Luke 18:35-19:10 (Calvary Roads 5)

·        Jesus gives sight to a blind man (Bartimaeus), 18:35-43.

A comparison of the other Synoptic Gospels raises a couple of questions.  First, was Jesus coming to Jericho (v35) or had He already gone through Jericho (Mt. 20:12)?  Most Bible students have resolved this issue by noting two sites for Jericho, the Old Testament city and the New Testament city.  The other question comes from Matt. 20:29 which indicates there were two men.  Mark and Luke indicate there was one man with Mark even giving his name: blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus (Mk. 10:46).  Again most resolve the question by noting that of the two one was prominent, being the one who spoke with Christ.

As had happened with the children earlier (Lk. 18:15), the blind man was discouraged by the people from trying to connect with Christ.  How foolish we are to adopt the worldly view, that important people should not be bothered by unimportant people.  But Bartimaeus thought differently.  Upon hearing Jesus of Nazareth was passing by he cried out, not once but twice, using a Messianic term: Son of David, have mercy on me.  Jesus was merciful, and now Bartimaeus was no longer beside the road but was following Jesus, giving glory to God!

·        Jesus enters the home of Zacchaeus, 19:1-10.

Having entered Jericho Jesus now had time for another man that most people despised.  Zacchaeus was a ruler over the other tax collectors and thus would have been exceptionally wealthy.  And he was short, something that likely led people to think little of him.  What a powerful statement about the love of God for all people, that Jesus specifically asked to dine with him!

There is no indication Jesus asked Zacchaeus to sell all and give to the poor as He had called the rich young ruler to do.  Rather Zacchaeus did this indicating to Jesus that salvation (i.e. saving faith) had come to Zach’s house that day.  His works indicated he was a son of Abraham, a true Jew who received the Messiah.

How do we know all of this, that this is a story of saving faith?  It is because of the Lord’s own interpretation of this event: the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.  Jesus was not hindered from His mission by seeing anyone as unimportant or as despicable or as probably not interested since they were so rich.  All were important to Jesus.  It should be the same with us!