [Systematic Theology, 72]. So, mercyis action
that flows from God's love toward those in desperate straits. Wayne Grudem
is simpler. "God's mercy means God's goodnesstowardthose in misery and
distress" [Systematic Theology, 200]. God revealedHimself as a merciful,
compassionateGodas He passedbefore MosesonMount Sinai. This was
Moses'secondtrip to the Mountain when he returned to replace the two
tablets of the law that he had earlier brokenat the sight of Israel's rebellion.
Moses neededbetter understanding of the nature and characterofGod, so the
Lord passedby and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate
and gracious, slow to angerand abounding in lovingkindness [hesedor
covenantmercy] and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who
forgives iniquity, transgressionand sin" (Ex. 34:6-7). Moses, andall Israel
needed to understand that God is merciful. Many times they would need to

99. appeal to His mercy to forgive and restore them after falling into sin. God
desired them to know that He is such a God.
And so the two blind men that had long pondered God's mercy or
lovingkindness, heard that Christ the Messiahpassednear. Theywastedno
time calling for mercy. Notice that this implied (1) no claim or just reasonto
receive the Lord's actof kindness other than the Lord's own goodness.They
did not offer a laundry list of deeds they had done or goodthoughts they had
or promises of favor. They were needy, desperate, and had nothing to offer
Christ but their pitiful cries for mercy. (2) Their cries also implied that they
recognizedthe authority and ability of Jesus Christ. They believed that Christ
could deliver them from blindness. They gladly confessedHis greatness in
their plea, placing themselves under His authority by their request for mercy.
(3) An act of worship took place as well in such a plea. Their cry for mercy
expressedan intense hope that the distressedfeeltoward one who is infinitely
goodand kind.
So here is mercy as seenin Jesus Christ. First, we have no just reasonto
receive His forgiveness orprovision other than His own goodnessand love.
For the sake ofHis name, because He is infinitely good, kind, and benevolent,
He welcomes desperate people crying for His mercy. Second, cries for mercy
see hope in Christ alone. He, who by nature is God and by an actof divine
purpose and love became a man, holds all authority to forgive and create in us
a cleanheart. Third, the cry for mercy fills the heart with hope fixed on
Christ. It is an acknowledgementof His worth, His goodness, andthe
greatness ofHis love. Let us think on these things as we plead for His mercy.
2. Needypeople

100. The crowdthronged about Jesus as He left Jericho for the road to Jerusalem.
But the blind men had no ability to follow. "And two blind men sitting by the
road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us,
Son of David!" They could not follow, but only satby the road. They likely
never wandered far from Jericho's walls. They knew nothing of the joyous
celebrationin walking to Jerusalemfor some holy day. They sat by the road.
But though they could not see Christ physically, it appears that they were
more attentive than those with perfect vision. The crowds failed to recognize
their own need. Study the ways of the multitudes in the Gospels. Theywere
glad to receive food and healing but fell awaywhen it came to truly following
after Christ. They saw Him and heard Him but they really did not see and
hear with the heart.
But not the blind men - attuned to the news of Christ by reasonof their need,
they recognizedthat help was on the way! There is such irony here. Masses of
people crowdedaround Jesus but only two blind men found the mercy of
Christ. Perhaps the crowds never saw their need for the redeeming work of
Christ that He was about to accomplishin Jerusalem. They followedHim as a
"spectatorsport," something to pass the time rather than as disciples;but not
the blind men. They knew their hopelessnessapartfrom Christ. They were
the ones recognizing Him as the Messiah, whichwas apparent by the title they
used of Him, "Sonof David." Their cry for mercy was not made to a two-bit
healerpromoting his snake oilremedies in Jericho. Theysaw Christ as the
Christ, the promised One, and the one who would rule forever on David's
throne as the Messianic king of an eternalkingdom. Though they could not
see and read, they listened carefully as the Scriptures were read and as the
talk of Christ spreadthrough the city. The connections were made - hope was
near in Christ the "Sonof David."
Here's what keeps mostpeople from Christ. It is not a lack of knowledge
about Jesus Christ. Mostabout us will admit that He is the Sonof God and
that He died a sacrificialdeath on the cross. Butmost will not admit their own

101. desperate needfor His mercy. Self-sufficientand prideful, most will
acknowledge some truth about Christ but fail to acknowledge the distance
betweenChrist and themselves. When the blind men calledJesus "Sonof
David," they acknowledgedHim as Messianic King of an eternalkingdom,
and their one bridge to Him could be found only in cries for His mercy.
II. A cry for mercy
The scene demonstrates remarkable insightfrom the blind men. Christ owed
them nothing. They knew it; so they cried for mercy. Christ alone could not
only free them from blindness but from the desperationof their souls;they
knew it so they cried for mercy. Nothing could hold them back from Christ.
When I observe the tentative way that some approachthe gospel, it is no small
wonder that there are comparatively so few Christians in our day. Few feel
the desperationof soul that these blind men expressed. Like Jacobwrestling
with the angelat Peniel, they would not let go until He blessedthem. I've
spokento some about their souls who take a half-stab at understanding the
gospeland seeking the assuranceofChrist's pardon. Then they give up or go
back to the things of the world. You will not truly cry for mercy until you feel
that you must have Christ or you will die! You must know Him and receive
His forgiveness oryou cannotgo on! Notice the ways the two blind men
sought Christ's mercy.
1. Comes urgently
Picture the scene for a moment. "As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd
followedHim." Here was Jesus'lastvisit to Jericho. He would never go this
way again. He had been telling the disciples what would happen shortly in
Jerusalem(20:17-19). "And the two blind men sitting by the road, hearing
that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"

102. That's all it took!They heard that Christ was passing by the road, so they
wastedno time calling out to Him. Desperationgave wayto hope as Christ
passedby.
But figure this scene in our day. Someone sits in a church hearing the gospel
proclaimed or hears a Christian father or mother telling him the gospelor
hears a friend at work explain the gospel. When that gospelcomes there is a
sense that Jesus is passing by. He reveals Himself to us in the gospel. Paultells
us that the Thessalonians heardhis preaching as "the word of God," and
acceptedit "not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God,
which also performs its work in you who believe" (1 Thess. 2:13). The same
was true of the Ephesians who "afterlistening to the message oftruth, the
gospelof your salvation," believed(Eph. 1:13). Every time you hear the gospel
proclaimed, Christ is passing by. Do you feel the urgency that these men felt?
If you hear Christ proclaimed but begin to offer a list of excuses ofwhy the
gospeldoes not interest you, or why you see it as important to getto one day
but not now, or why you have some things that you want to do first before
settling down as a Christian, then you have failed to see your need and the
mercy of Christ. He is not a drive-through restaurantthat hangs out a sign
requesting your business if you have a desire. He is the SovereignLord, the
only Saviorof sinners, and the Redeemer who offered His own life on your
behalf at the cross so that you might be eternally forgiven! Until you feel some
urgency in your soul you probably will not get very far with Christ and the
gospel. And I will add this: unless you feela sense of urgency you will not
grow much as a Christian. Fartoo many among those professing Christ, treat
the Christian life, the church, and obedience rather casually. 'Oh, I'll get
around to reading my Bible, some day. I'll get serious about serving Christ
and witnessing to others, some day. I'll start taking the commands of Christ
and demands of the gospelseriously, some day.' Such presumption toward
Christ and the gospel, suchignoring of the warnings and pleas of God's Word,
and such wasting of opportunities to respond to the gospelspell disaster.

103. 2. Comes persistently
Urgency can be seenin the way it develops persistence in seeking Christ,
obeying Him, and following Him. "The crowd sternly told them to be quiet."
The word implies the crowd's strong disapproval of the blind men's cries for
mercy. Scolding and shaking their fingers at them didn't stifle these fellows
for a moment. "But they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have
mercy on us!" They were "diligent in use of means," as J. C. Ryle expressedit
[CrosswayClassic Commentaries:Matthew, 187]. Christwas passing by, and
they did not want to pass up the chance to experience His mercy. So they
hastenedin their callto Christ, ignoring the crowd and focusing upon Christ.
Are you that intent on knowing Christ and following Him?
3. Comes single-mindedly
We've all been told since we were children, "Don't follow the crowd!" Well, in
this case, the crowddid their best to dissuade the blind men to stop their all-
out pursuit of Christ. Index fingers across lips;sounds of shhhh... filling the
air, would have silencedmost. 'Everyone will think you are a fanatic! Be
quiet!' 'You embarrass everyone by your piety!' 'Be quiet or you'll never have
any friends!' 'This is no time to make such a fuss; quit embarrassing us!'
The single-mindedness of the blind men kept them focusedon one thing:
receiving mercy from Christ. If they had listened to the crowd they would
have gone to the grave blind and lost. And my friend, the same is true with
eachof us. If we listen to the world, we will never know the blessing of Christ
on our lives.

104. Considerhow much the world influences eachof us. Just look at it. You will
just die if you cannot wearcertainclothes or listen to certain music or watch
certain movies and televisionshows or talk in certain ways. So much of our
lifestyles are molded by the world's scornful ways. Ultimately, the world's
influence in clothing, music, media, and talk has one major aim - to deflect
attention to your soul. If you don't believe me, put it to the test. If everything
were stripped from you, would you be joyous and satisfiedin Christ alone?
All of the fashions - gone. All of the music and CD's - gone. All of the movies
and televisionshows - gone. All of the talk and chatter - gone. You say, 'Well,
that cannothappen.' Oh no, just ask our Christian brethren in Sudan,
Nigeria, and scores ofother nations where persecutionagainstChristianity is
rampant. Some have lost everything the world considers tangible - everything,
exceptChrist. And stripped to nothing, they still know the deepestsatisfaction
in Christ, and joy inexpressible, full of glory. The example of these blind men,
call us to the same single-mindedness that refuses to be squeezedinto the
world's mold and desires.
III. The characterof mercy
The blind men askedfor mercy and Christ gave it. Notice how the scene
unfolds, demonstrating that Christ's mercy is not simply an emotion but an
action.
1. Christ's attentiveness
With the cries continuing againstthe crowds disapproval, "Jesus stoppedand
calledthem, and said, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'" Though maybe
severalhundred people followed Christ, it was only the cries of the blind men
that causedHim to stop. He was on His way to Jerusalemto suffer and die.

105. We could have excusedHim from not listening to them, being preoccupied
with the focalpoint of His redemptive work before Him. Images of the cross
certainly ran constantly through His mind. But Jesus had just told His
disciples, "Whoeverwishes to be first among you shall be your slave;just as
the Sonof Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many" (20:27-28). He that is full of mercy does not think of
Himself, even when facedwith the cross. He hears the pleas for mercy.
For some reason, you may think that Christ is not interested in you. Look at
His attentiveness to the two blind men. Amidst the buzz of the crowd, Jesus'
ears heard the cries of two desperate men looking for mercy. That's good
news!Jesus Christ still attends to the cries of desperate people that look to
Him and His cross for mercy. "What do you want Me to do for you?" They
said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened." Desperatepeople that
look to Christ discoverHim sufficient for every need.
2. Christ's compassion
The cries for mercy were met with compassion. "Movedwith compassion,
Jesus touchedtheir eyes;and immediately they regainedtheir sight and
followedHim." The term is used of Christ throughout the Gospels. He saw the
people "distressedand dispirited like sheep without a shepherd," and so was
moved with compassion(Matt. 9:36). He went ashore afterone trip on the Sea
of Galilee, and upon seeing a large crowd He "felt compassionfor them and
healed their sick" (Matt. 14:14). In both the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000,
Jesus felt compassionand thus met their needs spiritually and physically
(Matt. 15:32;Mark 6:34). He felt compassionforthe man with a demonized
son and the widow of Nain whose only son had died (Mark 9:22; Luke 9:13).

106. In every case we find the Lord being moved with compassion(1) we recognize
it as an obvious emotion, a stirring within the depths of His being that showed
intense feelings of sympathy. (2) Compassionalways led to appropriate action
on behalf of the helpless and miserable. (3) Compassion's actionalways gave
greatsatisfactionto those who receivedthe work of Christ. (4) Christ's
compassionwas demonstratedoverand over, not because the recipients could
do anything for Him, but purely out of His great love and care.
You can be assuredthat Jesus Christhears your cries for mercy with
compassionthat always leads to action.
3. Christ's satisfaction
How do we know that the blind men found satisfaction? "Immediatelythey
regainedtheir sight and followedHim." It's that lastphrase that really says it
all. The term is used often in the New Testamentto express following as a
disciple. They did not jump on the bandwagonbecause it was the popular
thing to do. "They... followedHim." Everything changed. Yes, they regained
sight but like the crazed man delivered from the legion of demons, their
burning desire was to follow Christ. When you know the mercy of Christ the
deepestsatisfactionoflife is to follow Him as an obedient disciple. That's
when you know that the compassionate work ofChrist in forgiveness and new
life has been received- the recipient follows Him. Can that be said of you?
Conclusion
Jesus Christ is a God of mercy and compassion, giving hope for desperate
souls.

107. Some argue that they have sinned too greatly or blown other opportunities.
Listen my friend, the gospelhas been proclaimed: Christ is passing by. Callto
Him for mercy. Appeal to Him as SovereignLord, as the Messianic King - Son
of David. Appeal to Him as the one that has offered Himself at the cross on
your behalf. Call out to Him for mercy. Don't stop your pleas until you know
the assurancethat He is yours, and you are His.
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Relentless Faithand GreatCompassion
This entry was postedin Matthew (Rayburn) on May 22, 2005 by Rev. Dr.
Robert S. Rayburn.
Matthew 20:29-34
Text Comment
v.29 This next episode plays a strategic role in the Gospelhistory. Forthe
traveler to Jerusalem, coming from the Trans-Jordan, Jericho is the lastcity
before Jerusalem. The capital was only some 15 miles from Jericho on a main
road. You will notice that the next paragraphin Matthew’s Gospelconcerns

108. the Triumphal entry into Jerusalemon Palm Sunday. Imagine the scene.
Jesus is not alone with his disciples on this road through Jericho. It is
crowdedwith pilgrims heading to Jerusalemfor Passover. We know from the
other Gospels that popular excitement over the possibility that Jesus was the
Messiah, fueledby his miracles and by his teaching, was now reaching a fever
pitch. Passoverwas, in any case, the most patriotic time of year for the Jews.
So there is nothing surprising in the fact that a crowdof people would have
attachedthemselves to Jesus to walk with him toward Jerusalem. This
dramatic miracle, witnessedby so many people, would only have inflamed
people’s expectations the more. News ofit would have reachedJerusalem
only a few hours later. In Matthew’s accountthe pre-Jerusalemministry
concludes with this miracle. We know from the other Gospels that, in fact,
some days were to elapse before Palm Sunday. But take note, it was to be the
crowds’disappointment … Jesus, his failure to meet their expectations that
would secure his execution some days later. They were looking for a political
deliver not a Redeemer.
v.30 Mark names one of these blind men: Bartimaeus. The fact that his
name was known probably is an indication that he was known among the
believers as a disciple of Jesus. The factthat he is named only in Mark, which
is, as you remember, Peter’s Gospel, may indicate that he was a personal
acquaintance or friend of the Apostle Peter.
When the blind men call Jesus “SonofDavid,” they are calling him Messiah,
for that is what the title meant. Even beggars onthe streetknew of the
remarkable ministry of Jesus of Nazarethand were caught up in the
excitement generatedby the growing belief that the Messiahhad appeared.
They knew of the miracles of healing that Jesus had performed and they
hoped for something for themselves.
v.31 It is entirely typical that the demonstration of Jesus’Messiahship
should have been provided in a work of compassionandkindness that the
crowdthought was beneath his dignity. [France, 294]How little they
understood of what was to come.

109. How often in the NT is true and living faith in Christ described as a conviction
of Christ’s willingness and ability to help – as no one else can– that it refuses
to take “no” for an answer. These are men who believed in Christ’s power to
save them.
v.32 By stopping and attending to these blind beggars Jesus is once more
overturning and repudiating the popular understanding of what the Messiah
would be and would do.
v.33 If you were blind is this not what you would ask for?
There is no accountof the giving of sight to the blind in the OT, no such
miracle performed by Moses orElijah or Elisha. Noris there any such
miracle reported in the NT as having been performed by the apostles after
Pentecost. Butthere are more miracles of this type – giving sight to the blind
– reported among the healing miracles of the Lord than of any other type of
healing miracle. Perhaps that is because in the Old Testament, giving sight to
the blind was not only something that Godalone could do, but further,
something that the Messiahwould do!
“Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf
unstopped.” [Isa. 35:5]
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosenone in whom I delight…I will
keepyou and will make you to be a covenantfor the people and a light for the
Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind and to free captives from prison… [Isa.
42:7]
To open the eyes of the blind is supremely a revelationof Jesus Christ as the
Son of God and the Messiah.
But, as we have also often noticed, the Lord’s miracles were important not
only for the proof they provided of the Lord’s credentials as the Messiah, they
were also pictures of the salvationthat Jesus had come into the world to
provide. The dead being raised, the demon possessedbeing restoredto sound
mind, the leper cleansed, andthe blind given his sight are not only astonishing
works of divine power, works that no one could perform but someone who
had been given powerfrom on high, but all are ways in which the Bible

110. describes the nature of salvation. We are dead in sins and in Christ we are
made alive. We are slaves ofthe Devil but Christ sets us free. We are impure,
as the leper, but Christ makes us clean. And we are blind – we cannotsee the
truth about God, about the world, about ourselves, about the way of salvation
– and Christ opens our eyes to see the truth that sets men free.
In the case ofthe man born blind, whose healing John records in the 9th
chapter of his Gospel, this point is made explicitly: the granting sight to the
blind in the physical sense, miracle that it was, was a picture of the giving of
spiritual sight to the spiritually blind. There Jesus said,
“Forthis I have come into this world,, so that the blind will
see and those who see will become blind.” [v. 39]
The Lord was speaking to the intransigent Pharisees andtelling them that no
matter how good their physical vision, they were blind spiritually, and the
proof was that the Son of God was standing in front of them and they couldn’t
see him for what he was, no matter the miracles, no matter the truth that was
on his lips, no matter the perfectgoodness ofhis life. He said that if they
thought they were seeing, as they did, they would remain blind.
Think of our friend, John Rug, the missionary to Chile, who also was born
blind, was born blind in both senses, but later as a young man was given sight
by the Lord Jesus Christ. For some years yet he will not be able to see in the
physical sense, but he has for many years been able to see in the more
important sense. Indeed, those who know John will sayof him that he has
very acute vision when it comes to seeing the truth and the light that is in
Jesus Christ. And, in the same way, we know many people who have very
goodeyesight, but who are blind as bats when it comes to seeing what is truly
and eternally important.
Well it is this point that is made here also in Matthew. You will have noticed
the lasttwo words of our text: these two men whom Jesus had healed of their
blindness followed him. Those are potent words in Matthew. These men
became Christ’s followers right then and there. We might have expected
them to go to the city and seek outtheir relatives and see their homes for the

111. first time, but they followedJesus. Theybecame followers ofJesus and, in so
doing, they proved that they saw more clearly who Jesus was andwhat he had
come into the world to do than did the multitudes on the road that day who
had never been blind but who couldn’t see the truth when it was standing
before them and being demonstratedin the most spectacularways. They
followedJesus. Theyknew that their lives must from this point on be bound
up with him. They knew that physical sight was, by no means, the only thing,
it was not even the most important thing they would receive from him.
So, in this marvelous event, we have the entire messageofthe gospelsummed
up. Christ Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiahsentinto the world to
bring salvation to human beings who all are in desperate need of salvationand
who cannot save themselves. Whatall men are summoned to do is to
acknowledge thatJesus Christ and he alone has eternal life in his hands, he
and he alone brings the truth which sets men and women free, and then to
seek that life and that truth from hand and set out to living according to it.
Alas, there are many human beings who would rather starve than come to any
feastthat is setby the Son of God, who would rather remain in darkness if the
price of seeing the light is to confess thatone is as needy and has been as bad
as Christ says. But, there are those who, by God’s grace, seethemselves blind
and hungry and sick and see Christ offering sight, a feast, and eternal health,
and they take it from their hands and the restof their lives they are found
telling others, “I was blind, but now I see.”
Some of us in this church this morning know how great canbe the difference
betweenpoor eyesightand goodeyesight. I distinctly remember the time I
discoveredthat my eyesightwas deteriorating. I was standing in our
downstairs family room, before a picture window that opened on the woods
behind our house. I happened, for some reason, to put on my mother’s
glasses, andsuddenly, in an instant, what had been indistinct, really a blur,
was sharp and clear. Eachleafstoodout, eachblade of grass. I had so long
lived with poor eyesightthat I had no idea how little I saw.
I had a similar experience a few years ago. Formany years since that day I
put on my mother’s glassesIwore glassesorcontactlenses, but severalyears
ago I had the new lasersurgery on my eyes. I had very poor eyesightwithout

112. correction. 20/700 in one eye; 20-800 in another. Without glasses orcontact
lenses, the world was a blur. When I took my glassesoffto go into the room
where the procedure was to be done, the entire room became a blur. There
were numbers and letters on the large TV screenabove and beyond the laser
machine that displayed for the doctor certain information of importance to
him, but I couldn’t see any of that. It was all gray fuzz to me.
But, a few minutes later I satup after the procedure was completedon both
my eyes and there was the data on the screen, there was the doctor’s face,
there was the room in all of its detail. Now, I had not been blind before.
Becauseofglassesand contactlenses I had been able to see very well. But,
what a difference betweenmy natural sight and my correctedvision! Imagine
what it must have been for those men as they stoodup able to see for the first
time – no doubt able to see with perfectly sharp vision. Imagine what it must
have been for them to see everything for the first time, see whateverything
lookedlike that they had only had describedto them before; saw colors, saw
faces, saw the city of Jericho, saw their parents, their siblings, and their
homes. Don’t you imagine that all that day long and for some days after, they
would have closedtheir eyes to imagine themselves back in their blindness
and then open them to exult in their being able at last to see? Ibet those
fellows wore people out over the next weeks talking endlesslyabout how
everything appearedto them that they had never been able to see before.
How different the appearance ofthings must have been to what they had
imagined during the years, never having been able to see, never knowing what
anything lookedlike! There were two happy men!
Well, it is not hard, is it, to see how similar it must be for a man who has been
spiritually blind, but, through faith in Christ, now sees things as they truly are
with the clearestvision, whose eyes the Lord Christ has openedby his Holy
Spirit. How many Christians, through the ages, have thought of their
salvationin just these terms: “I was blind, but now I see.”
Thomas Halyburton, one of the greatfigures of ScottishChristianity in the
18th century, in his magnificent autobiography, describes his coming to faith
in Christ as a young man in just this way. Indeed, here is the way he begins
his account:

113. “I cannot be very positive about the day or hour of this deliverance, nor can I
satisfy many other questions about the way and manner of it. But this is of no
consequence,if the work is in substance sound, for ‘the wind bloweth where it
listeth; and thou hearestthe sound thereof, but canstnot tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” (John
iii. 8) Many things about the wayand manner we may be ignorant of, while
we are sufficiently sure of the effects. As to these things, I must say with the
blind man, ‘I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I
see.”
Through the reading of the Word of God and praying for light, the Lord came
to him and opened his eyes near the end of January in 1698. And that is how
he puts it and how he thought about his conversion. It was an opening of his
blind eyes. Indeed words like “see” and“sight” are found all through the
account. And true Puritan that he was, he proceededto describe in nine
particulars. He says it was 1) a heavenly light, it shone above me, it opened
heaven to me, and led me up, as it were, to heaven; 2) a true light, exposing
the falsehoods abouthimself and the world and God that he had so long
entertained; 3) a pleasantlight; 4) a distinct and clearlight; 5) a satisfying
light; 6) a refreshing and healing light, it warmed him and his life; 7) a great
light; 8) a powerful light, dissipating the thick darkness that had overspread
his mind; and 9) a composing light; not like lightning that appears in a
moment and disappears leaving terror behind, but composedand quieted his
soul that had been troubled about so many things. Then he concludes, “…I
know that no words can express the notion that the weakestChristian, who
has his eyes opened, really has of [the glory of this light.] … No words can
convey a true notion of light to the blind; and he that has eyes…willneed no
words to describe it.” [Memoirs, 99-104]
Don’t you suppose that the blind men to whom the Lord gave sight would
have describedtheir experience in very similar terms? And, don’t you know
that, finally, they exulted far more in the spiritual sight that they had been
given, the knowledge ofChrist and salvation, than the sight of his eyes. I
guarantee you that more than once in the remaining years of those men’s lives
they told people that they would rather have remained blind all their days if

114. in their physical blindness they had been given to see Christ and the way to
heaven than to be given their eyesightbut never the sight of Christ or heaven.
Is it not extraordinary, brothers and sisters, that we in our modern world, so
different in many ways from the world of Jericho in the first century, should
understand immediately what happened to those two men, should find their
experience immediately relevant to our own. How little the world has really
changed, because the human heart has not changed. How perfectly the Bible
describes the universal experience of man in sin and man in salvation!
I hope we are all touched by the wonder of this miracle and the glorious effect
it had upon these two men. I hope we see afreshand anew the wonder of
God’s grace that has given us sight when otherwise we would have remained
blind. The world is full of blind people with 20/20 eyesight. Theywalk
through this world utterly oblivious to the spiritual world all around them, to
God their Creator, to the looming day of judgment, to heavenor hell that
awaits every personat the end. How wonderful when such a man or a woman
is given to see! To see God and Christ and the way that leads to the world of
everlasting joy! We’ve seenpeople get their sight and there is nothing more
wonderful in all the world!
But there is something more here that deserves ourcareful attention.
Matthew makes a point of saying that Jesus healedthese blind men because he
had compassiononthem. This greatdeliverance, the physical one and the far
greatereternaland spiritual one that it symbolized, came to these two
benighted men living in darkness because Jesus hadcompassionon them.
This is not the only place in the Gospelwhere a greathealing was performed
because Jesushad compassiononthe sufferer. In 9:36 we are told that
Christ’s preaching of the goodnews to the crowds was motivated by his
compassionfor them in their lostness. In 14:14 we read that Christ healedthe
sick that were brought to him in large numbers because he had compassionon
them. In 15:32 we read that he provided food for the 4000 becausehe had
compassiononthat Gentile company.
The word that is translated “had compassionon” in the NIV is connectedwith
the noun for the entrails, the viscera, the inner organs which, in that culture

115. were regardedas the seatof the emotions. One scholarof the language ofthe
New Testamentwrites that, in distinction from the word “heart,” this is “a
more blunt, forceful and unequivocal term.” [TDNT, vii, 549] It is
interesting, by the way, that Greeks thoughtof strong emotion ordinarily in
terms of anger;Christians, on the other hand, thought of compassion.
[Morris, 238] This word, “have compassion” is always connectedwith Jesus
in the New Testament. Whatwe have here is not mere human pity, but divine
compassionfor troubled people filling a human heart. We have the heart of
the Sonof Godgoing out to those in greatneed.
Now if, as we have said, we have here not only the record of one of the
breathtaking miracles that Jesus performed but a picture of salvationcoming
to lost men, then this compassionis part of that beautiful picture. How does
the life-giving power of God in Christ come to men and womenin our day?
“We are fooling ourselves if we [think] that we can ever make the authentic
gospelpopular … It’s too simple in an age of rationalism; too narrow in an
age of pluralism; too humiliating in an age of self-confidence;too demanding
in an age ofpermissiveness…. Whatare we going to share with our friends?
[Dudley Smith, John Stott, ii, 267]
We canshare the light, the sight that Christ gave to these blind men with the
blind men around us. We cannot give physical sight to the blind, but we can
shed the light on the spiritual blindness of those around us. But what will
make them pay attention to us and receive our words? If we speak for the
same reasonthat Jesus did so. Love breaks into blindness like nothing else.
Love can make a self-confident man realize his terrible need, a man who
thinks he sees suddenly realize that he has lived his whole life in darkness.
The world around us is full of the blind. I was at Safeco FieldFriday night,
the stadium full of thousands of folk, eating, drinking, having fun – most of
whom did not know their right hand from their left, were blind to the sight of
all that is truly, eternally important. They are not crying out on purpose, in
many cases,as these blind men did near Jericho, but their circumstances are
evidence of their darkness. Theircondition is obvious enough to us. We can
see that they cannot see. We canoften see the misery that must be endured by

116. the blind. Surely, we who have receivedChrist’s love should have compassion
for those who are as we were and who must remain so unless someone should
bring the light to them. Does the love of Christ constrainus?
How shall we become compassionate as he was? How shall we have the power
to cut through the darkness in which so many live?
Nothing is more likely to make it a power in our lives – this compassionfor
others – than simply to stare long and hard at those two happy men who got
up from the side of the road where they had spent so many long, miserable
days, gotup to follow Jesus, everynow and then kicking up their heels unable
to believe that they could really see! And not only see, but live and live
forever. Surely any Christian must want to see many others as happy as that!
ROBERT RAYBURN
The Two Blind BeggarsMatthew 20:29-34 (The following text is takenfrom a
sermon preachedby Gil Rugh.)
1. Jesus’Example of Self-Sacrificing Love 2. Jesus’Last Public Miracle 3. The
Blind Men’s Faith 4. Obstaclesto Faith in Christ 5. Jesus’Responseto the
Blind Beggars 6. Jesusis the Answer to Spiritual Blindness 7. Recognizing
One’s Own Spiritual Blindness 8. Jesus Uses Believers to Reachthe
Spiritually Blind
At the close ofMatthew 20, the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ is drawing to
an end. Matthew 21 begins with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalemand the
events of the last week ofJesus on earth. In the middle of Matthew 20, Christ
talkedabout the matter of true greatness andhonor for a child of God.

117. The disciples were concernedwith the position of honor that they would hold
in Christ’s earthly kingdom, and particularly they were concernedwith how
they might acquire positions of greatnessin that kingdom. Jesus took this
occasionto explain to them that the road to greatness before His Fatherand
the wayto greatnessin His kingdom is by serving other believers, by giving of
yourself and of your life to other people. Rather than being concernedabout
being great, the disciples neededto be occupiedwith how they could serve one
another and give of themselves for other people.
1. Jesus‟ Example of Self-Sacrificing Love
This is really the matter of true love. True biblical love has at its heart giving
of yourself. It is self-sacrificing. It is doing what is best for someone else
regardless ofthe costor the expense to yourself. Jesus Christ used Himself as
the example of this. Matthew 20:28, “The Sonof Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” The great
testimony of love is Jesus Christgiving His own life to provide our
redemption.
This kind of love and this kind of attitude is diametrically opposedto our
fallen sinful human nature. Corrupt human nature has, as its basic
characteristic, selfishness. We like to see everything in light of ourselves, in
light of what we like, what we want, how we feel, how we are affected. But
Christ saidyou have to turn your thinking completely around and begin to
look at life in light of how this affects others. You need to ask yourselfhow
you canmore effectivelyhelp others be what God wants them to be. When you
do that, you are indeed reflecting the attitude that Jesus Christ had when He
came and gave Himself for you. Believers are to be a unique people, people
who are investing their lives in other people and giving of themselves for
others regardless ofthe cost.

118. On the night before He was betrayed, a conversationtook place between
Christ and His disciples. In John 13:34, 35 Christ said, “A new commandment
I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also
love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another.” Remember, a disciple is to be like his master, a
pupil like his teacher. Therefore, the characteristic ofour master and our
teacheris self-giving love, and that characteristic andquality of life should be
seenin every person who is a followerof His. That should mark His followers
as unique and belonging to Him.
In John 15:12 Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one
another, just as I have loved you. Greaterlove has no one than this, that one
lay down his life for his friends.” Note the connectionthat Christ made: I
want you to love eachother just like I love you, and the greatest
demonstration of love is giving of your life for someone else. Johnlaterwrote
in his first epistle, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). The
pattern of sacrificialgiving of ourselves for others is to be an outstanding
characteristic andquality of everyone who is truly a child of God.
2. Jesus‟ LastPublic Miracle
In this context Matthew recordedthe last public miracle of Jesus Christ. This
is not the last miracle Christ did, but it was His lastpublic miracle done in the
presence ofthe crowds. This miracle demonstrated clearlyHis powerand
presentedHim as MessiahofIsrael, which all the miracles were intended to
do. But this miracle also focusedon Jesus Christ as the One who was serving
others and the One whose characteristicsoflove, compassionandmercy were
demonstrated to those who were in need. This miracle focusedon people in
need and the person of the Savior.

119. Matthew 20:29 gives the setting, “As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd
followedHim.” This was the only recordedvisit of Jesus Christto Jericho
although it is possible He would have passedthrough Jericho on previous
visits. As He was journeying down from Galilee in the north, He came through
Jericho on the way up to Jerusalemand a great crowdof people followed
Him.
Since this happened in the last week ofJesus’life on earth, just before the
events of the crucifixion and the crucifixion occurredat Passoverin
Jerusalem, there would have been greatmultitudes coming to Jerusalemfor
the observance ofPassover. The Passoverwas one ofthose feasts in Israel
which drew people from all overthe land to Jerusalemfor its celebration. As
Jesus journeyed down from the north and came through Jericho, a large
number of people gatheredaround Him. He had been ministering on earth for
about three years, and His reputation had spread far and wide. Even though
many did not believe in Him, they had heard of Him and were still interested.
This is similar to when a celebrity or a famous person arrives in town today,
people want to gatheraround and look at the celebrity and hear what he says
and how he talks and see whathe looks like. So a crowdhad gatheredas Jesus
walkedon through Jericho to go to Jerusalem.
That was the setting when Jesus Christ met two blind, destitute beggars. “And
two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried
out, „Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!‟” (Matt. 20:30). This miracle is
recordedin all three synoptic gospels:Matthew, Mark and Luke. Mark
recordedthe fullest account;as was his practice, he gave the most details.
Mark and Luke centeredin on only one of the blind beggars, theydidn’t
mention there were two; they were occupiedwith just one. Mark identified
him as Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus.
3. The Blind Men‟s Faith

120. Blindness was a common affliction in biblical times in that part of the world.
It was an affliction that reduced the person to a beggar, sitting in the dust and
dirt of the roadside, hoping that people in pity would give them enough to
sustain them. These two men, destitute beggars, evidenceda great confidence
and faith in the personand powerof Jesus Christ.
Jericho is a city that has close proximity to Jerusalem. In factit was used as a
summer residence of the Herods. Many people from Jerusalemwould be
going and coming through Jericho, and much of Jesus’teaching and His
miracles would have been talkedabout in Jericho. After three years of earthly
ministry, Jesus’reputation had spread. Evidently the beggars had heard
much of Him and were convinced of two things: First, that He is the Messiah
of Israel, note how they addressedHim. “Lord . . . Sonof David.” That is a
Messianic title or name for Christ. In Mark 12 Christ discussedthis in some
detail, talking about what it meant to be the Son of David.
This Messianic title goes back to 2 Samuel 7:12, 13 where part of the Davidic
Covenantwas given, God entered into a covenantwith David and his
descendants. There it tells about the son of David who will sit on the throne of
Israeland rule and reign in glory. “Sonof David” is a reference out of that
passageto the Messiah, a reference to the descendantof David who will be the
MessiahofIsrael.
Thus when these beggars criedout, “Sonof David,” it was anotherway of
crying out “Messiahof Israel.” This showedremarkable faith on the part of
the two blind beggars, remarkable in light of the fact that when the Messiah
would come, He would bring political deliverance to the nation of Israel. That
deliverance had not occurred even after three years of ministry. The Messiah
would bring physical restorationto the land so that the desertwould blossom
like a rose. The beggars were still sitting in the dusty road of Jericho. The

121. Messiahwouldremove the physical afflictions of the people of Israel, and yet
these were still two blind beggars. Yetthey had the conviction and faith from
what they had heard that this was really the Messiahthat had been promised
in the Old Testament. Theynot only had the confidence that He was the
Messiah, but they had full faith that as the MessiahHe had power. So what
was their cry? “Have mercy on us.” They were asking for Him to intervene on
their behalf. They did not say, “Sonof David, You are obligatedto heal us,”
but “Sonof David, have mercy on us!”
The faith of these blind men had a foundation in the Scriptures of the Old
Testament. Their convictionwas that Christ was indeed the Messiahof Israel
and that the MessiahofIsrael had powerto meet their needs. Isaiah 29:18,
speaking ofthe days of the Messiah, says,“Onthat day the deaf shall hear
words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind
shall see.” In the days of the Messiahthe deaf ears would be able to hear again
and the
blind eyes would see. Theyknew that Isaiahprophesied that, in the presence
of Messiah, there would be physical restorationfor the children of the nation.
Isaiah35 begins with the desertblossoming like a rose, againin the days of the
Messiah. “Thenthe eyes of the blind will be openedand the ears of the deaf
will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the
mute will shout for joy” (Isaiah35:5).
So on the basis of their faith that Jesus was the MessiahofIsrael, they
believed what the Old Testamentsaid about the Messiah:That He was the
One who has the powerto bring deliverance, spiritual salvationand physical
deliverance. So they cried out, “Sonof David, have mercy on us!” It is also
remarkable to considerthat the leaders of the nation of Israel, the spiritual
leaders who had been privileged to sit under the ministry of Christ and see the
mighty miracles of Christ, refused to believe in Him. But these two blind
beggars atthe close ofthe earthly ministry of Jesus Christwere convinced by

122. what they had heard that this was the MessiahofIsrael who could heal them
and make them well.
4. Obstaclesto Faith in Christ
But there was an obstacle. I don’t believe anyone ever comes to Christ without
obstacles,people who stand in the way and attempt to keepthem from Christ.
The multitudes that were with Christ attempted to silence these blind beggars.
“The crowd sternly told them to be quiet” (Matt. 20:31). All three gospel
accounts saythe same thing. The reactionof the multitude was to be firm with
these blind men and tell them to be quiet. I think it’s amazing that a crowdof
people who have had the opportunity to walk in the presence ofChrist, to
converse with Him, to hear Him teachand watchHim work, were totally
indifferent and unconcernedabout the needs of these beggars. Theywere
totally absorbed in their privilege. And what an intrusion! What audacity,
that these filthy, dirty, smelly, blind beggars should think that their time with
Christ should be interrupted so that the beggars couldget specialattention!
The beggars shouldhave realized that this was an important personand that
He was talking about important things! The beggars wantto interrupt this
important discussionfor specialattention! It took a lot of nerve on the part of
these beggars to think that Christ would be interestedin them.
Note two things about this crowd. Number one, they were an obstacle to these
blind men. It was necessaryfor these blind beggars to ignore what the people
around them told them so that they could come to Christ. That is a good
reminder of people today. Those around often become the obstacles--family
and friends. They are often the ones telling us why we ought not to become
involved in that religious stuff, giving you reasons why you ought to stay in the
family’s religion, telling you to be careful about those who want to convert
you to Christ. Those around us canoften be the greatestobstacles.

123. Secondly, note that those who were around Christ had become callous and
failed to understand why Christ really came. They were walking along in that
crowdwith Christ, but they failed to appreciate and understand and
remember why He came!In Matthew 20:28, Jesus had said, “The Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many.” He came to meet the needs of the helpless and the hopeless. He was the
physician who could meet their needs.
Sometimes even we as believers forgetthat greatfact. We get so absorbed
with our walk with the Lord that the spiritual beggars ofthis world become
an imposition. I canbecome so wrapped up in my walk with the Lord, in what
the Lord cando for me and how I want to be faithful to Him, that I forget that
He came to meet the needs of fallen, sinful men. I fail to see them as Christ
sees them. It is a testimony to these blind men that their faith was a true faith,
because they were persistent. They were not about to be put off by the
opposition of the crowd.
In fact, I love the way it’s recorded: “The crowdsternly told them to be quiet,
but they cried out all the more, „Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!‟”
(Matt. 20:31). The beggars were urgent. The multitude did not understand
their urgency, but the beggars realizedthat it was overwhelmingly important
that they meet Jesus Christright then! The crowdwanted them to be quiet
and settle down, to stop interrupting. But the blind men realized that this was
their opportunity. Luke’s Gospelsays that the blind men heard the crowdand
they wonderedwhat was going on so they inquired, first of all about the crowd
and the noise. They were told that Jesus ofNazareth was passing by. They
knew that Jesus ofNazareth was the Son of David, the MessiahofIsrael! They
realized they had a specialand unique opportunity, and they were not about
to be put off by the indifference of the crowd.

124. It was a goodthing they did not let the opportunity go by, for Jesus would
never walk through Jericho again. Think about that! Two blind beggars had a
special, unique opportunity that would never be repeated. The multitudes
were indifferent. They did not understand the uniqueness of this occasionfor
these two blind men. But the beggars were notabout to let the opportunity go
by so they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
5. Jesus‟ Responseto the Blind Beggars
In Matthew 20:32, Jesus respondedto them: “And Jesus stoppedand called
them, and said, „What do you want Me to do for you?‟” Mark added more
detail. Mark 10:49, 50 that “And Jesus stoppedand said, „Callhim here.‟ So
they calledthe blind man, saying to him, „Take courage,standup! He is
calling for you.‟ Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.”
Mark was only occupiedwith one of the blind men, Bartimaeus. A total
change took place as Jesus stoppedand took notice of their cry and told the
multitude to gethim. The crowdtold the blind man that He was calling for
them. That made an impact on the blind men. Bartimaeus threw aside his
cloak and went to Jesus. A cloak was very important to a blind beggar. He
wrapped himself in it as he satby the road; it was his protection. But
Bartimaeus castit aside!He was not worried about his cloak, his measly,
earthly possession!He didn’t spend a few minutes to gethimself in order. No!
He jumped up and was brought to Christ.
Christ addressedhim with a striking question, “Whatdo you want Me to do
for you?” The Son of David, the Lord of glory, was standing face to face with
these blind men and He asked, “Whatdo you want Me to do for you?” What a
question! It focusedtheir attention on their greatneed.

125. What do you think went through their mind? Do you think they stopped to
think, how would I like to be rich? Lord, give me wealthto live like Herod
lives. Maybe even give me his palace here in Jericho, wouldn’t that be
something? Lord, make me famous. Lord, give me power to rule
over those who have ignored me as I beggedby the road. None of these things
are really important, are they? What really mattered to these blind beggars?
Their sight. So when Christ asked, whatdo you want Me to do for you, the
answerwas clearand simple: “They saidto Him, „Lord, we want our eyes to
be opened‟” (Matt. 20:33). What a request! Standing in the presence of a man
they have never seen, a man they have never met, and without reservation
they askedHim to give sight to their blinded eyes. This request was evidence
of the greatfaith of these blind beggars.This was greaterfaith than was found
in the religious leaders of the nation of Israel.
Matthew records the greatcompassionofChrist, “Movedwith compassion,
Jesus touchedtheir eyes;and immediately they regainedtheir sight and
followedHim” (Matt. 20:34). Jesus would have been anticipating the events
that lay in the days ahead of Him, the suffering at Jerusalem, but the Son of
Man was not occupied with Himself and His needs, but rather with the needs
of those He came to serve. He was moved with compassion, andwith a touch,
with a word, He restores sightto these blinded eyes.
Another Gospelaccounttells that Jesus said, “And go your way.” But all three
gospelaccounts recordthat the men followedHim. It would be natural. This
One that they recognizedand trusted as the Messiahand by whose powerthey
have been healed, they followedHim. It may well be that Bartimaeus stood
out among the faithful followers ofChrist and that was why his name was
recordedin Mark’s account. But nonetheless, theytravel the road to
Jerusalemwith Christ.
6. Jesus is the Answerto Spiritual Blindness

126. This was a remarkable event. Why has the Spirit of God directed that this be
the lastpublic miracle recordedof Christ? There are a couple of things that
stand out about it. First, it againand finally demonstrated for the public, if
you will, for the nation as a nation, that Jesus was their Messiah. ThatIsaiah
29, Isaiah35, and Isaiah 53 were fulfilled in Him. He was the One with power
to restore and bring healing and wholeness to the nation.
But I think perhaps in the healing of blindness there was a clearparallel being
drawn to the spiritual condition of the nation. Did you know that Jesus Christ
is the only personin the Bible who is recordedas healing the blind? That is
the most often recordedmiracle of Christ’s earthly Ministry, the healing of
the blind. There is a picture in physical blindness of the spiritual blindness
that characterizedthe nation of Israelat this time, the inability to see and
perceive and understand spiritual truth and spiritual reality.
In Matthew 15 Jesus made this connection. Jesus talkedabout worship in the
nation of Israeland the spiritual leaders in the nation of Israeland His
conclusionwas that their worship was conducted in the realm of darkness, in
the realm of blindness. Israel had spiritual leaders who had no perception of
spiritual truth and spiritual reality leading, and the leaders were leading
people who had no perceptionand no understanding of spiritual truth and
spiritual reality. In Matthew 15:14 Jesus said, “Let them alone;they are blind
guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a
pit.” It was characteristicofthe nation, they were in spiritual blindness; they
had no ability to perceive and recognize and graspspiritual truth. The result
was a catastrophe and disasterfor them all.
These blind men, Bartimaeus and his friend, had to recognize and
acknowledge theirtrue condition. What a futile thing it would have been for
them to sit by the road as Jesus passedby and talk about images they

127. conjured up in their minds, pretending they could see because theyhad a
picture in their minds of what they thought the physical world was like. Yet
that is the waythe nation was spiritually, pretending it could see, pretending it
understood, pretending it had spiritual understanding; but it was spiritually
blind and destitute.
7. Recognizing One‟s OwnSpiritual Blindness
Jesus addressedaninteresting messageto the Church at Laodicea in
Revelation3. He noted that this church had an unrealistic spiritual
perception. Revelation3:17, 18 says, “Becauseyou say, „I am rich, and have
become wealthy, and have need of nothing,‟ and you do not know that you are
wretchedand miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy
from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white
garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your
nakedness willnot be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you
may see.” Jesus toldthem that they did not really see that they were
spiritually blind and spiritual beggars.
In Matthew 20 Jesus healedthese physically blind beggars who were sitting by
the road and who revealedclearly the spiritual condition of the nation of
Israel, but the nation of Israelwas unwilling to confront their condition.
People today are just as unwilling to face up to it. Good, upstanding, religious
people do not want to admit that in reality they are spiritual beggars before
God, blind to spiritual truth and spiritual reality, without hope. They will not
face the truth of their sinful condition and until they do, there is no hope. But
when they do, as Jesus said to the Church at Laodicea, “I advise you to come
to Me. In Me is found everything you need; true wealth and true sight are all
found in Me.”

128. So the beginning point is to ask yourself, when did I realize that I was a
spiritually destitute, blind sinner before God? When did I recognize that I was
a sinner without hope? When did I recognize that Jesus Christ, the Messiahof
Israel, is the Saviorwho loved me and died on the cross to pay the penalty for
my sin? He gave His life that He might ransom me, that I might be redeemed
and setfree, that I may be cleansedand made whole?
8. Jesus Uses Believersto Reachthe Spiritually Blind
I think that as believers we need to stop and recognize that we walk in the
midst of destitute, spiritually blind beggars. Sometimes we are like the
indifferent multitude which was surrounding those blind beggars. We become
so absorbed with our walk with the Lord. Just like that multitude, we walk
with Jesus Christ everywhere we go. He has promised to never leave me nor
forsake me, “I am with you always, evento the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
We need to keepin mind not only that everywhere I walk I am in the presence
of Jesus of Nazareth, not only the MessiahofIsraelbut the Saviorof the
world, but that everywhere I walk I am in the midst of destitute, spiritually
blind beggars.
In one of the gospelaccounts,it is noted that the noise of the crowdcaused the
beggars to ask
what was going on and they were told that Jesus ofNazareth was passing by.
That enabled them to cry out to Him. As I study this passage, Ifind myself
thinking about these blind beggars sitting along the dusty road at Jericho, and
I ask myself whether I see the people around me in that condition? You ought
to stop and think about a destitute, ragged, blind beggarsitting in the dust of
the road, and then that image ought to be in your mind when you see
unbelievers around you. That is their true condition.

129. Jesus describedthem in Revelation3. They are destitute; they are blind and
without hope. So often we become absorbedin our own lives and in our walk
with the Lord that we fail to recognize that those around us have such
tremendous needs. We become indifferent to them. I become concernedabout
learning more about the Bible, about walking more with the Lord, about His
using my life, about His working in me, about my growth and sanctification.
That is fine, exceptthat I become so absorbedin that little world that walking
along with any of the beggars ofthe world becomes a rude intrusion. I become
oblivious to them, and when they are there, they are an inconvenience. It is as
if I’m on the road walking with the Lord and then they interrupt me.
We have people all around with such desperate spiritual need. They need to
know Jesus of Nazareth. How many unbelievers have I had contactwith this
past week who do not know Jesus of Nazareth, the One who can cleanse and
forgive and heal? And I was there and could introduce them to the One who
can heal and make them whole and bring them life. But I never stopped to tell
them about Jesus of Nazareth.
Then when we do stop and talk with them, we talk about what kind of day it
was, about their family, about their health. We talk about all sorts of things,
but we never tell them about Jesus of Nazareth. That is what really matters.
How many unbelievers do we stop and talk with, yet we pass the triteness of
the day with them but fail to realize they are blind spiritual beggars.
They don’t know that Jesus of Nazarethpasses by. He walks with me! I can
tell them that there is One here that they need to meet, because whenyou
meet Him, He makes you a new person. He can meet your every need. I trust
God will give us His vision for those around us, those we have contactwith,
those in hospitals whose lives are coming apart with families that do not know
how to respond. They need to learn of Jesus ofNazareth. Those in nursing
homes, retirement centers, those whose marriages are being shattered, they all

130. need to learn of Jesus. Thosewho have been fooledinto thinking that they
have it all together, we need to see them as spiritual destitute beggars. I am
one who is privileged to be walking with Jesus Christ. I need to see myself as
one who cantell them about the One who is with me today. I need to be ready
to introduce others to Him. I need to tell others that He is the One who can
meet your spiritual needs, He is the One who can bring wholeness to your life,
and He is the One who canbring forgiveness andcleansing. MayGod use us
to make Jesus Christ known, that His glorious powermight work in bringing
healing to the spiritual beggars ofthis world.
END OF PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
Jesus The Compassionate(Matthew 9:18-38)
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131. 00:00
I. Intro and Recap:
a. It’s been said that studying God is like studying a diamond. Eachfacet
has it’s own splendour. And eachfacetcomes togetherto display something
of glorious worth.
i. This morning we are looking at Mathew’s gospelwhere He displays the
glory of Jesus in His compassionand mercy on the desperate.

132. ii. Indeed, He is Jesus the compassionate.
iii. That’s the simple messageofthis Matthew’s gospelin this
section.
iv. Jesus is compassionin the flesh. He pities the pitiful and the
helpless and the hurting.
b. This will be enouraging to those who are hurting.
i. Has anyone among us not felt beatendown and in dispair?
ii. Has anyone among us never been miserable?
iii. Some of you are hear this morning with heavy hearts. Maybe
fighting back the tears because ofpain and hurt, and dissapointments.
iv. This is for you.
v. The messageMatthew is preaching is that Jesus doesn’tjust
bring a message,He IS the message,and that’s the message.
vi. You don’t just need compasssion, youneed Jesus who IS
compassion.
c. B.B. Warfield is one of America’s premier theologicalscholars.
i. He was a professorof theologyat Princeton in the late 19th century and
early 20th.
ii. There’s an old story about Dr. Benjamin Warfield.
iii. While he was still at the height of his academic powers, his
wife gotsick. In fact it happened on their honeymoon.
iv. The newlyweds travelled to Germany and were hiking on top
of a mountain when Mrs. Warfield was struck by lightning and she became an
invalid. He took care of her the rest of her life and it was reported he rarely
(although some have saidnever) spent more than 2 hours awayfrom his wife.
Even though she was handicapped, she still loved to read. And so Dr. Warfield
would sit at her bedside day after day. And read to her. He was always gentle

133. and caring with her. One day, someone askedhim, "Have you ever thought
about taking your wife to an institution?" Then you could write bigger books
and have a biggerministry." But Dr. Warfield said, "No way. My wife is my
ministry. I will never leave her side. I am going to love her and take care of
her as long as God grants us life."
v. Maybe that’s what makes Warfield’s careeras a theologian
and thinker even more impressive?
vi. It was during this time he wrote books and continues to teach.
d. One of Warfield’s most important book is called“The Personand Work
of Christ”
i. There is a chapter in that book is entitled, “The EmotionalLife of Our
Lord.”
ii. He tried to synthesize the biblical passagesthat spoke ofthe
emotiuons of our Lord Jesus.
iii. He stated, “His whole life was a mission of mercy...His entire
ministry is summed up as going around the land and ‘doing good.’”
iv. The world that best summarizes Jesus our Lord is no doubt
the word “compassion.” It is the emotion most frequently attributed to Him.
v. Personally, I prefer the synonym “pity.” He went around and
felt pity on people.
vi. He pities and relives the miseries of His people.
e. That is what we will see this morning as we study Matthew’s gospel.
i. At once we will see a Jesus who is moved with pity on the suffereing and the
desperate.
II. Out of compassionJesus Heals (9:18-34)
a. Out of compassion the dead are made alive (9:18-26)

134. i. “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she
will live.”
1. This man’s name is Jairus, although Matthew doesn’t mention his name,
Mark and Luke do.
2. He’s a synagogue ruler. He’s a popular man. A man of influence, and
an unlikely candidate to come and plead to Jesus.
3. Clearly he is desperate.
4. He knelt before Him, in a posture of humility.
5. “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she
will live.”
ii. Sandwichedin this story is anotherstory, a story of a woman
in desperation.
1. On his way to Jairus’s house, Jesus meets a womanwho has been
hemorrhaging blood for 12 years.
2. She came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment.
3. She is ceremoniallyunclean. Like a leper, she was cut off in some ways
from her community. She certainly couldn’t touch anyone or be touched.
4. She was desperate. She believedthat if she could just touch Jesus, she’d
be healed. She had faith.
5. Luke’s gospeltells us that “no one could heal her” and “she had spent all
her living on physicians, but no one could heal her.”
a. You canjust feel the emotion in this story.
b. How many people can identify with this?
c. She has an incurable problem.
d. Doctor’s can’thelp her.
e. She has depleted her savings accounton medical bills.

135. f. This woman is sick and tired of being sick and tired.
6. Nonetheless, in faith she sneaks up behind Jesus touched his cloak…
7. Jesus says to her, “Takeheart, my daughter.”
a. This is similar to what Jesus saidto the paralytic, “Takeheart, my son.”
b. Jesus comforts her. I’m sure she was scared.
c. Jesus calls herhis daughter.
d. Ladies, imagine Jesus calling you His daughter.
e. You realize you are, right?
f. If you are “in Christ” you are His daughter, part of His family.
g. On the inner circle.
8. She is instantly healed.
iii. When Jesus gets to Jairus’s house there’s a crowdof people
and greatcommotion.
1. The professionalmourners are already there, playing their instruments
and singing away.
2. Hebrew law statedthat, “Eventhe poorestin Israelshould hire not less
than two flutes and one wailing woman.”
3. The first time I witnessedsucha site I was in Africa and gotoff a plane
in Eldoret Kenya, got off this small little plane in the middle of rural Kenya,
and walkedoutside this shanty of an airport and right to my left I heard this
loud wailing and I could immediately see it was a funeral of some kind. But it
was different than anything I had seen. Loud wailing and mourning. There
was no holding back of emotions, but pure unfiltered and raw. Bodies flung
up and down near the casket,which was still above ground.
4. I imagine this to be a similar scene to what we see in this passage.

136. 5. Emotions are high. People are weeping and mourning and music is
playing. There is a greatcommotion.
6. Jesus gets there and says, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but
sleeping.” This was euphemism.
7. …and they laughed at Him…
a. The so-calledhealerhas arrived, but He’s a little too late! Maybe He
could have healed, but now the little girl is dead. The story has ended.
b. This is comicalto them.
c. The laughter serves to underscore the greatnessofthis miracle.
8. Jesus goesinside, takes her by the hand, and the girl arose.
a. The girl who was dead, is now alive.
9. And this was reported all through the district.
10. Imagine how the parents felt…
a. From the deepestfearand pain, to the heights of joy and celebration.
b. Their little 12 year old girl is back from the dead!
iv. These two stories highlight some of the two most painful
experiences ofhuman existence.
1. Parentallove.
a. I have never lost a child to death. But I get it. I cannot imagine the pain
and the loss.
b. Even the thought of my child going though pain evokessome ofthe
strongestemotions that I have ever felt.
c. How many parents would gladly take the pain or the place of their son
or daughter?
2. Chronic pain.

137. a. Then you have this lady who has gone through doctorafter doctor to the
point of depleting her finances. No help.
b. Not to mentioned dealing with a chronic, never-ending problem that not
only leaves her sick, but leaves her alone. This is horrible.
c. How many of you have chronic pain, or know someone who lives with
chronic pain?
d. How many of you have physical problems that the Doctor’s cannot
diagnose orfigure out, or know someone who has physical problems that have
not been diagnosed?
e. I was talking to one Doctorin the EmergencyRoom who told me, “You
would be shockedto hear how many people come to the ER and we never get
to the bottom of their problems. There is so much we don’t know.”
f. Or a neurologistwho saidthat 80% of the people who come to her office
leave without a diagnosis.
3. These two stories illustrate the some of deepestpossible pains and hurts
that humans can experience.
a. Again, I just think of my kids…I am a man who seriouslystruggles with
Jesus’command to not love sonor daughter more than Him.
b. “Whoeverloves sonor daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
4. Others of you are sitting here, and you are desperate.
a. You may have a smile on your face, but inside you are barely keeping it
together.
b. It could be health. It could be medical bills. It could be your family is
falling apart. It could be secretsin. It could be people you care about who are
suffering.
5. But one thing we see here is that our faith will only grow in proportion to
our desperation.
a. Their desperationled them to Jesus!

138. b. The greatestthing that could happen to you is for you to sense your need
for Christ.
b. Out of compassionthe blind receive their sight (9:27-31)
i. These two blind men follow Jesus, andcried out!
1. They call Him “Sonof David” which implies his messianic authority to
heal.
ii. Jesus walks into the house and the blind men follow him
inside!
1. Even though they are blind—they can see, in a sense.
2. It’s Ironic, they see before they cansee.
3. They call Him Son of David and when Jesus asks thema question they
say, “Yes, Lord” They perceive that He is the Lord!
iii. Jesus asksthem what they believe…
1. He doesn’task them what they want, that’s obvious.
2. What do you believe? “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
3. They said, “Yes, Lord”
4. And their eyes were opened.
iv. Jesus tells them to keepit a secret, because (Ithink) he doesn’t
want the miracles to eclipse the cross. He wants a mob of proclaimers after,
not before, the cross.
v. Understandably, these two men, after they can see, tell
everyone they meet.
vi. They displayed faith, but evidently lackedobedience.
1. A greatlittle illustration of people who like what they hearfrom Jesus
and like what they receive, but are not willing to obey His Words.

139. vii. Nonetheless, the blind can now see.
c. Out of compassionthe mute can talk (9:32-34)
i. Evidently, the reasonthis man couldn’t talk was because ofa demon.
1. We should note that we live in a world that thinks anything supernatural
is phony.
2. But Jesus and the Bible couldn’t be more clearthat demons are real.
Satanis personal. There is a power of darkness that comes over people and in
some case possesses people.
3. This man couldn’t speak and it was because ofa demon.
ii. Jesus casts the demon out, and the man starts talking.
iii. The people see this miracle as unprecedented.
iv. The Pharisees, however, seethis as evidence that Jesus is
demon-possessed.
1. They ascribe this miracle to Satan.
2. Notice, they can’t deny the reality of what they have just seen, but they
do deny that Jesus is empoweredby God.
d. Think about these three stories, whatdoes Matthew want us to observe?
i. #1- These stories illustrate salvation:
1. The woman, for instance. She is unclean, isolated, and hopeless.
a. That’s all of us without Christ.
2. We are unclean because ofour sin.
a. Is. 6:5
3. We are isolatedbecause ofour sin.
a. Sin isolates us from God and others.

140. b. Sin thrives in isolation.
c. Is. 59:2
4. We are hopeless because ofour sin.
a. Eph. 2:1
ii. #2- Desperationand need leadus to Jesus.
1. Weaknessdoesn’tgetenough press. We give waytoo much credence to
giftedness, sufficiency, talents, and abilities. It’s wayoverated. In fact, it can
be a distraction.
2. Needand poverty and desperationare the place of blessing.
3. The best thing that could happen to you is to be led to Jesus because of
your need!
4. These people would have never come to Jesus if all was well.
a. Jesus wouldhave never been precious to them!
b. The ruler never would have come to Jesus.
c. The woman never would have reachedout to Jesus.
d. The blind men never would have followedJesus.
5. The sickness, the death, the blindness made them poor in spirit and
needy.
6. Their deperation was GOOD and designed by God.
7. The worstthing that could happen to a person is to sense no need for
Christ.
8. The worstthing that could happen to you is to sense no deperation for
Jesus.
9. When we lose our health its as though God is pulling back the mask!
a. We suddenly see things more clearly!

141. b. We become poor in spirit.
c. We are needy, and Christ is rich.
d. Sickness leads us to Jesus.
iii. #3- Jesus is merciful.
1. Phil Rykentells a simple but marvelous illustration of a merciful love
took place during a baseballgame betweenthe Philadelphia Phillies and the
WashingtonNationals during the 2009 pennant race. Phillies fan Steve
Montforto was sitting with three-year-old daughter Emily when a foul ball
curled back into the upper deck. Montforto leanedover the railing to catch
his first and only foul ball—every fans dream. But when he handed the ball to
little Emily, immediately she threw it back over the railing and down into the
lowerdeck. Everyone gasped. Monforto himself was as surprised as anyone to
see her throw the ball away. But rather than getting irritated with his little
girl, he did what a merciful father would do: he wrapped his daughter up in a
tender embrace.
2. “This is the way God loves us. He puts gifts into our hands that we could
never catchfor ourselves. Without realizing what we are doing, sometimes, we
throw them away. Yet rather than getting irritated with us, he loves us again.
Then he gives us the freedom to go love someone else with the same kind of
love. He even gives us the grace to go back to people who throw our love away
and love them all over again.”
3. That’s the kind of mercy and compassionJesusgives and fosters. He’s
merciful.
iv. #4-Jesus is Lord over death, Jesus is Lord over disease, and
Jesus is Lord over the Devil.
1. Jesus has come to reverse the curse!
2. Jesus has come to right the wrongs of the curse!

142. 3. Jesus has come to introduce the Kingdom!
4. Jesus is doing something new!
5. Deathis defeated! Disease is defeated! The Demons are defeated!
6. Crawford Loritts, “100%of the people Jesus healedand raised and
delivered all died. The point is not the miracles, the point is the Messiah.”
7. All these miracles point to the coming Kingdom.
v. #5-There is no person or circumstance that is beyond the reachof the
Savior.
1. Crawford Lorritt’s tells the story of a man who was a master chess
player who was walking down the streets of Manhattan and looking at store
windows and he saw in the store window of an art gallery a painting of two
players playing chess, andthe name of the painting was “check-mate.” It was
a picture of two men playing chess. And the pieces on the board were
arrangedin such a wayin which it appeared the one player was in check-
mate. And the chess player kept looking at this piece and something just
wasn’t right. And left and he came back. And it bugged the dickens out of
him. Three times he did this. Then he finally said, “you know, that painting
is wrong…There is one more move.” God always has another move…And
other move…Another move. God is never out of options. Our problems are
nothing to Jesus. God’s solutionto all of our problems is Jesus.”
III. Out of compassionJesus prays for workers (9:35-38).
a. Summary: V. 35
i. First of all I want you to see that Matthew summarizes the ministry of Jesus
in V. 35.
1. The inclusio:
a. Mat. 4:23-5:2 and Mat. Mat. 4:23-5:2 and Mat. 9:35-10:4.
b. We have seenJesus authority in his words (5-7) and in His deeds (8-9).
2. This sectionbeganat 8:1, and ends here.

143. 3. We have seenJesus healleprosy, paralysis, fever, demon possession,
blindness, and muteness. Notto mention He raiseda girl from the dead.
4. This was all done out of compassion.
5. These miracles were not so much about the felt needs, as they were about
God’s ultimate deliverance from sin and it’s affects.
6. All the people Jesus healedeventually died.
7. Sin is the root of all the problems in the world. Jesus is dealing with it,
and will ultimately deal with it on the cross.
ii. Summary of Jesus ministry:
1. Teaching.
2. Preaching.
3. Healing.
a. He taught out of compassion.
b. He preachedout of compassion.
c. He healed out of compassion.
iii. His entire ministry is summed up by the word “compassion.”
b. His ministry is summarized by compassion(9:35-36).
i. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassionfor them.”
1. “Theywere harassedand helpless.”
2. “Theywere like sheep without a shepherd”
ii. Jesus has compassion:
1. Mat. 14:14, “Whenhe went ashore he saw a greatcrowd, and he had
compassiononthem and healed their sick.”

144. 2. Mat. 15:32, “ThenJesus calledhis disciples to him and said, “I have
compassiononthe crowdbecause they have been with me now three days and
have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them awayhungry, lest they
faint on the way.”
3. Mat. 18:33, “And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant,
as I had mercy on you?’”
4. Mat. 20:34, “And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they
recoveredtheir sight and followedhim.”
5. Jesus has compassiononthe desperate…
c. His prayer for world missions is motivated by compassion(9:37-38).
i. World missions is directly connectedto compassion.
1. Notice, right after he sees the crowds and feels compassion, he prays for
workers.
2. We have seenJesus compassionforsick and outcasts, now we see it for
the harvest.
a. Jesus seesthe crowds because they were harassedand helpless, and then
He prays for laborers to show them mercy
b. This is a prayer for world evangelism.
c. This is a callfor missions!
3. This prayer comes from a heart of compassion!
4. Out of compassionworkersare called.
ii. As much as this is a prayer for workers, this is a prayer that
compassionwouldbe instilled in the disciples.
1. Jesus wants to awakena similar compassionin His disciples.
2. Jesus has compassiononthe people and He wants His disciples to have
compassiononthe people.

145. iii. Pray!
1. Jesus seems to be saying that prayer matters! Prayerdoes things! This
isn’t a disingenuous command because God’s just gonna do it anyways! This
is a call to pray!
2. This is a call world the gospelto go out to the nations!
3. Jesus says this as though prayer is actually effectualand changing
things, because it does. Goduses means to bring about his purposes, and
prayer is one of these means.
iv. Why should we be concernedwith world missions?
1. BecauseGodis!
2. BecauseHe tells us tp pray about!
3. BecauseHe tells us to pray for workers!
4. BecauseHe tells us to develop and cultivate a compassionforthe lost.
For the helpless.
v. How do we cultivate a heart for the helpless? How do we
cultivate a heart of evangelism?
1. Think about how lostyou were with without Christ.
2. Think about the reality of heaven and hell.
3. Pray to God that you would FearGod more than you fear man.
4. Ask for God to increase your heart for the lost.
vi. We will see this more in the weeks to come starting in chapter
10 where Jesus begins a discourse ondiscipleship and what it means to follow
Him.
IV. Application: Two Lessons…
a. Jesus is compassionate:

146. i. Jesus is not far from the brokenhearted.
1. Even if you feel your issues don’t warrant the attention of the MostHigh.
The Lord knows our frame. He knows our weakness. He sympathizes with
hurting and the outcast.
2. He is near to the poor in spirit.
ii. Notice how in many of these stories in chapters 8-9 Jesus
touches the people.
1. Jesus stretches outHis hand and touches the leper.
2. Jesus touches Peter’s motherin law and her fever is healed.
3. Jesus took the little girl by the hand.
4. Jesus touchedthe eyes of the two blind men.
iii. He is not afraid our put off by our deformities and
inadequacies.
1. He is drawn to the hurting and the needy.
2. If you are miserable. If you are poor in spirit. If you have no other
options. Than know this. Jesus cares. Jesus has pity. Jesus takes thought of
you.
3. Is your heart heavy? Are you burdened?
4. Jesus cares. Jesuscares. Jesus is merciful. Jesus will provide you with
rest for your souls.
iv. Illustration:
1. John Knight and Denise Knight were happily anticipating the birth of
their first child, a son. They had already decided to name him Paul. But when
Paul was born, there was a big problem: Paul was born without eyes. John
and Denise would later discoverthat their sonhad other serious issues,
including severe autism and a growth hormone deficiency.

147. 2. Two months after Paul's birth, as John was looking at his sonhookedup
to tubes and sensors and surrounded by medical professionals, he quietly told
God, "God, you are strong, that's true, and you are wicked. You are mean. Do
it to me—not to this boy. What did he ever do to you?" Shortly after that
prayer, John and Denise stopped going to church.
3. But one couple from the church refused to give up on them. Karl and
Gerilyn never pressured John and Denise aboutspiritual issues. Instead, they
would often stopby and leave simple gifts, like a loafof fresh bread or a
basketof soapand shampoo for Denise. John said that it was like Karl and
Gerilyn were saying, "I notice you. I see you. I know you're hurting and I love
you."
4. Eventually John and Denise accepteda dinner invitation from Karl and
Gerilyn. During dinner John told Karl, "You canbelieve whateveryou want.
I don't care. I have evidence that God is cruel." Karl softly replied, "I love
you, John. I have regard for you, and I love your boy."
5. Karl and Gerilyn's four children also showedand lived unconditional
love for their son. John describedit this way:
a. They'd throw [my son]up in the air and make him laugh and do funny
bird sounds and—and that was confounding, because mostpeople, most
adults couldn't do that. And so I would have this extraordinary expressionof
love and affectionat the dinner table here, and I would turn to my left—and
there would be at leastone of these children playing with my boy like he was a
real boy. I wasn't even sure he was a realboy at times.
v. This family illustrates the accurate kind of love and
compassionthat Jesus has for us.
vi. Jesus is compassionate!
b. Jesus is calling His disciples to be compassionate.
i. CompassionmarkedJesus, it should mark His disciples.
1. Jesus evenprays that His followers with be moved with compassionlike
He was.

148. 2. If one of the chief characteristicsofJesus was His compassion, is it going
to far to say that the same should apply to His disciples?
3. If Jesus was knownfor His compassion, is it a stretch to saythe same
ought to apply to His followers?
4. If we claim to be disciples of Jesus we are calledto be compassionate.
a. We are to have a heart for the hurting and the lost.
5. This means, among other things, that we will spread the gospelout of
compassion, notcompulsion.
a. We have a gospelof compassion.
b. No compassionequals no mission.
c. No compassionequals no evangelism.
d. No compassionequals no church planting.
ii. Compassionadds validity to the gospel.
1. Illustration:
a. In 1967 Doug Nicols was doing missions work in India when he
contractedtuberculosis and was committed to a sanitarium for several
months. In the TB sanitarium, Doug found himself in a lonely, confusing, and
troubled place. He did not know the language ofthe other patients, but he
wanted to share the GoodNews ofJesus with others.
b. All Doug had in the sanitarium were a few gospeltracts in their
language, Parsee.He tried to pass them out, but nobody wanted them. Then
one night, Doug woke up at 2:00 AM, coughing so violently that he could not
catchhis breath. During this coughing fit, Doug noticed a little old emaciated
man across the aisle trying to getout of bed. He was so weak he could not
stand up. He beganto whimper. He tried again, but to no avail.
c. In the morning Doug realized that the man had been trying to getup to
use the bathroom. The stench in the ward was terrible. The other patients

149. were angry at the old man for not being able to contain himself. The nurse
cleanedup the mess and then slapped the man.
d. The next night, againDoug saw the old man trying to getout of bed, but
this time Doug gotout of bed, icedup the old man, and carried him to the
toilet (just a hole in the floor) and then brought him back to his bed. The old
man kissedDoug on the cheek and promptly went to sleep.
e. Early the next morning, Doug awoke to a steaming cup of tea beside his
bed. Another patient had kindly made it for him. The patient motioned that
he wanted one of those gospeltracts. The next two days, one after another
patient asked, "CouldI have one of those tracts too?"
2. World magazine last year had as their “book ofthe year” a book by a
sociologistRodneyStark.
a. I don’t know whether or not Rodney is a Christian. The book is not
written from a Christian perspective, but from a historicaland sociological
perspective.
b. Rodney askedthe question, “How did the birth of Jesus change the
world?”
c. Stark argues that there was one huge factorthat helped capture the
attention of the ancient world—Christianity's revolutionary emphasis on
mercy.
d. Stark writes: In the midst of the squalor, misery, illness, and anonymity
of ancient cities, Christianity provided an island of mercy and security ….. It
started with Jesus ….
e. In contrast, in the pagan world, and especiallyamong the philosophers,
mercy was regardedas a characterdefectand pity as a pathologicalemotion:
because mercyinvolves providing unearned help or relief, it is contrary to
justice …. [Thus] humans must learn "to curb the impulse [to show mercy]";
"the cry of the undeserving for mercy" must go "unanswered." "[Showing
mercy] was a defect of characterunworthy of the wise and excusable only in

150. those who have not yet grown up." This was the moral climate in which
Christianity taught that … a merciful God requires humans to be merciful.
iii. LBC, this passage is a call for us to be knownfor our
compassion. Letus be know for being merciful.
1. Not only in our ministries (like drilling waterwells in Central America),
but in our neighborhoods and our workplaces.
2. This is a reminder to seek to cultivate a life of compassionand mercy.
3. If you don’t naturally have this, pray for it!
4. If you do naturally have this, pray for more!
5. Our compassionis directly connectedto evangelism.
a. If you have no compassionfor people, why would you feelcompelled to
share the gospel?
6. Is there suffering you can help alleviate?
7. Is there spiritual needs around you?
8. Are their sick people around you?
9. Are there lonely people around you?
10. Be a man, be a woman, of mercy and compassion.
V. The Gospel.
a. The Good News ofChristianity. The Good News from God to us. Is
that God has had pity on us. God has pitied you. God has had compassionon
you.
b. He loves you. He pities you. He feels for you.
c. And He sent His Sonto redeemyou and purchase you.
d. Respondto Him today!
e. Respondwith faith and repentance and thanksgiving!

151. BI: Jesus is compassionate. There is a direct connectionbetweenthe Great
Commissionand mercy.
RelatedTopics:Characterof God, Christology, Discipleship, Love
Jesus was Compassionate
Published by Ron Hughes on September 10, 2019
Compassionis a virtue that hasn’t gone out of style. Everyone I know has at
leastsome desire to be seenas compassionateeven, if they don’t feel it much.
However, when we look at Jesus, the evidence is strong. Truly, Jesus was
compassionate. The gospelwriters not only tell us, they show us. Todaywe’ll
considera few examples.
COMPASSION FOR PHYSICAL NEED
When Jesus heard that His cousin John had been executedby Herod, He
sought some privacy to grieve. Matthew tells us that He gotinto a boat and
headed off to a “desolate place” by Himself (v. 13) However, His popularity
was running high and people followedHim along the shore on foot. When He
came ashore, a large crowdhad assembledand, though He was grieving
John’s death, He pitied them. Specifically, we read that “he had compassion
on them and healed their sick” (v 14). So, ignoring His own legitimate
emotional pain, He focusedon the physical needs of those around Him.
Minutes became hours. Eventually, twilight fell and the disciples, perhaps
prompted by their own hunger, asked Jesus to send the crowdaway. They
were far off the beatentrack and no food was at hand. They would need to
disperse to nearby villages to buy food for themselves. But Jesus wouldn’t
hear of it and challengedHis disciples to feed them. When they produced five
loaves and two fish, the Lord multiplied them to provide more than enough.
(Readthe whole story in Matthew 14:13-21.)

152. This story demonstrates that Jesus was compassionate in the face of physical
need. When confronted with human suffering, most of us attempt to alleviate
it. If we can’t, we feelgenuinely distressed. Jesushad the wonderful advantage
of being able to do something about every situation! At any rate, we see that
Jesus did care about the physical needs encounteredas He made His way to
the cross.
COMPASSION FOR THE GRIEVING
Tears have an interesting effect on people. While sociopaths might feel
nothing, or even enjoy the pain of others, emotionally healthy humans have an
empathetic response. We’lllook at one instance of Jesus responding to a
woman’s deep personalgrief recorded in Luke 7.
“Soonafterwardhe went to a town calledNain, and his disciples and a great
crowdwent with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man
who had died was being carriedout, the only son of his mother, and she was a
widow, and a considerable crowdfrom the town was with her. And when the
Lord saw her, he had compassionon her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’Then
he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stoodstill. And he said,
‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’And the dead man sat up and beganto
speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother” (Luke 7:11-15)
Once again, Jesus’ability to minister so directly to one’s need dazzles us.
Raising the dead is not among the spiritual gifts of anyone I know. But, our
purpose here is not to lament our lack of power but to celebrate the
compassionofJesus. Certainly, His pity for the woman ran so deep that He
took an exceedinglyextraordinary measure to comfort her. Jesus was
compassionatewith the grieving.
COMPASSION FOR SPIRITUALNEED
While compassionis a natural response to grief and physical privations, it
often does not manifest as strongly in the presence ofspiritual need. This is
one of the tragedies of the church today. Few are motivated by deep concern
for the spiritual well-being of others. I confess anembarrassing lack of this in
my ownlife. Too often I use my resourcesto amuse myself rather than to

153. touch the lives of people around me. Allow me to divert this uncomfortable
thought to considerJesus as our example in responding to spiritual need.
In Matthew 9, we read that “Jesus wentthroughout all the cities and villages
[of Galilee], teaching in their synagogues andproclaiming the gospelof the
kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the
crowds, he had compassionfor them, because they were harassedand
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:35-36). We know from
the previous example that He had compassiononthe crowdbecause oftheir
physical needs. Here the Spirit draws our attention specificallyto His
compassionfor their spiritual needs. Jesus saw beyondthe obvious and
recognizedthat they were floundering spiritually.
LACK OF COMPASSIONATELEADERSHIP
The Jewishleadershipof the time was largelycorrupt and consumedby two
things. One was the infighting betweenPharisees andSadducees. The other
was trying to stay in the goodgraces ofRome so they could maintain what
control they had. Consequently, the everyday ordinary Jews found themselves
largely ignored. That Rome had no compassionforthem does not surprise us.
But that their ownspiritual leaders provided no meaningful direction was a
real shame.
Jesus had this to say in Matthew 23. “The scribes and the Pharisees siton
Moses’seat,so practice and observe whateverthey tell you—but not what
they do. For they preach, but do not practice. Theytie up heavy burdens,
hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not
willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seenby
others” (Matthew 23:2-5). No wonder that when the common people observed
that Jesus was compassionate, theyflockedto Him.
A LIFE OF COMPASSION
These examples mention the word “compassion”as the motivation for Jesus’
actions. Yet as we read the gospels, we see many more which demonstrate the
emotion without mentioning the word. Consider the story of the raising of
Lazarus (see John 11). Here we see Jesus so touchedby the plight of Mary and

154. Martha that He wept. In fact, His grieving was so deep and sincere that
onlookers commented:“See how he loved him!” Jesus’tears are significant,
given that He knew He was about to callLazarus out of the tomb. I believe the
empathy Jesus felt for the bereft sisters prompted His weeping. Nevermind
that within the hour Lazarus would shuffle awkwardlyfrom the tomb alive
but unassisted. Jesus’friends were in distress, so He wept with them as they
experiencedthe impact of their loss. Jesus was compassionate.
COMPASSION IN OUR LIVES
With our exposure to the horrors of fresh human suffering on electronic
media every day, many of us suffer from “compassionfatigue.” So much pain
paralyzes us emotionally and we become indifferent. Earlier I mentioned my
own tendency to withdraw into my safe little world and shut out the
overwhelming need that begins as near as my neighbors and extends to the
farthest reaches ofthe inhabited world.
Do I have an answerfor this one, some sage advice, some “secret” that
unlocks our stony hearts to weep with those who weepand rejoice with those
who rejoice? No, I don’t. (And if you have it, please share!) All I can suggest,
fellow pilgrim, is that we pray the One who’s compassionis as sure as His love
would make our hearts like His. Will you join me this week it consciouslyand
intentionally asking God to open your heart a crack to feelfor others as He
feels for them. Then, please share stories of God’s work in the comment
section.
Jesus’7 Acts of Compassionin His Final Hours
Postedon April 15, 2017 by Gina — Leave a reply
by Gina, Steppes of Faith

155. “But He was piercedfor our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him. And by His
wounds, we are healed.” Isaiah53:5
It’s Easterweekend, whichis, in my opinion, the most important holiday in
the Christian faith. Even more than Christmas.
Easteris when we remember the day Jesus was crucifiedto save us from our
sins. We remember how He was betrayed, arrested, usheredthrough bogus
trials, floggedand beaten with glass and rocks, forcedto weara crown of
thorns digging into his scalp, then made to carry the crossbeamthe Romans
would nail Him to up a long hill named Skull Hill, or sometimes called
Calvary. And all this without having had any sleepfor over 24 hours. He was
exhausted and in horrible pain.
Yet, in the middle of it all, there were four amazingly compassionatethings
Jesus saidas He carried the cross and endured the torture of crucifixion. It
always humbles and amazes me when I think about it. His compassionand
thoughtfulness of others continued to supersede anything He was going
through personally. It’s hard to for our human minds to understand.
Let’s take a closerlook at Jesus’final words.
Compassionon the Roadto Calvary
After Jesus was condemned, He was forced to carry his cross to His execution.
It was a common part of the punishment in those days. Onlookers, gawkers,
and critics filled the streets. It seemedthe entire city had turned out to watch
the death of the man who claimed to be the Messiah(which He was).
Among the crowd was a certaingroup of women crying and following Jesus.
It’s not known for sure who they were. What we do know is that Jesus ̶
though beaten, bloodied, exhausted, and carrying a cross that weighedlikely a
goodone hundred pounds as the crowdcruelly heckledHim ̶ noticed them.

156. With the Romansoldiers continuing to whip Him, Jesus pausedto warn the
women about what was yet to come. The accountis recorded only in Luke
23:28, which says,
“But Jesus, turning to them (the women), said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do
not weepfor Me, but weepfor yourselves and for your children. Forindeed
the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessedare the barren, wombs
that never bore, and breasts which never nursed.’” (Addition is mine)
Jesus is trying to warn the womenthat things will get worse for the entire
Jewishnation at the hands of the Romans. If the Romans were willing to send
an innocent man to be crucified, how much more will they do to the entire
nation? He also tells the womenthey will be consideredblessedfor not having
any children to mourn at that time (His words may even be prophetic of the
earth’s lastdays).
It seems incredible that Jesus would have the strength and wherewithalto
warn these women about the future. He was still focusedon others, showing
His compassionforthem instead of Himself.
Compassionfor the Crowd
Jesus’compassioncontinued three more times even after He was nailed to the
cross.
First, Luke 23:34 tells us He beganby asking the Fatherto forgive the
executioners and all the Romans and Jews who were tormenting Him. Even
though none of them deservedforgiveness, Jesusunderstoodtheir spiritual
blindness and the guilt eachof them had.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
The apostle Paulre-emphasizes the need for forgiveness in 1 Corinthians 2:8,
“Forif they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory.”

157. Jesus’prayer for forgiveness is such a beautiful expressionof His infinite
compassionand grace. It may be that this prayer was what brought many in
the city to finally believe and acceptthat He was indeed the Messiah.
“And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had
happened, they went home in deep sorrow.” Luke 23:48
Compassionfor the Robber
Not much later, Jesus shows compassionand grace again. One of the thieves
hanging on the crossesnext to Jesus decides to join the soldiers in mocking the
Lord by saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” (Luke 23:39)
It’s so disrespectfuland blasphemous, don’t you think?
After this had gone on for a little while, the secondthief finally tells the first
thief to button his lip.
“But the other, answering, rebuked him saying, ‘Do you not even fear God,
seeing as you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we
receive the due reward of our deeds. But this Man has done nothing wrong.”
The secondthief then turns to Jesus and asks, “Lord, remember me when You
come into Your kingdom.”
Jesus slowlylifts His head and turns His bloodied face to the robber saying,
“Assuredly, I sayto you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Again, Jesus is compassionate in the middle of His own suffering. Through the
pain in His body and the fight for breath, Jesus gives grace to someone who
finally figured out that he had no hope left exceptfor divine grace. Jesus
graciouslyconfirmed the thief’s new faith and gave him salvation.
Compassionfor His Mother
As the oldestchild, Jesus was expectedto ensure proper care of His mother
after His death. Normally, the responsibility would fall to His earthly
brothers; however, they weren’t exactly a close family.

158. Mostof His siblings (brothers and sisters alike)didn’t support or approve of
Jesus’ministry, which means they certainly didn’t believe He was the
promised Messiah. Theydidn’t even show up the day Jesus died. They were
back home in Capernaum. (Side note: Jesus’brothers, James and Jude who
both wrote epistles in the New Testament, didn’t believe until after the
Resurrectionas statedin Acts 1:14.)
Abandoned by His family, Jesus had no choice but to give the distinct honor of
looking after His mother to his dear friend, John. He was the one who
consistentlyshowedhis enduring love for his friend. It was a great
compliment to John and a very high honor indeed.
The scene is recordedin John 19:26. His mother, His mother’s sister-in-law
(both named Mary, oddly enough), and His friend, Mary Magdalene,were all
standing at the cross with John, supporting Jesus as bestthey could in His
worsthour.
“When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved
standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said
to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour, that disciple took
her to his own home.”
Though dying on a cross, Jesus hadthe presence ofmind and thoughtfulness
to make sure His mother was placedin goodhands. But, He wasn’t just being
the responsible sonhere. He loved His mom very much. She was Mom. Even
before His birth in a manger, she had never doubted Him, and she had never
left Him. She was the one person who stayed with Him every day of His
earthly life, through thick and thin.
The love betweena sonand his mother is a specialkind of love with bonds
that go beyond space and time. Jesus clearlyshows it here with His
compassionfor Mary.
Three More Notable Sayings from the Lord
Jesus speaksonly three more times before His death.
1. “My God, My God, why have You forsakenMe?”

159. Jesus quotes directly from Psalm22:1 here. It indicates the depth of despair
and abandonment Jesus was experiencing as He took on the sins of the world
and the divine wrath of the Father.
It was a feeling He had never known before. Jesus and the Father were
separatedfor the first time. And since Jesus is a part of the trinity of God, it
must have felt like His soul was splitting in two. I can only imagine the agony
and sadness He felt at that moment, which I can’t.
2. “I thirst!”
It’s entirely plausible that Jesus was thirsty by this time. Instead of water,
though, the Roman soldiers gave Him sourwine on a sponge to drink. The
sour wine was purposely chosento prolong His suffering, but that evil tactic
did nothing because there were only a few minutes left of Jesus’suffering.
3. “It is finished.”
This is the lastthing Jesus saidbefore He went home to heaven. He bowedHis
head and let His spirit leave His body to return to heaven, which proves what
He said in John 10:17-18 where He said no one could take His life from Him
exceptHim. By saying these words, Jesus was conveying that He had fulfilled
His religious obligationand the entire work of redemption was complete.
Site of Jesus’tomb in Jerusalem.
After His Death
On the third day after Jesus’death and burial, His tomb was miraculously
found empty. He had conquereddeath and sin just as He saidHe would. He
died as a lamb put to slaughter, but He rose like a lion! We serve a risen
Savior who holds all power and authority in His hands and an unimaginable
amount of love and compassionin His heart.
His death makes us feelsad and troubled knowing He took on the punishment
we deserved. But, don’t forgetHe did it willingly to save us all from eternal

160. death. And He rose againso that we would have a chance ateternal life with
Him.
How Much Does Jesus Love You?
There’s a cute children’s classic tale called“Guess How Much I Love You.”
It’s a story of a father rabbit and his son trying to explain just how much each
loves the other. The son says he loves his dad “to the moon and back.” When
we think of Jesus, try to guess how much He loves you. The answeris to hell
and back…andup to heaven forever.
This Easter, let’s give thanks to the Father for the unspeakable gift of His
Son’s life, Jesus’final earthly actof compassionfor us.
“I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come againand receive you to Myself;that where I am, there you may be
also.” John14:14
From our house to yours, may you and your family enjoy a very blessed
Easter.
Hallelujah! He is Risen!
"And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassionforthem, because they were
distressedand downcastlike sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His
disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore
beseechthe Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (
Matthew 9:36-38)
And Jesus summoned to Himself His disciples, and said, "I feel compassion
for the multitude, because they have remained with Me now for three days
and have nothing to eat; and I do not wish to send them awayhungry, lest
they faint on the way." ( Matthew 15:32)
And as they were going out from Jericho, a greatmultitude followedJesus.
And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing

161. by, cried out, saying, "Lord, have mercy on us, Sonof David!" And the crowd
sternly told them to be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Lord,
have mercy on us, Son of David!" And Jesus stoppedand calledthem, and
said, "Whatdo you wish Me to do for you?" They saidto Him, "Lord, we
want our eyes to be opened." And moved with compassion, Jesus touched
their eyes;and immediately they receivedtheir sight, and followedHim. (
Matthew 20:29-34)
And a leper came to Him, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before
Him, and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." And
moved with compassion, Jesus stretchedoutHis hand and touched him, and
said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."And immediately the leprosy left him
and he was cleansed. ( Mark 1:40-42)
Now as He approachedthe gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being
carried out, the only sonof his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable
crowdfrom the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He felt
compassionfor her, and saidto her, "Do not weep." And He came up and
touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man,
I say to you, arise!" And the dead man sat up, and beganto speak. And Jesus
gave him back to his mother. ( Luke 7:12-15)
And when He approached, He saw the city (Jerusalem)and wept over it,
saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for
peace!But now they have been hidden from your eyes. Forthe days shall
come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and
surround you, and hem you in on every side, and level you to the ground and
your children within you. ( Luke 19:41-44)
When Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to
Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." When
Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and Jews who came with her, also weeping,
He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have you
laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. ( John 11:32-
35)

162. https://www.jesuscentral.com/ji/jesus-parables-teachings/jesus-example/jesus-
compassionate.php
Jesus, the Compassionate Healer
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretchedoutHis hand and touched him, and
said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
—-Mark 1:41
In Luke 5, a leper came to Jesus. Now, lepers weren’tsupposedto have any
contactwith non-lepers, but this man didn’t care about the rules. He
approachedJesus because he was desperate forhealing. Look at verse 12:
“When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord, if
You are willing, You canmake me clean.’” This leper knew that Jesus had the
ability to heal him. The question was not about Jesus’s power;the leper’s
question was about His willingness. Did Jesus have the compassionto heal
him?
Jesus answeredthatquestion by what He did next. “He stretchedout His
hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’And immediately
the leprosyleft him” (v. 13). Mark’s accountsays that Jesus was “movedwith
compassion” (1:41). Aren’t you glad we serve a Savior who canbe moved with
compassion? Something welledup inside of Jesus, andHe wanted to meet that
leper’s need. He said, “I am willing.” Then He reachedout and healedhim.
Now understand what Jesus was doing when He healed this leper. He risked
becoming infected too. If it were me, I’d be grabbing for the hand sanitizer
before interacting with somebody who had leprosy. I wouldn’t want to
contaminate myself. But Jesus not only riskedphysical infection, He was also
willing to become ceremoniallyunclean. As soonas Jesus touched this
diseasedman, according to the Law He would be unclean too. Anybody who
touched a leper was unclean.

163. This is a greatpicture of what Jesus does for us. Even though Jesus was the
sinless, perfectSon of God, He was willing to become contaminatedfor us. He
was willing to reachout and take our sin and bear it upon Himself so He could
provide us with the righteousness ofGod.
What Jesus did next was strange. “He ordered him [the leper] to tell no one”
(v. 14). Obviously, Jesus didn’t know anything about public relations. I mean,
if you heal somebodyaren’t you supposed to tell everyone about it so you will
get a big following? Jesus knew that miracles in and of themselves don’t
convert anybody, so He ordered the man to tell no one.
Notice what Jesus saidnext to the man: “Go and show yourself to the priest
and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a
testimony to them” (v. 14). Leviticus 14 said if somebodyis healedfrom
leprosy, he needs to tell the priest so the priest can verify the healing. So the
former leper went to see the priest. Remember, nobody had been healed from
leprosy for hundreds of years. Imagine the priest looking at the scars that
proved the man had been a leper but was now completely free from the
disease. This healing was Jesus’s wayof announcing to the priest that the
Messiahhad arrived.
***
Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Jesus,the PerfectHealer” by Dr. Robert
Jeffress, 2016.
Scripture quotations are takenfrom the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD
BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962,1963, 1968, 1971,1972, 1973, 1975,1977,
1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
JOHN MACARTHUR

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The Range of Jesus'Compassion
Sermons Luke 9:10–11 42-116 Oct6, 2002
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We're going to return to the gospelof Luke. I want to stay with Luke as much
as possible. I'd like to finish it, and as the years go by, time gets shorter and
this is such a profound and wonderful history of our Lord. Luke 9. And in
this story that we're looking at today we have the famous event of the feeding
of the 5,000,as it is called, really an astonishing event, quantitatively the
largestmiracle Jesus ever did.
And yet, as massive as it was, involving 5,000 men...andthe text uses the word
andrizo, which is a term for male, and it's not generic men. When it says 5,000
men it doesn't mean 5,000 people, it means 5,000 males. We would be safe to
assume an equal amount of womenand perhaps twice that number of
children. There could have been 20,000people there and He fed them all,
creating food. No miracle that He did was as large, as massive, as vastas that.
Reallystaggering, absolutelystaggering, and yet the world has such little
regard for this miracle.
If you were to travel to the land of Israel, as I have many times, you would be
privileged to go into the Galilee and wander around the Sea of Galilee. If you
lookedvery, very carefully, if there wasn't someone to guide you there, it

166. would be unlikely that you'd find it, you might locate a little tiny building
north of the Sea of Galilee up on one of the slopes and you would walk in and
you would notice there was a floor that had been preserved for really over a
thousand years. If you lookeddown on that floor you'd see there was a little
mosaic there in this rather small little place, and that mosaic is a picture of
five loaves and two fish. And it is intended, was intended and still is intended,
as old as it is, to mark the event of Jesus feeding the 5,000 men plus women
plus children, a massive miracle noted by an absolutely obscure and meager
little mosaic, falling apart. That's all the world really cares aboutthat.
As I was leaving Rome yesterday, it was apparent that there had been a surge
of people coming into the city for about a week. We couldn't figure out what
was going on. There were no hotels available. Every single room in the city of
Rome and all the environs around was occupied. The place was jammed pack
with people. And we finally found out why. Two hundred and fifty thousand
pilgrims had come to the Vatican. They had come to the Vatican to honor a
man who was to be sainted. The Vatican is the most massive edifice that you
can imagine: not only the St. Peter's, but the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican
Museum and the Courtyard and all that's around it, the Bank of the Holy
Spirit, and all of the other things that are part of the Vatican state, massive
tribute to Catholicism. And these people, along with Italian people surged
into the place, 250 thousand coming in, staying in hotels, to celebrate a man.
What had the man done? Some centuries ago he had discoveredthat
everybody has gifts, not just the priests. And I said, "Is there a part B? Are
you kidding me? Whatdo you mean, he read the New Testament? Ofcourse
everyone has gifts," 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 1 Peter4. For that 250
thousand people come to acknowledgehis spiritual heroics and they're going
to make him a saint?
It's amazing to me how religious people are putting the emphasis in the wrong
places;so many tributes to the wrong people to non-events. Certainly within
Roman Catholicismthings that never happened are treatedas if they really
happened and become reasons forshrines and all kinds of religious activity.
But here, anyway, on the north shore of Galilee is this tiny little mosaic and
it's all there is left really, exceptthe recordof the New Testament, to mark a
spot where a monumental event took place 2,000 years ago.

167. Let me read you the text, starting in verse 10. "When the apostles returned,
they gave an accountto Him of all that they had done. And taking them with
Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city calledBethsaida. But the multitudes
were aware of this and followedHim and welcoming them He began speaking
to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
And the day began to decline and the twelve came and said to Him, 'Send the
multitude away that they may go in the surrounding villages and countryside,
find lodging, get something to eat, for here we are in a desolate place.' ButHe
said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' And they said, 'We have no
more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all
these people,'" sarcastically, "forthere were about 5,000 andrizo, men. And
He said to His disciples, 'Have them recline to eating groups of about fifty
each.' And they did so, and had them all recline. And He took the five loaves
and two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessedthem and broke them and
kept giving them to the disciples to setbefore the multitude. And they all ate
and were satisfied. And the brokenpieces which they had left over, was
picked up, twelve baskets full."
Isn't it amazing how understated the biblical miracles are? Where was the
miracle? Well it's at the end of verse 16, "He kept giving them to the
disciples." It doesn't give any sort of fanfare at that point. He just kept
creating food to feed 20,000 plus people till they were all full. Another display
of power, creative power that proves that Jesus was God? Yes. It proves that
He was the Messiah? Yes. Butthere had been many of those. In fact, they
were basicallydaily through the three years of His ministry. Mostdays He did
miracles. And many days He did hundreds of miracles. There was an
escalating surge ofmiracles going on during the time of His ministry in
Galilee. Dayafter day after day, place after place after place He expressedHis
amazing divine powerover demons, over disease, overdeath, over nature. His
ability to create was manifest. And here is the qualitatively most massive
miracle and most visible miracle because there's nothing in His hands and
then there is, and there's nothing in His hands and there is, and there is, and
there is, and there is, and there is, and there is.
Galilee is a small region, fifty miles top to bottom, twenty-five miles side to
side and in the middle is a lake that takes up a lot of the space and there's 204

168. villages crowdedaround that lake and most of them are on the northern half
of the lake. And so that area where Jesus ministered with Capernaum at His
base, which is kind of at the north point of the lake, the word spread
everywhere that Jesus was a miracle worker. There was no wayto avoid it.
And He had done some...some large scalemiracles, like the man, you
remember, over in Gerasa who had in him at least2,000 demons and Jesus
had dealt with him. That's a quantitatively large expressionof divine power,
to deal with 2,000 orso or more demons. And everybody knew that He was
doing miracles. He was doing them everywhere...everywhere, allthe time, day
after day, week after week, month after month, place after place.
It was the very region where Jesus had grown up in the town of Nazareth
where His family lived, His mother's family, His father's family. And He had
returned there to preachthe gospelthere. And the reasonHe went to Galilee
to do most of this was because He was really showing disdain for the religious
structure which occupiedthe southern half of Israelknown as Judah, or
Judea, where Jerusalemwas the capital city and there was the political and
spiritual and religious centerof the nation Israel. There were the priests and
there were the Sanhedrin leaders and the scribes and Pharisees hadtheir
headquarters there and the Herodians ran the temple operation. And Jesus
avoided all of that. He avoided all of that for a number of reasons. There was
a certain amount of judgment in avoiding that. He was affirming the apostasy
of the leadershipof Israel;but there was also just the practicalreality that if
He tried to do this kind of ministry under the noses of the religious
establishment, they would have had Him dead long before the time. It was
bad enough that He was doing these things in Galilee. Theywere already after
Him. If He had been doing them in Judea and Jerusalem, it would have
escalatedthe plan and that wasn't what God had wanted. So He spent this
large amount of time, over a year in the ministry, in Galilee expressing His
mighty power.
This is more than a massive miracle, however, as massive as it is. It's more
than a creative miracle, as obviously creative as it is. And, in fact, I think it's
safe to say it's the greatestwork ofcreationsince creation. It's the greatest
work of creationsince creation. It's also very important to note this. This is
the highpoint of His ministry in Galilee. He kept the best for last. He

169. climaxed His ministry in Galilee with the big one. And after this miracle in
Galilee, there is a gradual exit from that region. This sort of is the apex and
from here on it's...it's downhill. It's, first of all, He comes, He preaches the
gospel, He proves that He is the prophet of God, that He's the Son of God, that
He's the Messiahof God by the miracles that He does. And the miracles grow
and they grow and they accumulate and they accumulate and it's as if there's
a mounting amount of evidence and finally it reaches this amazing, climactic
point where He deals with a man with 2,000 demons and then He deals with a
crowdof 20,000andHe creates foodfor them. And this is the...this is the
greatcrescendo ofHis ministry. This is sort of the culmination of everything,
as if to say, "There it is, if you can't believe now, there's nothing else to do."
Any unbelief past this point is willful, obstinate, stubborn, hard-hearted
unbelief. And that's exactlywhat it was. There wasn'tany more that He
could do. He had demonstratedHis powerto be divine over and over and
over, day after day after day after day after day. But they were so deeply,
profoundly steepedin their false religion; they were so willfully blind because
of their love of self-righteousnessand tradition, that not long after this, about
a year, they were screaming for the blood of Jesus becausethey were there. It
was Passoverand people of Galilee came to Jerusalemand screamed,
"Crucify Him, crucify Him, we're not going to have this man reign over us."
But this was their last greatopportunity. This was the pinnacle. After this,
Jesus actuallywent to the very limits of the land of Israel, left the area of
Galilee and went overto the coastto Tyre and Sidon...Tyre and Sidon. That's
recordedin Matthew 15 verse 21. Then when He was done ministering in
Tyre and Sidon, He came back acrossthe north of Galilee and went eastof the
Sea of Galilee into another area outside Galilee, an area calledDecapolis,a
Gentile area. Decapolis means “tencities,” anarea of ten towns, or ten
villages. And after that...by the way, when He was in Decapolis He did
another feeding miracle and fed 4,000. Afterthat He went to Jerusalemand
things began to be focusedon His coming death.
So the opportunity for Galilee is coming to an end. Just prior to this miracle,
do you remember what He did? He sent the twelve out, didn't He? Up to
then He had been the only miracle workerand the only preacherof the gospel.
If you wanted a miracle, He had to be there. If you wanted to hear the gospel,

170. He had to preach it. But now He's got enoughtraining into the disciples, He
sends them out on a short-term mission two by two. That's the first part of
the 9th chapter. You remember, they went out and He multiplied Himself
twelve times. They did the same miracles He did. They had powerover
demons, disease anddeath. And they preached the same gospelHe preached.
And this was a blitz, the gospelblitz of Galilee. And even later we're going to
find out He's going to send seventy more on a short-term mission for one final
effort. They're going to do miracles and they're going to preach the same
gospelas...He picks seventynon-apostolic disciples and sends them with that
delegatedpower, one more opportunity for Galilee. And in conjunction with
this blitz of Galilee comes this massive miracle so that there is no argument
about who He is.
The year is 29 A.D. if you calculate back from our calendartoday. It's in the
spring. We know because there was greengrass. And Israel is like California.
In the spring there's greengrass naturally, and the rest of the time there's not.
It was also Passover. Johntells us this miracle happened during Passover,
and Passoveris in March and April in the spring. And so it was spring in
Galilee but it was winter in the hearts of the people. Even though the Lord
had done these miracles and the accumulation of those miracles made any
conclusionother than He was God impossible, rationally they were still in
unbelief. He does this one final explosive miracle to remove any mingling
doubt. Back in verse 9, Herod askedthe question, who is this man? Who is
this man? That question should have been answeredif it was still being asked
by this miracle. Certainly the disciples had the answer. Whenthe miracle was
over, verse 20, Jesus saidto the disciples, the apostles, "Who do you say that I
am?" Peteranswering for all of them said, "You're the Christ of God.”
You're the Anointed. You're the Messiah. We understand this miracle is the
final evidence." If you were willing, you had plenty to believe.
And by the way, the importance of this miracle should be noted. There are
only two miracles in the gospelaccounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
There are only two miracles recordedin all four gospels, just two, this one and
the resurrection. This is an important one. All the writers, Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John, recordthis. Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6. And each
gospelwriter who deals with this miracle, this greatevent, records it as a

171. climactic feature in the Lord's ministry. As I said, from this point on, all the
writers sayHis focus turns toward His death. And in the time remaining,
after this miracle, He does teachthe crowds occasionallybut most of His focus
is on the twelve as He puts the training of the twelve into high gearand
intensifies it.
Well the miracle itself is so monumental. I mean, to just create food and have
it coming out of your hands. It isn't that the food appeared in front of
everybody, it appeared out of His hands and He gave it to the twelve and the
twelve distributed it. To just stand there and do that is so staggering.It is so
inarguable that the people concluded, according to John 6, that He was the
prophet, harking back to where God promises the prophet that would come, a
messianic prophecy. He is the Messiah. And it says, "The crowdwanted to
take Him by force and make Him king." What would that mean? A coup. A
coup. They wantedto grab Jesus, take Him by force, getan army together
and storm the palace ofHerod Antipas, who ruled Galilee, a coup. They
wanted to topple Herod Antipas and put Jesus in as king. Why they couldn't
think of any more wonderful thing than that. He's the Messiah. Let's have
His kingdom. What is the kingdom? No sicknessand free food. That's how
materialistic they were. We don't have any conceptof that, have absolutely
any conceptof the difficulty that most of the world has gone through in
human history, and most of it even goes through today to geta meal. You pull
up to the little box and you tell somebody what you want, and if it's not there
in five minutes, you get it for nothing. Mostof the world can't even conceive
of that. The battle to eatis most of existence. Somebodywho can create food,
that's the ultimate welfare state. Let's make Him king. Let's overthrow the
hated, non-Jewish, Herodian dynasty, put Jesus in as king. We'll all be
healthy and we'll have all the food we can eat.
They were so superficial, by the way, that the day after the miracle, when
Jesus wentback to Capernaum, He went back by boat, He got out of the boat,
they were there again. And what were they saying, "Breakfasttime. Dinner
last night was unbelievable. We're ready for breakfast." He said to them,
"You seek Me because youwant the food." So even though the crowd was
fickle, Jesus was graciousand generous and demonstratedHis massive power

172. in this miracle, so massive that they concluded He was the Messiahand it was
time to force the kingdom.
Now there are a lot of ways to look at the story. Let's turn to the story itself
starting in verse 10. But what I see in this... Obviously there's a
demonstration of power here in the miracle. That goes without saying, and
we'll get to that next week. But what I want you to see in this, what really
comes through to me in this is the compassionofGod, the compassionofGod.
I've said this to you before, and I keeprepeating it because it has to be
repeated. It's everywhere. The miracles of Jesus were demonstrations of
divine power to prove that He was God. But at the same time, the miracles of
Jesus were virtually, all of them, connectedto some expressionof compassion,
to demonstrate the compassionateheartof God. The miracles of healing had
compassiononthose who were ill. The miracles of resurrectionhad
compassiononthose who mourned the loss of a dead one. The miracles of
casting out demons were compassionatemiracles for those who were
tormented. The miracles that Jesus did demonstratedthe compassionofGod.
As I said before, He could have done a lot of miracles. He could have proved
He was God doing all kinds of tricks, sleight of hand, the magic kind of things
that you canimagine and not imagine. But instead, all His miracles were
categoricallywithin the framework of demonstrations of compassionon
human suffering. And this is to show the heart of God that breaks over the
pain that is in the world because ofthe effects ofsin. God is compassionate.
And that's what you see. Evenin the miracle of feeding the 5,000, He feeds
them because they're hungry. It's just one meal and it's just one day, but God
cares. He cares. You can't ever divorce the powerof Christ from the
compassionofChrist because the two are in partnership all the way through
His ministry. We know that God is powerful. We also know He's
compassionatebecausewe look atJesus and that's what we see. He
understands human need. He understands human pain. He understands
human suffering and He cares.
So, let's kind of look at the text that way. First of all, let's see that our Lord
was sensitive to the need for rest. He was sensitive to the need for rest. Verse
10, "When the apostles returned..." Now remember, they had been out on a
short-term mission. Two by two He had sentthem. They had preachedand He

173. had given them the powerto do miracles, castout demons, healings, raise the
dead. And so they came back. And after they had come back in verse 10, they
gave an accountto Him of all they had done. So they met with Jesus,
probably at Capernaum because thatwas sort of the headquarters. They had
been scatteredall over Galilee for a number of weeks andthey came back and
gave report.
And then it says in verse 10, "Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself
to a city calledBethsaida." We don't have any details about the accountthey
gave. It's not important. They just told Him that they had done what He told
them to do. He had given them powerto heal, given them the messageto
preach. They did that. But, you know, I know this, that Jesus was so
beleagueredby the crowd that He couldn't getaway, couldn't escape, He
couldn't get rest. I imagine He barely had time to eat Himself because He
could never getrid of the crowd. If you can heal, and castout demons, and
raise dead people, and you are preaching the wonderful goodnews of God,
you're going to draw a crowd. They drew a crowd. It must have been a
wearying, taxing time. They were staying in the homes of people. Remember
they were instructed to go and stay whereversomebody would let them stay
and eatwhatever they gave them to eatand not carry anything but trust the
Lord for everything day by day. And so it would be a very difficult and
challenging time. And they would come back already weary.
And Mark fills that in for us. In Mark's accountofthe same event, Mark
says, "Jesussaidto them, 'Come awayby yourselves to a secludedplace and
rest a while.'" Jesus wantedto take them away just to give them some rest.
"Forthere were many people coming and going and they didn't even have
time to eat," so says Mark 6:31. They didn't even have time for a meal, let
alone sleep. They're worn out. They've been weeksofthis and it's exhausting.
And Jesus says, "Youguys need some time for rest." Their experience on
their short-term mission had been wearing and wearying and when they got
back, they just ran into this huge crowdin Capernaum and it was the same
kind of situation. And apparently they still maintained that powerto do those
miracles and so they were doing them again and drawing the people to them.
And so, this thing was biggerthan it had ever been. They couldn't even eat.
And it just shows us againhow sensitive God is to the simplest things of life.

174. He cares that they rest. So simple and yet how profoundly it shows us the
sensitivity of our great High Priestwho is touched with the feelings of our
infirmities. Back in chapter 8 verse 23 Jesus gotin a little boat and He fell
asleepand He fell asleepand slept through a storm because He was so worn
out. You need to rest.
I'm so glad the Lord understands that, because sometimes you might feel
guilty if you rest. You've just gotto keepdoing it and ministering all the time.
The Lord understands there's time for rest. You need refreshment, you need
your body to be restoredand replenished. Sleepis a good thing, get some.
Have some food. Take your rest. Be replenished. The Lord understands
that. He is a merciful High Priest. He knows what it is to be weary. He's been
weary. He knows what it is to be tired. He's been tired. He knows what it is
to need some quiet. He knows what it is to be secluded.
I was askedone time by a friend of mine, "Do you get lonely?"
And I said, "No, I don't think I get lonely. I don't experience loneliness as an
emotion or feeling."
He said, "Then do you mind being alone? Do you like being alone?"
And I said...Ihad never been askedthat, and so I said, "Well yeah, actually I
do. I do. I do enjoy being alone."
And he kind of laughed, because he's a preacheralso. And he said, "Yeah, I
understand that."
And I said, "Well you'll understand this, then, that if I'm not alone I haven't
got anything to say than when I'm in a crowd."
I mean the only wayI can ever, ever come to you with anything to say is if I
spent a lot more time by myself because Idon't accomplishanything
productive in terms of understanding the Word of God and preparing to
preach in a group. But it's not just that, there's something about the solitude
of that intercession, refreshment, quiet, peace when most of your life is in a
group, in a large group. And most of the time your life is pulled and torn and
pushed and shovedbecause ofall the needs that are coming. And obviously I

175. can't heal anybody, raise the dead, or castout demons. But because I'm a
teacherand because there are people who need teaching and people who have
questions, you know, you understand the need for rest. And I've learned that
that's something the Lord wants me to do, that He's sensitive to that, that He
knows I need that time to recuperate and recoverand be restored. And pretty
soonI'm going to get some of that. I haven't had any for three weeks. He
understands that I'm so grateful that the simple things in life like a little bit of
rest, He understands. So that's why He did what He did, taking them with
Him, He withdrew by Himself. The whole idea is I'm going alone and you're
coming with Me.
And He decided that the place to go was Bethsaida. We don't know exactly
where it is, can't find any ruins that identify that place. But we know a little
about it. It was actually calledBethsaida Julius. It was a fishing village on
the northeastshore of the Sea of Galilee and very important to note it was
outside Galilee. It was on the northeast shore of the sea, but the northeast
corner overthere, actually got into an area calledPerea. You left Galilee, you
got in an area calledPerea. Whatwas important about that was, that wasn't
under the control of Herod. Herod was a wicked, volatile, murderous guy
who had alreadyexecuted John the Baptist by chopping his head off. And
now he's looking for Jesus. WellJesus neverallowedHerod to find Him and
He decided that it would be judicious and wise if He's going to do this massive,
climactic miracle, not to do it under Herod's nose in Galilee, so He decided
He'd go into Bethsaida which was in the territory of Philip the tetrarch, the
brother of Herod, one of the four rulers under whom Israelwas divided after
Herod the Great. Well they didn't exactly go into the village, but they went
into a secludedplace, an isolatedplace, as the text indicates, near the little
village of Bethsaida.
Well, Bethsaida was obviouslya non-descript little town, but it does have
importance for a couple of reasons. And I can't leave that. A couple of
reasons that it's important are: the fact that, first of all, some of the apostles
were from there. Peterand Andrew, Philip and probably Nathanael,
according to John 1:43 and 44 were from there. So of all of the places in the
world where the Lord might have pickedapostles, He picks four of them out
of this little tiny village called Bethsaida. Bythe way, it was named by Philip

176. the tetrarch for the daughter of Augustus Caesar, so it bore her name,
Bethsaida. But anyway, this little town, which was probably a fishing town,
just setback a little bit from the shore of the Sea of Galilee wouldn't have had
any note in history had it not been for the four apostles coming from that,
four out of twelve, pretty remarkable for one little village.
But there was even more, and this was the sad part. Turn to Luke 10 verse
13. In Luke 10 verse 13 Jesus is pronouncing a curse here and He says this,
"Woe to you, Chorazin." Woe means damnation. It is literally a permanent
curse. "Woe to you, Chorazin." And then this sad thing: "Woe to you,
Bethsaida." That's such a sadthing. I mean, how amazing, a little town, just
this little village, little fishing village on the northeastshore of Galilee and
four of their young guys, four of the young men from their little town are the
apostles ofthe Messiah, the long awaitedMessiah, beenawaitedfor since the
promise of Genesis 3:15, that a seedof a womanwould come and bruise the
serpent's head, all human history waits for this and when He finally comes
and picks only twelve for the unique role of apostleship, four of them come
from this little town. You would have thought that little town would have
been so thrilled, so ecstatic that they would have embraced not only those four
and the message theypreached and the miracles they did, but the Messiah
they represented. Wellthey didn't.
Furthermore, they saw the most quantitatively massive miracle that Jesus
ever did, in fact the most massive miracle ever done apart from creationand
the Flood. The biggestthing ever done was done right by their town and they
didn't believe. And they didn't come and receive the Messiah. And they
didn't repent. And they didn't confess theirsins. And they didn't ask for
forgiveness and put their faith in the Son of God. They didn't do it. And so
He says, "Woe to you Chorazin," because they were guilty of the same, but
the miracle of the feeding hadn't been done in their town. And then He says,
"Woe to you Bethsaida." And here's how bad it is, "for if the miracles had
been performed in Tyre and Sidon, which occurredin you" — and miracles is
plural, it wasn't just the feeding of the crowd, because you'll see from the text
of Luke 9 He also did healings that day and probably on other days, and
probably there were miracles of healing done there by Peter, Andrew, Philip
and Nathanaelwho probably went back or some of them went back to their

177. town — "If the miracles that had been performed in Tyre and Sidon instead
of in you, Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago, put on sack clothand
ashes."
Boy, that's an indictment. Tyre and Sidon epitomized paganism to Galilean
Jews. Tyre and Sidon, they were Gentile places, historic places where there
was Baalworship. They had already been destroyedby God once. Jeremiah
chapter 25 verse 22, Jeremiah 47 verse 4 talks about God's destruction of that
area long ago. Theywere already under God's big guns for their idolatry.
And Tyre and Sidon were reprehensible to the Jews. Theyhatedthem. They
were seaports, people descendedfrom the Phoenicians who traversedthe
Mediterraneanand brought back all the immorality, all the idolatry, all the
violence, all the profanity, the pride, the greed, the injustice, the vices that
they collectedallover the Mediterraneanand they were part and parcel of life
in Tyre and Sidon. And yet Jesus saidin the judgment it's going to be better
for them than it's going to be for Bethsaida. Whenthe Great White Throne
Judgment comes, whenall the ungodly of all the ages are brought out of the
graves and their spirits are brought before the living God at the Great White
Throne Judgment, the people who lived in Tyre and Sidon and lived godless
lives are going to be better off than the people who lived in Bethsaida who
rejectedJesus Christ.
And I'm telling you something, people, that's very often the case. The greatest
amount of eternal judgment is going to belong to the people who were the
most obstinately religious. I know there's an attitude today that says, you
know, people in religions are all worshiping the same God, we've talked about
that, wider mercy, let's getinclusive, pagan people, you know, they're all
going to end up there because they're well meaning and they believe in God in
their own way and they're all going to go there. And I'm telling you, when the
judgment comes, the judgment of God will be worse onreligious people than
it will be on the outright pagan people if those religious people were exposed
to the truth and rejectedit. And that's what you have in Bethsaida, self-
righteous, self-content, traditional, ceremonial, legalistic, apostate Jewswho
refuse the messageofthe true indictment. It's the same thing in Nazareth.
You remember when Jesus wentto Nazareth and told them if they didn't
acknowledge theywere poor, prisoners, blind and oppressed, that they didn't

178. acknowledge theirspiritual poverty, their spiritual bankruptcy, their spiritual
blindness, their spiritual guilt, if they didn't acknowledgethat they were cut
off from Godand repent, they couldn't be saved. And they tried to throw
Jesus off a cliff, even though they were His relatives and His friends. That
was the issue. Bethsaida saw whatnobody in the world ever saw, a power
display the likes of which no one had ever seen. And when those people who
are now dead show up at the GreatWhite Throne Judgment, they're going to
hear from God a far worse judgment than people anywhere in the world.
Isn't that amazing to think about it? This city by the very words of Jesus
along with Chorazin and Capernaum may receive the severesteternal
judgment. The people alive at the time of Jesus may be waiting the severest
eternal judgment and they were extremely religious people. In fact, Jesus
said they would have repented if they would have seenwhat you've seen, those
people who are real pagans in Tyre and Sidon. Sadcity.
Well anyway, let's go back to chapter 9. Jesus wentthere. That was about
four miles across the corner of the lake by boat. The lake kind of, you know,
has a like turn in a track;it's kind of curved at the top. You could sailacross
there about four miles. And so that's what they did. And Jesus was seeking
rest for Himself and for His apostles. Butthen when they got there, the need
for divine truth overtook the need for rest. Well they got a little bit of a rest,
howeverlong the boat ride took. That's a little rest. And they probably had a
little picnic as they went. In verse 11, "But the multitudes were aware of
this," so there they are. When you can heal people, you can't getrid of them.
"The multitudes were aware of this, and followedHim." It’s an eight-mile
run. This was the first Capernaum 8K run, or whatever, a little Capernaum
marathon. You canjust see those people. Somebodyon the shore said, "I saw
them go, I saw them go, I know where they're going." Listen to how Mark
records it. Mark chapter6 will...I'll read a couple of verses. Verse 30, "The
apostles gatheredtogetherwith Jesus, reportedthem all they done and taught.
He said, 'Come awayby yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.'" That
was the whole idea, let's rest. "So they went awayin a boat, verse 32, to a
lonely place by themselves. And the people saw them going and many
recognizedthem," which means they were trying to be unrecognizable. "And
they ran there togetheron foot from all the cities and gotthere aheadof

179. them." Oh, they're pulling the little boat into the shore and here they are;
thousands of them, all panting from having run eight miles.
Why were they there? Why did they come running over there? John tells us,
John 6:2, "Becausethey were seeing the signs which He was performing on
those who were sick." It was all about the healings. It was all about the
healings. They were shallow soil, folks. You remember Jesus saidthere are
all kinds of soils? The goodsoilis pretty rare. Mostof the soil is either hard
soil, shallow soil, or weedysoil that never produces any fruit. They were
back. There they were. We want more healing, more healing. If that's all you
do, if that's all you have to give you're going to draw people for the wrong
reason. Bythe way, the next day after the miracle, Jesus gotback into the
boat with the disciples, went back to Capernaum and they were all there. And
as I told you, they were ready for breakfastand Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say
to you, you seek Me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the
food." So in one day they went from following Him for the miracles, to
following Him for the food. It was superficialeither way. But you can
understand why they wanted to make Him king and have a coup. You know,
that's the health, wealth and prosperity deal right there without regard for
their true condition of sin. That's the danger in all that terrible sort of
ministry that goes ontoday with the so-calledhealers and health-wealth
preachers. WhenJesus gotthem together, He gave them divine truth. That's
just not what happens in the current contemporary thing, you promise people
health, wealth, prosperity, well-being, all their needs met. Even the seeker-
friendly people are guilty of that. And so why do people come? Theycome
for the well-being. They come for the free food. They come for what they
want, what satisfies their felt needs.
You know, you wouldn't be unkind to Jesus if He said, "Hey, I'm not going to
deal with this, let's get back in the boat and go somewhere else." You'd
understand that. I would understand that. But that's not the heart of God
and it says in verse 11, "The multitudes who were aware of this followed
Him." We read they're waiting on the shore, it says, "And welcoming them..."
Welcoming them. Why? I mean, why does He keepexposing Himself to the
shallowness? BecauseHe knows there is some good soil, right? Why? Mark
6:34, "BecauseHe had compassionon the multitude, because He saw them as

180. sheepnot having a (what?)shepherd." They didn't have any shepherds.
False religionhas no shepherds. And so, the people are just lost, lost. They
don't have any leaders who would lead them to greenpastures and still
waters. Theydidn't have any leaders that would bind up their wounds and
take care of them. He just had so much compassiononthem. That's the heart
of God, splagchnizomai, you know, He just welcomedthem, He just received
them, opened His arms up and took them in. Sure it was food they wanted
after today, right now it was miracles they wanted, but it was truth they
needed. And so it says in verse 11, "He began speaking to them about the
kingdom of God." Always the kingdom of God, always the kingdom of God,
never the kingdom of men, never the political issue, always the kingdom of
God, whether He's chapter4 verse 43, chapter8 verses 1 and 2, chapter 11
verse 20 here, in Acts after the resurrection, forty days, He spoke concerning
the kingdom of God. Always that God has a kingdom, that it's a kingdom of
righteousness, thatyou canenter that kingdom if you confess yoursins,
repent, and believe in Me, that's always His messagethat the kingdom is
eternal and that by faith in Jesus Christ you'll be rescuedfrom the kingdom
of Satan, the kingdom of darkness, and be placed into the kingdom of God.
That's the messageand Jesus gave the message. He has compassionon their
souls as well as their body. He has...This is the compassionofGod. It even
touches us at the point of our need for restand it goes profoundly to the other
and more important issue of our need for truth. Jesus was so compassionate
that even their shallowness, eventheir superficiality, even their indulgence
couldn't stop Him from caring. He cared that people had restwhen they were
weary, and He also, and more importantly, caredthat they had the truth
when they were ignorant.
And then thirdly, just as we just kind of introduced the miracle, He had
compassionontheir need for deliverance. And so at the end of verse 11 it
says:"And curing those who had need of healing." He never gets to the point
where He says, "You know, I've just had enough of this. I'm not doing
anymore of these." They neededit so He did it. Matthew 14:14, Matthew says
this, "And when He went ashore He saw a greatmultitude," and here's the
same expression, "He felt compassionforthem and healed their sick." He felt

181. compassionfor them, as sheepwithout a shepherd, so He taught them. He felt
compassionfor them in their suffering so He healed them.
Human ignorance draws the compassionof God. Human weariness draws the
compassionofGod. Human suffering draws the compassionofGod.
Literally the verb in Matthew 14:14 — and it says He felt compassion — is
esplanchnisthē. He felt it in the gut. It churned in His stomach. You know
what it is to have that kind of anxiety? It hurt Him. This is the compassionof
God. He cares aboutour physical weariness. He cares about our suffering.
And most importantly, He cares about our eternal souls. And the messagein
the healings is compassion. And the messagein the little trip to get the
disciples awayis compassion. And the message in the proclamation of divine
truth is compassion;compassionona wearyservant, compassionona
suffering person's life, and compassion, mostof all, on an ignorant soul. And
if you are to be a representative of Jesus Christ, if you are to belong to Christ,
if you are to name His name, then you ought to walk the way He walked. And
what the world needs to see from us is this same kind of compassion. We need
to be those who understand weariness, those who understand suffering, those
who come with compassionto both of those, even though they're on a
temporal level, but who most of all are consumedwith compassionfor the
souls of people.
I don't go anywhere in the world without thinking that and wandering around
all over Italy, Sicily, southern Italy, northern Italy, big cities, small cities,
towns, villages, everywhere we went, you just keeplooking and seeing people,
sheepwithout a shepherd. A whole religious system, but no shepherds, lost
sheep, and your heart is just wrackedwith compassion. Youwant to proclaim
the truth. I can't proclaim the truth. Oh, they want to go on the radio.
They're looking for Giovanni MacArthur somewhere who can, you know, be
my voice over there and teachthe Word of God. But the best we cando is
train the leaders who can, train the people who can. So we'll try to find some
real shepherds for these places in the world, but all over the world, you
understand that, as Christians that's the range of compassion, it goes allthe
way from the small little issues like weariness to the biggerissues of life, like
suffering and sicknessand death to the really big issue of life which is our

182. eternal soul. This is what drew the compassionofChrist. This is what should
draw our compassion. More nextweek as we get to the miracle itself.
Father, thank You, for inviting us into the history of this incredible account
by putting all of it in the Scriptures. We thank You that we have such
complete accountof it in the four gospels so that we get a full understanding
of this monumental event. Before we look at the explosionof power, before
we talk about that, how we are almost stunned to come face to face with Your
compassionand even the miracle of power is...simply a way to give people a
meal and we're stunned by the fact that so much power would be expressed
just to feed some hungry people. But more than that, to prove to them beyond
question that You could feed their hungry souls. Thatwas the message, that
You could give them eternal rest, eternal healing, eternal truth and that the
hungering and thirsting that was deep in their hearts could forever be
satisfied. And we thank You that You are a God of compassion. We thank
You that You are not like the gods that men and demon invent, that You are a
God by nature a loving God, a saving God, a compassionateGod, and that's
manifest in Jesus Christ, who even wept over the suffering, physical and
spiritual, that He saw. Give us His heart as we representHim in the world
today. We pray in His name. Amen.
THE COMPASSIONATEJESUS
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Matthew 9:32-38
5-29-66 7:30 p.m.

183. You who share the service on radio turn with us in your Bible to Matthew
chapter 9, the ninth chapter of the First Gospel, Matthew. We shall begin
reading at verse 32 and read to the end of the chapter. You are sharing the
services ofthe First BaptistChurch in Dallas. This is the pastor bringing the
evening messageentitled The Compassionate Jesus, the sympathizing Jesus.
Those words are exactly the same. “Sympathy” is a Greek word;
“compassion” is a Latin word. They are made exactlyalike. They are
compounded of two words meaning the same thing, the sympathizing Jesus,
the compassionate Jesus. And this is the context, Matthew 9:32, and all of us
reading out loud together:
And as they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed
with a devil.
And when the devil was castout, the dumb spake:and the multitudes
marveled, saying, It was never so seenin Israel.
But the Pharisees said, He castethout devils through the prince of the devils.
And Jesus wentabout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
and preaching the gospelof the kingdom, and healing every sicknessand
every disease among the people.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassiononthem,
because they fainted, and were scatteredabroad, as sheephaving no
shepherd.
Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the
laborers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into
His harvest.
[Matthew 9:32-38]

184. For all of the wondrous, compassionateworks ofour Savior, He was more
maligned, and calumniated, and despised than any other teacherwho ever
taught. The cynicism of those who hated Him was almost beyond endurance,
for, after He had wrought this marvelous miracle of healing and restoration,
“and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never, never so seenin Israel”
[Matthew 9:33], those cynical Pharisees said, “this guy casts outdemons by
the prince of demons [Matthew 9:34]. He Himself is in league with Satan, and
the powerHe has is satanic and comes from the bottomless pit.” This they
said of the sympathizing Savior. That was their reactionto the marvelous
works that He did. Had he been so criticized, Pythagoras would have closed
his school. Socrates wouldhave dismissedhis pupils. Marcus Aurelius would
have gone home from critics so unspeakablybad and vile.
But what does the Scripture sayof the Savior? When they said such things
about Him, does it read, “And Jesus, whenHe heard what His enemies said
and what His critics avowed, and Jesus, discouraged, left off His preaching
and ceasedHis healing and His ministries of mercy”? “And Jesus, sitting
under a juniper tree, askedthat His life might be takenfrom the earth in the
face of so tragic a criticism”? Does itsay that? No. Forthe next verse, after
it is avowedof what the Pharisees saidofthe Lord [Matthew 9:34], the next
verse says, “And Jesus wentabout all the cities and the villages, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the gospelofthe kingdom, and healing every
sicknessand disease among the people” [Matthew 9:35]. Whateverothers
might say, and whatever vile and blasphemous word by which they would
castigateHis ministries and mercies of love, He paid no attention, just kept on
preaching the gospelof the kingdom, kept on opening blind eyes, and
unstopping deaf ears, and healing all manner of disease, bringing the good
news of the kingdom to the people [Matthew 11:5].
Ah, what a marvelous way to be! Do you ever get discouraged? And if
somebody says something about you, don’t you have the feeling, “I think I
ought to quit”? Notour Lord. Howeveranyone might say, or criticize, or
describe the work we seek to do in belittling terms, just keeping on as unto
God, like our blessedSavior. Now there’s a reasonfor it, and the next verse
avows it: for when the Lord saw the multitudes in those cities, in those
villages, people everywhere, “WhenHe saw the multitudes, He was moved

185. with compassiononthem” [Matthew 9:36]. Jesus, movedwith compassion, is
His enduring name [Mark 6:34, 8:2]. The response of the Lord, when He saw
greatthrongs and greatmasses ofhumanity, was one of pity and sympathy;
He would weeplooking over a greatcity [Luke 19:41].
We are so different from that. And as I visit in a greatmetropolis and listen
to the people describe its magnitude—and the reasonI think of it so
poignantly now is because I have just been in a tremendous city, one that
covers more area than any other city in the world. And I listen to the citizens
of that metropolis as they describe its length and its breadth and all of the
marvelous things that comprise its glory and grandeur—and we’re that way
about anything multitudinous and tremendous and big. We’re that way about
multitudinous matter, a mountain. You wouldn’t give a dime for a shovelful
of it. You wouldn’t walk fifty yards to see two tons of it. If you had some of it
in your backyard, you’d hire somebodyto haul it away; rubbish, dirt and
rocks, stuff. But let it pile itself up footby foot, and yard by yard, and mile by
mile, until finally it cools itselfin the snows of even the summertime, and it
breathes the rarified air, why, bless your heart, we will take summer vacations
just to look upon it. We’ll build chateaus just to see it. We’ll form excursion
trains to make a trip. We will write of it in our magazines and in our papers
and in our descriptions of all of the things to see where we live, because ofits
piled-up height and its grand and marvelous multitudinous size, its impressive
greatness.
And we’re that way about a city. This tremendous city: look at its great
boulevards, and its bright lights, and all of the attractiveness, andall of the
things of interestin it. Look at this greatpopulation numbering millions!
What might and what power! Why, I suppose about the last thing we would
ever do would be to look on a vastpanorama of a city before us and feel
thoughts and responses ofsympathy and compassion, andyet that is exactly
what Jesus did.
Coming to the brow of Olivet, looking over the city of Jerusalem, He burst
into tears [Luke 19:41-43]. And as He lookedoverthe vast concourseof
people, Jesus was moved with compassion, foron the inside of that city—any
city, our city, wherever there is a concourse ofpeople, how many tears? How

186. many broken hearts? How many souls in agony? How many boweddown in
unspeakable grief? Jesus andthe city.
I satwith a circle of our little family in the slumber room where my mother
lay so still and silent. And as I satthere, I listened to the sobbing of a family
across the little hallway, who also sat in a slumber room where a loved
member of their family circle lay so still and silent in death. And as I sat
there, I listened to the sobs and the tears of the family across the hall. And
when the driver came to pick us up in the limousine, I said to him, “How
many services do you have in ForestLawntoday?”
And he reachedin his pocketand pulled out a sheet of paper, and he said,
“Here, pastor, look at it for yourself.” I counted the services. Thatone day in
that one ForestLawncemetery they numbered twenty-nine, twenty-nine in
that one day.
And I askedthe driver of the limousine, I said, “Is this unusual, twenty-nine?”
He said, “No, there are some times that I can remember when we have had as
high as fifty-three.” Fifty-three!
When you read the ninetieth Psalm, the psalm of Moses, the man of God, how
infinitely sad is that psalm [Psalm 90:1-17]. And the reasonis plain: for forty
years Moses saw every day more than three hundred funeral possessions! As
the Lord lookedupon the greatmultitudes, “He was moved with compassion
on them” [Matthew 9:36]. And how it is for us so easilydone in the church,
inside these precious walls and in these services! As I felt this morning, this is
a holiday weekend, andwhen I came to the 8:15 o’clock service this morning I
was overwhelmed. I could not believe my eyes! This auditorium, to that last
top seat, at8:15 o’clock was filled this morning. And the audience that came
at 10:15 was hardly less honoring to God in its attendance, and in its praise,
and in its service. And standing here in this congregationand feeling the
prayers of so great a multitude, I am sometimes tempted to think, why, the
kingdom of God has come, this old and battered and wearyworld is renewing
itself. It’s a new heaven, it’s a new earth, it is time for us to stand and sing the
triumphant anthem!

187. But, ah, outside those walls and in the greatconcourse ofthe multitudes in
this city, how many tears, and how much of heartache, and what agony of soul
would you find among our people. And that’s why we should never shut
ourselves up in four walls and saythis is the kingdom of heaven. We should
never enclose ourselves in gardens of praise and beauty and thank God just
for the verdant lawn around, and the beautiful trees and shrubs that
surround, and all of the beauty that God has given and bestowedupon us, for
outside that enclosure and beyond that garden gate, there is ugliness, and
there is sin, and there are all kinds of dark and seamythings that plow up the
human soul. We’re not to forget to thank God for everything of beauty, nor
to return to Him our gratitude for every heavenly blessing, but our horizon
should be as greatas the enfolding arms of God, and we should see not a roof
but a sky, and not a garden plot but the whole earth.
The Lord was like that: “And when He saw the multitudes, He was moved
with compassiononthem” [Matthew 9:36]. The Lord saw not only the sheep
but the wolf, not only the savedbut the lost, not only these that were in the
kingdom, but the Lord saw those who were vexed in soul, afflicted by ten
thousand demons whose black bat-like wings obscuredthe very life of the sun.
And Jesus, whenHe saw the multitudes, was “moved with compassionon
them, because they fainted and were scatteredabroad, as sheephaving no
shepherd [Matthew 9:36]. Thensaith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly
is plenteous, but the laborers are few” [Matthew 9:36-37].
Now an English teacherwould not like that. They’d callthat a mixed
metaphor, for the Lord lookedupon them and said they are as sheepnot
having a shepherd, and it’s like a harvest that is plenteous and ripe, but the
laborers are few. An English teacherwould not like that, mixing those
metaphors of a sheepfoldand a harvest field. But there is a grammar of the
heart and there is a language of the soul just as there is a grammar of precise
and concise English. And this is the grammar of the soul.
Our humanity and our people are like a sheepfold, and they are like a great
harvest field. And they criy for shepherds, and for laborers, and for
harvesters, and for teachers, andfor pastors;the compassionateand
sympathizing Jesus. And in this ministry that God hath entrusted to us in this

188. dear church, in the heart of this greatcity, oh, how I have come to see the
meaning of our Lord when He says, “The harvesttruly is plenteous, but the
laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will thrust
forth laborers into His harvest” [Matthew 9:37-38].
I am often askedby pastors of other churches, in smallercongregations,I’m
often asked, “Don’tyou have so much you don’t know what to do with it?
Don’t you have so much money that you don’t know how to spend it? And
don’t you have so many teachers thatthere’s no place for them to teach? And
don’t you have so many leaders that there’s no place for anybody to lead?
And don’t you have so many workers that you have no place to assignthem?
Isn’t that true in your church?”
And I reply, “I suppose there is no experience that has ever come to me with
such infinite surprise in my life as my introduction in the pastorate of a large
church, for it seems to me that when I was pastorof my smaller churches in
these days past, I had far more money with which to do with and I had far
more people and leaders with which to work with than I have in the great,
enormous First BaptistChurch in Dallas.” I don’t have any money for
anything in this church! Not anything. And if there’s anything I want done in
this church, I must beg on bended knee from some affluent, compassionate
soul who might be moved to help me, because the budget is overspentall the
time and there’s nothing left for anything that we might desire. That’s this
church.
And when appeal is made for workers, Iam amazed at it! In the more than
twenty years that I have made appealfor our missions, to this day we have
been unable to find anybody, practicallyanybody, who will work in the
missions of our church. It is a non-existent ministry on the part of our people.
The missions are out there tonight, and they’re over there tonight, and they’re
out yonder tonight, but our people are not working in them, nor canany
amount of prayer and supplication and appealever reward us with somebody
to help in our missions.
And that same thing runs throughout the gamut of the whole church. I had
one of my finest leaders sayto me, “Pastor, there is no limit to the number of

189. young people that we could have down here on Sunday night in Training
Union if our people were dedicatedto sponsoring them, and leading them, and
opening their homes to them, and guiding them in their work.” Youcould
multiply Unions in this church by the dozens and illimitably if you had people
who would devote their lives to those young people. We do not have them.
There are not leaders, husbands and wives, couples, who will give themselves
to that ministry.
And the same thing is true throughout the church. I will hear some of my
divisional leaders say, “Pastor, I need seventeenworkers right now in my
division,” seventeen. And I’ve taken the list of the church and the
membership roll, and the Sunday schoolroll, and our adult classes, andI’ve
calledeveryone that I know to call. I’ve calledby the hundreds, and I have
maybe one or maybe two. Oh, what Godcould do with us! What Godcould
do with us if we were available, and yielded, and surrendered, and usable.
And the Lord, looking with compassionon the people, said, “Theyare like
sheepnot having a shepherd. Theyare like a harvestfield, white unto the
harvest, and the laborers are few” [Matthew 9:36-37].
In my own experience, it is not because people are hard and adamant. It’s
because there is not tremendous dedication on our part. “Prayye,” He says,
“the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest”
[Matthew 9:38].
There is one thing above all other things that has impressed me foremost and
above all in my study of the Holy Spirit, in which series of morning sermons
we have been for these months and shall continue through the summertime.
That one impression is this; that God has a place, and an assignment, and a
calling, and a ministry for every member of the body of Christ, all of us [1
Corinthians 12:8-10]. All of us. And every one of us is vitally needed in the
household of faith, in the congregationofthe Lord, in the membership of the
church.
There is a Holy Spirit gift for you, for us, for each, for all, and when we offer
to God and yield ourselves to God, oh, how the Lord is glorified, and how God
can bless us and use us! You, the humblest member in the body of Christ,

190. there is a gift vital to the body of Jesus, there is a gift the Lord has bestowed
upon you, and it takes us all to make God’s household glorious [1 Corinthians
12:8-10].
I so well remember when I was awayin a revival meeting; I so well remember
a tragic falling, accident, ofan American Airlines plane coming into the
runway at Dallas Love Field. I read of it in those tragic black headlines, in the
newspaperin the city where I was holding the revival meeting. I felt the hurt
and the poignancy of that accidentthat had takenplace in our city of Dallas
and at Love Field. Practicallyevery member of the crew and practically
every one of the passengers diedin that flaming tragedy of the American
Airline at Love Field.
And when I came to Dallas, the CAB was holding a board of inquiry in our
city, and the day that I arrived; on the front page of the Dallas News was a
picture of the captain. I remember his name; his name was Claude, Captain
Claude of the American Airliner. He was testifying before this government
agencyregarding the terrible accident, and that picture on the front of the
paper showedthe captain who had survived, with his face buried in his hands,
weeping profusely over the tragic loss of those scores oflives in that great
airliner.
And a few days after that, there was published why it was that airplane fell,
and the CAB official report was this that that pilot, Captain Claude, bringing
in his plane, had one engine out. And he was guiding the plane in with the
other three engines. And on that non-stop flight from Washington, D.C. to
Dallas, as he approachedLove Field, he had everything arrangedand
balancedfor the three engines to carry the loss of the fourth. But as he came
into the field, he needed to correctthe pattern just a little, and he calledon the
powerof the other three engines to guide into the perfect pattern, landing at
Love Field. But unknown to the pilot, unknown to the captain, another
member of the crew had cut off one of the other engines and had featheredthe
propeller. And when the captain called on that little bit of extra powerto
guide into the perfectpattern the landing at Love Field, unknown to him the
other engine didn’t respond, and he couldn’t guide and he hit one of those

191. buildings on the ground. And the plane swervedso tragically, caughtfire, and
practically all of his passengers were lost.
When I read that official report from the CAB, I thought of God’s people and
God’s church. We all are needed, every engine, every propeller, every
working part, every vital piece in the mechanism. And those little old pieces
that we think and may say are of the leastsignificance may be the answerof
life and death to the ongoing of the ministry of the kingdom of God. We all
must be at our best, our finest. “Lord, what I can do I will do, by the grace of
God.”
I do believe the Holy Scriptures, that the Lord hath fitted the body of Christ
together. Eachone of us has a part, and it is vital to the functioning of the
body of our Lord. “The harvestis plenteous, but the laborers are few;pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His
harvest” [Matthew 9:37-38]. You are needed, and Godcalls for you.
Our time is far spent. While we sing our hymn of appeal tonight, as the Spirit
of Jesus will make appeal to your heart, come, come. “Pastor, tonight,
publicly and before men and angels, I want to give my heart to the Lord Jesus.
I want to dedicate my life to Him, and here I come.” “Pastor, tonightwe’re
putting our lives in the circle of this dear church to work for God, to pray
with you in this ministry of Jesus.” Afamily you to come; a couple to come;
one somebodyyou, maybe the Holy Spirit will whisper to somebody tonight.
If you have been led of God to do a work in the church, and you turned it
down and refused, but tonight you give yourself to do what God calledyou to
do, would you come? We’ll have a prayer together. You caneither stayor
you cango back to your seat. I cannot make the appeal. The Spirit must do
it. God must do it. But as we sing this song, if there is some wooing of the
Holy Spirit of God in your heart, answerwith your life. “Here I am, Lord,
and here I come. I acceptJesus as Savior” [Romans 10:9-10], or“I put my
life in the church,” or “I answera call of God to work for Him.” As the Spirit
shall lead in the way, come now. In a moment when we stand, when you
stand, stand up deciding for Christ, “Here I am, and here I come.” Do it now,
make it tonight, while we stand and while we sing.

192. Volume 60 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 1
THE COMPASSION OF JESUS NO. 3438
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER24, 1914,
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,AT THE METROPOLITAN
TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
“He was moved with compassion.”Matthew 9:36.
THIS is said of Christ Jesus severaltimes in the New Testament. The original
word is a very remarkable one. It is not found in classic Greek. It is not found
in the Septuagint. The fact is, it was a word coinedby the evangelists,
themselves. They did not find one in the whole Greek language thatsuited
their purpose and, therefore, they had to make one. It is expressive of the
deepestemotion—a striving of the heart—a yearning of the innermost nature
with pity. As the dictionaries tell us—Ex intimis visceribus misericordia
commoveor. I suppose that when our Savior lookedupon certainsights, those
who watchedHim closelyperceivedthat His internal agitation was very great,
His emotions were very deep and then His face betrayed it—His eyes gushed
like fountains with tears and you saw that His big heart was ready to burst
with pity for the sorrow upon which His eyes were gazing. He was moved with
compassion. His whole nature was agitatedwith commiserationfor the
sufferers before Him. Now, although this word is not used many times even
by the evangelists, yetit may be taken as a clue to the Savior’s whole life—and
I intend thus to apply it to Him. If you would sum up the whole characterof
Christ in reference to ourselves, it might be gatheredinto this one sentence,
“He was moved with compassion.”Upon this one point we shall try to insist,
now, and may God grant that goodpracticalresults may come of it. First, I

193. shall lead your meditations to the greattransactions ofour Savior’s life;
secondly, to the specialinstances in which this expressionis used by the
evangelists;thirdly, to the forethought which He took on our behalf and,
fourthly, to the personal testimony which one’s own recollections canfurnish.
Let us take a rapid survey of— I. THE GREAT LIFE OF CHRIST, just
touching, as with a swallow’s wing, the evidence it bears from the beginning.
Before everthe earth was framed. Before the foundations of the everlasting
hills were laid. When as yet the stars had not begun their shining, it was
known to God that His creature, man, would sin—that the whole race would
fall from its pure original state in the first Adam, the covenant head as well as
the common parent of the entire human family, and that in consequence of
that one man’s disobedience every soulborn of his lineage would become a
sinner. Then, as the Creatorknew that His creatures would rebel againstHim,
He saw that it would become necessary, eventually, to avenge His injured law.
Therefore, it was purposed, in the eternal plan, before the stream of time had
commencedits course, or ages had begun to accumulate their voluminous
records, that there should be an interposer— one ordained to come and re-
head the race, to be the secondAdam, a federal chief to restore the breach,
and repair the mischief of the first Adam—to be a surety to answerfor the
sons of men on whom God’s love did light, that their sins should be laid upon
Him—and that He should save them with an everlasting salvation. No angel
could venture to intrude into those divine counsels anddecrees, orto offer
himself as the surety and sponsorfor that new covenant. Yet there was one—
and He none other than Jehovah’s self— of whom He said, Let all the angels
of God worship Him, the Son, the well beloved of the Father, of whom it is
written in the Word, “WhenHe prepared the heavens I was there. When He
seta compass upon the face of the depth, when He establishedthe clouds
above, when He strengthenedthe fountains of the deep” then, “I was by Him
as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always
before Him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth; and My delights
were with the sons of men.” He it is of whom the Apostle John speaks as the
Lord who was God, and was in the beginning with God. Was He not moved
with compassionwhenHe enteredinto a covenant with His Father on our
behalf, even on the

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behalf of all His chosen—a covenantin which He was to be the sufferer and
they the gainers—inwhich He was to bear the shame that He might bring
them into His ownglory? Yes, verily, He was even then moved with
compassionfor His delights, even then, were with the sons of men! Nor did
His compassionpeerforth in the prospectof an emergencypresently to
diminish and disappear as the rebellion took a more active form, and the ruin
assumedmore palpable proportions. It was no transient feeling. He still
continued to pity men. He saw the fall of man. He marked the subtle serpent’s
mortal sting. He watchedthe trail as the slime of the serpent passedoverthe
fair glades ofEden. He observedman in his evil progress, adding sin to sin
through generationafter generation, fouling every page of history until God’s
patience had been tried to the uttermost! And then, according as it was
written in the volume of the book that He must appear—Jesus Christcame,
Himself, into this strickenworld! Came how? O, be astonished, you angels,
that you were witnessesofit, and you men that you beheld it! The infinite
came down to earth in the form of an infant! He who spans the heavens and
holds the oceanin the hollow of His hand, condescendedto hang upon a
woman’s breast—the eternal King became a little child! Let Bethlehem tell
that He had compassion!There was no way of saving us but by stooping to us!
To bring earth up to heaven, He must bring heavendown to earth! Therefore,
in the incarnation, He had compassion, forHe took upon Himself our
infirmities and was made like unto ourselves. Matchlesspity, indeed, was this!
Then, while He tarried in the world, a man among men, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only-begottenof the Father, full of grace and truth,
He was constantly moved with compassion, for He felt all the griefs of
mankind in Himself. He took our sicknessesand carriedour sorrows. He
proved Himself a true brother, with quick, human sensibilities. A tear
brought a tear into His eyes, a cry made Him pause to ask what help He could
render. So generous was His soul that He gave all He had for the help of those
who had not. The fox had its hole, and the bird its nest, but He had no
dwelling place. Stripped even of His garments, He hung upon the cross to die.
Neverone as indigent in death as He, without a friend, without even a tomb,

195. exceptsuch as a loan could find Him. He gave up all the comforts of life—He
gave His life, itself—He gave His very Self to prove that He was moved with
compassion!Mostof all do we see how He was moved with compassionin His
terrible death. Oft and oft againhave I told this story, yet these lips shall be
dumb before they ceaseto reiterate the old, old tidings. God must punish sin,
or else He would relinquish the government of the universe. He could not let
iniquity go unchastened without compromising the purity of His
administration. Therefore, the law must be honored, justice must be
vindicated, righteousness must be upheld, and crime must be expiated by
suffering! Who, then, shall endure the penance or make the reparation? Shall
the dread sentence fall upon all mankind? How far shall vengeance proceed
before equity is satisfied? After what manner shall the sword do homage to
the scepter? Mustthe electof Godbe condemned for their sins? No! Jesus is
moved with compassion. He steps in, He takes upon Himself the uplifted lash
and His shoulders run with gore!He bares His bosom to the furbished sword
and it smites the shepherd that the sheepmay escape!“He looked, and there
was no man, and wonderedthat there was no intercessor;therefore, His arm
brought salvation.” He trod the winepress alone, and “bore, that we might
never bear, His Father’s righteous ire.” Are you askedwhatdoes the
crucifixion of a perfect man upon a felon’s cross, mean? You may reply, “He
was moved with compassion.” “He savedothers. Himself He could not save.”
He was so moved with compassion, that compassion, as it were, did eatHim
up! He could save nothing from the generalconflagration—He was utterly
consumed with love and died in the flame of ardent love towards the sons of
men! And after He had died and slept a little while in the grave, He rose
again!He has gone into His glory! He is living at the right hand of the Father!
But this is just as true of Him—“He is moved with compassion.”Is proof
needed? Let faith pass within the veil and let your spirits, for a moment, stand
upon that sea of glass mingled with fire where the harpers stand tuning their
never ceasing melodies!What? Do you see there, conspicuous in the very
midst of heaven, one who looks like a lamb that has been slain, and still wears
His priesthood? What is His occupationthere in heaven? He has no bloody
sacrifice to offer, for He has perfectedforever those that were setapart! That
work is done, but what is He doing now? He is pleading for His people! He is
their perpetual advocate, their continual intercessor!He never rests until

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they come to their rest! He never holds His peace for them, but pleads the
merit of His blood, and will do so till all whom the Father gave Him shall be
with Him where He is! Well, indeed, does our hymn express it— “Now,
though He reigns exaltedhigh, His love is still as great!Well He remembers
Calvary, Norwill His saints forget.” His tender heart pities all the griefs of
His dear people. There is not a pang they have but the head feels it, feels it for
all the members! Still does He look upon their imperfections and their
infirmities, yet not with anger, not with loss of patience, but with gentleness
and sympathy, “He is moved with compassion.” Having thus briefly sketched
the life of Christ, I want you to turn to— II. THOSE PASSAGES OF THE
EVANGELISTS IN WHICH THEY TESTIFYTHAT HE WAS MOVED
WITH COMPASSION. Youwill find one case in Matthew 20:31—“Two
blind men sat by the wayside begging, and when they heard that Jesus passed
by, they said, “O Lord, You Sonof David, have mercy on us.” Jesus stoodstill,
calledthem, questioned them and they seemto have had full convictionthat
He could and would restore their sight, so Jesus had compassiononthem,
touched their eyes and immediately they receivedsight! Yes, and what a
lessonthis is for any here present who have a like conviction! Do you believe
that Christ can heal you? Do you believe that He is willing to heal you? Then
let me assure you that a channel of communication is opened betweenHim
and you, for He is moved with compassiontowards you, and already I hear
Him command you to come to Him. He is ready to healyou now! The sad
condition of a blind man should always move pity in the breastof the humane,
but a glance atthese two poor men—I do not know that there was anything
strange or uncommon about their appearance—touchedthe Savior’s
sensibility. And when He heard them say that they believed He could heal
them, He seemedto perceive that they had inward sight—andto accountit a
pity that they should not have outward sight too! So at once He put His fingers
on their eyes, and they receivedthe power of seeing. O soul, if you believe
“Christ can save you, and if you will now trust in Him to save you, be of good

197. cheer, you are saved! That faith of yours has savedyou. The very fact that you
believe that Jesus is the Christ, and rely upon Him, may stand as evidence to
you that you are forgiven, that you are saved!There is no let or bar to your
full redemption! Go your way and rejoice in your Lord! He has compassion
on you. The next case I shall cite is that of the leper, Mark 1:41. This poor
man was coveredwith a sadand foul disease whenhe said to Jesus, “Lord, if
You will, You can make me clean.” He had full faith in Christ’s ability, but he
had some doubts as to Christ’s willingness. Our Savior lookedat him, and
though He might very well have rebuked him that he should doubt His
willingness, He merely said, “I will, be you clean,” and straightwayhe was
made whole of that loathsome plague!If there is in this assembly one
grievously defiled or openly disgracedby sin, see the leprosy upon yourself
and do you say, “I believe He could save me if He would”? Have you some
lingering doubt about the Savior’s willingness? YetI beseechyou breathe this
prayer, “Lord, I believe, I believe Your power. Help You my unbelief which
lingers round Your willingness.” Thenlittle as your faith is, it shall save you!
Jesus, full of compassion, willpity even your unbelief and acceptwhatis faith
and forgive what is unbelief. That is a secondinstance. The third I will give
you is from Mark 5:19. It was the demoniac. There met Christ a man so
possessedwith a devil as to be mad! And instead of belief in Christ or asking
for healing, this spirit within the man compelled him to say, “Will You
torment us before the time?”—and rather to stand againstChrist healing him
than to ask for it. But Christ was moved with compassionandHe bade the evil
spirit come out of the evil man. Oh, I am so glad of this instance of His being
moved with compassion!I do not so much wonder that He has pity on those
that believe in Him, neither do I so much marvel that He has pity, even, on
weak faith—but here was a case in which there was no faith, no desire, nor
anything that could commend him to our Lord’s sympathy! Is there no such
case among the crowds gatheredtogetherhere? You do not know
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why you have come into this assembly. You scarcelyfeelat home in this place.
Though you have led a very sad life, you do not want to be converted—not

198. you! You almostshun the thought! Yet it is written, “He will have compassion
on whom He will have compassion.”Well, we have known it in this house, and
I hope we shall know it againand again that the Lord has laid violent hands of
love upon unprepared souls!They have been struck down with repentance,
renewedin heart and saved from their sins! Saul of Tarsus had no thought
that he would ever be an apostle of Christ, but the Lord stopped the
persecutorand changed him into a preacher—so that everafterwards he
propagatedthe faith which once he destroyed! May the Lord have compassion
on you tonight! Well may we offer that prayer, for what will be your fate if
you die as you are? What will be your eternaldoom if you pass out of this
world as soonyou must, without being sprinkled with the blood of Christ and
forgiven your iniquities? Jesus knows the terrors of the world to come!He
describes the torments of hell. He sees your danger. He warns you. He pities
you— He sends His messengers to counselyou. He bids me say to the very
chief of sinners, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” “Only return unto
Me and confess your iniquity, and I will have mercy upon you,” says the Lord.
May God grant that the compassionof Christ may be seenin your case! As I
turned over the Greek concordanceto find out where this word is repeated
againand again, I found one instance in Luke 7:13. It refers to the widow at
the gates ofNain. Her son was being carried out—her only son. He was dead
and she was desolate. The widow’s only sonwas to her, her sole stay— the
succoras well as the solace ofher old age. He was dead and laid upon the bier,
and when Jesus saw the disconsolatemother, He was moved with compassion
and He restoredher son. Oh, is there not refreshment here for you mothers
that are weeping for your boys? You that have ungodly sons, unconverted
daughters, the Lord Jesus seesyour tears!You weepalone, sometimes, and
when you are sitting and enjoying the Word, you think, “Oh, that my
Absalom were renewed! Oh, that Ishmael might live before You.” Jesus
knows about it. He was always tender to His own mother, and He will be so to
you. And you that are mourning over those that have been lately taken from
you, Jesus pities you. Jesus wept, He sympathizes with your tears. He will dry
them and give you consolation. “He was moved with compassion.” Stillthe
occasions onwhich we find this expressionmost frequently used in the
evangelists are when crowds of people were assembled. At the sight of the
greatcongregations that gatheredto hear Him, our Lord was often moved

199. with compassion. Sometimes itwas because they were hungry and faint, and
in the fullness of His sympathy, He multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed
them. At the same time He showedHis disciples that it is a goodwork to feed
the poor. Jesus would not have them so spiritually-minded as to forgetthat
the poor have flesh and blood that require sustenance—andthey need to eat
and to drink, to be housedand clothed—the Christian’s charity must not lie in
words only, but in deeds!Our Lord was moved with compassion, it is said,
when He saw the number of sick people in the throng, for they made a
hospital of His preaching place. Wherever He paused or even passedby, they
laid the sick in the streets!He could not stand or walk without the spectacle of
their pallets to harrow His feelings. And He healed their impotent folk, as if to
show that the Christian does well to minister to the sick—thatthe patient
watcherby the bedside may be serving the Lord and following His example,
as well as the most diligent teacheror the most earnestpreacherof the
glorious gospel!All means that canbe used to mitigate human suffering are
Christ-like, and they ought to be carried out in His name, and carried to the
utmost perfectionpossible. Christ is the patron of the hospital—He is the
president of all places where men’s bodies are cared for. But we are also told
that the multitude excited His compassionbecausethey were like sheep
without a shepherd. So He taught them as a guide that showedthe path by
leading the way—and He lookedafter their welfare as a shepherd who
regardedthe health of their bodies as well as the goodestate of their souls!
Surely, brothers and sisters, if you love Him, and wish to be like He, you
cannot look on this congregationwithout pity. You cannot go out into the
streets of London and stand in the high roads among the surging masses for
half an hour without saying, “Where are these souls going? Which road are
they traveling? Will they all meet in heaven?” What? You live in London, you
move about in this greatmetropolis and do you never have the heartache,
never feel your soul ready to burst with pity? Then shame on you! Ask
yourself whether you have the spirit of Christ at all! In this congregation,
were we all moved
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200. with pity as we should be, I should not have to complain, as I sometimes must,
that persons come in and out of here in need of someone to speak with them,
to condole, to console, orto commune with them in their loneliness, and they
find no helper! Time was when such a thing never occurred, but, in
conversing with inquirers lately, I have met with severalcases in which
persons in a distressedstate of mind have said that they would have given
anything for half an hour’s conversationwith any Christian to whom they
might have opened their hearts. They came from the country, attended the
Tabernacle, andno one spoke to them! I am sorry it should be so. You used to
watchfor souls, most of you. Very careful were you to speak to those whom
you saw againand again. I do pray you mend that matter. If you have a heart
of mercy, you should be looking out for opportunities to do good!Oh, never
let a poor wounded soul faint for want of the balm! You know the balm. It has
healed yourselves. Use it whereverthe arrows ofGod have smitten a soul.
Enough. I must leave this point. I have given you, I think, every case in which
it is said that Jesus was movedwith compassion. Very briefly let me notice—
III. SOME OF THE FORESIGHTSOF HIS COMPASSION. The Lord has
gone from us, but as He knew what would happen while He was away, He has,
with blessedforethought, provided for our needs. Well, He knew that we
should never be able to preserve the truth of God pure by tradition. That is a
stream that always muddies and defiles everything. So, in tender forethought,
He has given us the consolidatedtestimony, the unchangeable truths of Godin
His own book, for He was moved with compassion. He knew the priests would
not preachthe gospel. He knew that no order of men could be trusted to hold
fast sound doctrine from generationto generation, He knew there would be
hirelings that dare not be faithful to their consciencelestthey should lose their
pay—while there would be others who love to tickle men’s ears and flatter
their vanity rather than to tell plainly and distinctly the whole counselof God.
Therefore, He has put it here, so that if you live where there is no preacher of
the gospel, youhave the old book to go to. He is moved with compassionfor
you. For where a man cannot go, the book cango, and where in silence no
voice is heard, the still clearvoice of this blessedbook canreachthe heart.
BecauseHe knew the people would require this sacredteaching and could not

201. have it, otherwise, He was moved with compassiontowards us all and gave us
the blessedbook of inspired God-breathedScripture! But then, since He
knew that some would not read the Bible, and others might read and not
understand it, He has sent His ministers forth to do the work of evangelists.
He raises up men, themselves savedfrom greatsin, trophies of redeeming
grace, who feela sympathy with their fellow men who are reveling in sin,
recklessoftheir danger. These servants ofHis, the Lord enables to preach His
truth, some with more, some with less ability than others. Still, there are,
thank God, throughout this happy realm and in other favored lands, men
everywhere, who, because sinners will not come to Christ of themselves, go
after them and persuade them, plead with them and entreat them to believe
and turn to the Lord. This comes of Christ’s tender gentleness. He was moved
with compassionand, therefore, He sent His servants to callsinners to
repentance. But since the minister, though He may call as he may, will not
bring souls to Christ of himself, the Lord Jesus, moved with compassion, has
sent His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here. We have not to say— “Come Holy
Spirit, heavenly Dove.” He is here! He dwells in His Church and He moves
over the congregationand He touches men’s hearts, and He subtly inclines
them to believe in Christ. Oh, this is greatmercy when a prince spreads a
feastand gives an invitation! That is all you can expecthim to do. But if he
keeps a host of footmen and says, “Go and fetch them, one by one, till they do
come,” that is more gracious, still! But if He goes Himself and with sacred
violence compels them to come in—oh, this is more than we could have
thought He would have done—but He is moved with compassionand He does
that! Furthermore, brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus knew that after we
were savedfrom the damning power of sin, we would always be full of needs
and, therefore, He was moved with compassion, and He sets up the throne of
grace, the mercy-seat, to which we may always come, and from which we may
always obtain divine grace to help in time of
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need. Helped by His Spirit, we can bring what petitions we will, and they shall
be heard! And then, since He knew we could not pray as we ought, He was

202. moved with compassionwhen He sent the Holy Spirit to help our infirmities,
to teachus how to pray! Now I do not know a single infirmity that I have or
that you have, my Christian brothers and sisters, but what Christ Jesus has
been moved with compassionaboutit and has provided for it! He has not left
one single weak point of which we have to say, “There I shall fail, because He
will not help there.” But He has lookedus over and over from head to foot,
and said, “You will have an infirmity there—I will provide for it. You will
have a weakness there—Iwill provide for it.” And oh, how His promises meet
every case!Did you ever getinto a cornerwhere there was not a promise in
the corner, too? Had you ever to pass through a river but there was a promise
about His being in the river with you? Were you ever on the sick bed without
a promise like this, “I will make your bed in your sickness”?In the midst of
pestilence have you not found a promise that, “He shall coveryou with His
feathers, and under His wings shall you trust”? The Lord’s greatcompassion
has met the needs of all His servants to the end! If our children should ever
need as much patience to be exercisedtowards them as Christ needs to
exercise towards us, I am sure there would be none of us able to bear the
house. They have their infirmities and they full often vex and grieve us, it may
be, but oh, we ought to have much compassionfor the infirmities of our
children—yes, and of our brothers and sisters, and neighbors—forwhat
compassionhas the Lord had with us? I do believe none but God could bear
with such unruly children as we ourselves are. He sees our faults, you know,
when we do not see them, and He knows what those faults are more
thoroughly than we do. Yet, still, He never smites in anger. He cuts us not off,
but He still continues to show us abounding mercies!Oh, what a guardian
Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ to us, and how we ought to bless His name at
all times, and how His praise should be continually in our mouth. One thought
strikes me that I must put in here—He knew that we should be very
forgetful—and He was moved with compassionwith our forgetfulness when
He instituted the blessedSupper, and we can sit around the table and break
bread, and pour forth the wine in remembrance of Him. Surely this is another
instance of how He is moved with compassion—notwith indignation towards
our weaknesses!And now let me close with— IV. PERSONAL
RECOLLECTIONSOF THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST. I shall only
recallmy own experience in order to stir up your pure minds, by way of

203. remembrance, my brothers and sisters. I do well remember when I was under
conviction of sin and smarted bitterly under the rod of God—that when I was
most heavy and depressed, there would sometimes come something like hope
across my spirit. I knew what it was to say, “Mysoul chooses strangling
rather than life,” yet when I was at the lowestebb and most ready to despair,
though I could not quite lay hold of Christ, I used to geta touch of the
promise, now and then, till I half hoped that, after all, I might prove to be
God’s prisoner and He might yet setme free! I do remember well, when my
sins compassedme about like bees, and I thought it was all over with me, and
I must be destroyed by them, it was at that moment when Jesus revealed
Himself to me. Had He waiteda little longer, I had died of despair, but that
was no desire of His! On swift wings of love He came and manifested His dear
wounded self to my heart. I lookedto Him and was lightened, and my peace
flowed like a river! I rejoicedin Him! Yes, He was moved with compassion.
He would not let the pangs of conviction be too severe—neitherwouldHe
allow them to be protracted so long for the spirit of man to fail before Him. It
is not His practice to break a leaf that is driven by the tempest. “He will not
quench the smoking flax.” Yes, and I remember since I first saw Him and
beganto love Him, many sharp and severe troubles, dark and heavy trials, yet
have I noted this, that they have never reachedthat pitch of severity which I
was unable to bear. When all gates seemedclosed, there has still been with the
trial, a wayof escape, and I have noted againthat in deeper depressions of
spirits through which I have passed, and horrible despondencies that have
crushed me down, I have had some gleams of love, and hope, and faith at that
last moment, for He was moved with compassion!If He withdrew His face, it
was only till my heart broke for Him, and then He showedme the light of His
countenance again. If He laid the rod upon me, yet when my soulcried under
His chastening, He could not bear it, but He put back the rod and He said,
“My child, I will comfort you.” Oh, the comforts that He gives on a sick bed!
Oh, the consolationsofChrist when you are very low! If there is anything
dainty to the taste in the Word
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204. of God, you getit then! If there are any hearts of mercy, you hear them
sounding for you then. When you are in the saddestplight, Christ comes to
your aid with the sweetestmanifestations, forHe is moved with compassion!
How frequently have I noticed, and I tell it to His praise, for though it shows
my weakness, it proves His compassion, thatsometimes, after preaching the
gospel, I have been so filled with self-reproachthat I could hardly sleep
through the night because I had not preachedas I desired. I have satdown
and cried over some sermons, as though I knew that I had missed the mark
and lostthe opportunity. Not once nor twice, but many a time has it
happened, that within a few days someone has come to tell me that he or she
found the Lord through that very sermon, the shortcoming of which I had
deplored! Glory be to Jesus—itwas His gentleness that did it! He did not want
His servantto be too much boweddown with a sense ofinfirmity, and so He
had compassiononhim and comfortedhim! Have not you noticed, some of
you, that after doing your bestto serve the Lord, when somebody has sneered
at you, or you have met with such a rebuff as made you half-inclined to give
up the work, an unexpected successhas been given you, so that you have not
played the Jonah and ran awayto Tarshish, but kept to your work? Ah, how
many times in your life, if you could read it all, you would have to stopand
write betweenthe lines, “He was moved with compassion.” Manyand many a
time, when no other compassioncould help, when all the sympathy of friends
would be unavailing, He has been moved with compassiontowards us, has
said to us, “Be of goodcheer,” banished our fears with the magic of His voice
and filled our souls to overflowing with gratitude! When we have been
misrepresented, maligned and slandered, we have found in the sympathy of
Christ our richest support, till we could sing with rapture the verse I cannot
help quoting, now, though I have often quoted it before— “If on my face for
Your dear name, Shame and reproach shall be, I’ll hail reproachand
welcome shame, Since You remember me.” The compassionofthe Master
making up for all the abuses of His enemies!And, believe me, there is nothing
sweeterto a forlorn and brokenspirit than the fact that Jesus has compassion.
Are any of you sad and lonely? Have any of you been cruelly wronged? Have
you lostthe goodwillof some you esteemed? Do you seemas if you had the

205. cold shoulder even from goodpeople? Do not say, in the anguish of your
spirit, “I am lost,” and give up. He has compassionon you! No, poor fallen
woman, seek not the dark river and the cold stream—He has compassion!He
who looks downwith the bright eyes of yonder stars and watches you is your
friend! He yet canhelp you! Though you have gone so far from the path of
virtue, throw not yourself awayin blank despair, for He has compassion!And
you, broken down in health and broken down in fortune, scarcelywith shoes
for your feet, you are welcome in the house of God, welcome as the most
honored guestin the assemblyof the saints! Let not the weightygrief that
hangs over your soul tempt you to think that hopelessnessand darkness have
settled your fate and foreclosedyour doom! Though your sin may have
beggaredyou, Christ can enrich you with better riches. He has compassion!
“Ah,” you say, “they will pass me on the stairs. They will give me a broad
pathway and if they see me in the streetthey will not speak to me—evenHis
disciples will not.” Be it so, but better than His disciples, tendererby far, is
Jesus!Is there a man here whom to associate withwere a scandalfrom which
the pure and pious would shrink? The holy, harmless, undefiled One will not
disdain even him—for this man receives sinners—He is a friend of publicans
and sinners! He is never happier than when He is relieving and retrieving the
forlorn, the abjectand the outcast!He despises not any that confess their sins
and seek His mercy. No pride nestles in His dear heart, no sarcasticwordrolls
off His gracious tongue, no bitter expressionfalls from His blessedlips. He
still receives the guilty. Pray to Him now! Now let the silent prayer go up, “My
Savior, have pity upon me! Be moved with compassiontowards me, for if
misery is any qualification for mercy, I am a fit object for Your compassion.
Oh, save me for Your mercy’s sake!” Amen.
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EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON:MATTHEW 9:27-38.

206. Verses 27, 28. And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed
Him, crying and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was
come into the house. I suppose the house at Capernaum, where he was known
to stay. 28. The blind men came to Him. Forcedtheir way in. They must be
attended to. Hunger breaks through stone walls, they say, and an earnest
heart will follow after what it seeks. 28,29. And Jesus saidunto them, Believe
you that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yes, Lord. Then He
touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you. That is, “If
you do not believe, you shall not see, but if there is faith in you, behold, you
shall have sight.” 30-32. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus at once
chargedthem, saying, See that no man knows it. But they, when they were
departed, spread abroadHis fame in all that country. As they went out,
behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessedwith a devil. Here we
have had the dead, those that were bleeding to death, the blind and the dumb,
and the possessedofa devil. 33. And when the devil was castout, the dumb
spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, it was never so seenin Israel. No,
but Jesus does wonders!Something off the common, and altogetherout of the
ordinary way, His work of grace must be! 34. But the Phariseessaid, He casts
out devils through the prince of the devils. There is always somebody or other
who has gotan ugly word to put in. It matters not how much God may bless
the gospel, there is no stopping the sneers and objections—but the mercy is
that it does not matter much. Our Lord was not hurt and the work went on,
notwithstanding all the quibbling of the Pharisees. 35. And Jesus went about
all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, andpreaching the
gospelof the kingdom, and healing every sicknessand every disease among
the people. That was the answerto the Pharisees. Christianactivity and
fervent devotion to the cause ofGod is the best answerthat can be given to
quibblers of any sort or every sort! In your work hold on, my brother, and
those who quibble at you, now, may come to honor you one of these days. 36-
37. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassionfor them
because they fainted, and were scatteredabroad, as sheephaving no
shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but
the laborers are few. We are all loiterers, but where are the laborers? Where
are they with the sharp sickle that can cut down the wheatand, with a ready
hand, can bind it and, with a strong shoulder, carry it? Alas, in this greatcity

207. the harvestis truly plenteous, but the laborers are few! 38. Pray you,
therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His
harvest.
Adapted from The C. H. SpurgeonCollection, Version1.0, Ages Software.
PLEASE PRAY THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL USE THIS SERMON TO
BRING MANY TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.
By the grace ofGod, for all 63 volumes of C. H. Spurgeon sermons in Modern
English, and 574 Spanish translations, all free, visit: www.spurgeongems.org