The Day Two Blind Men's Lives Were Changed

What would they do with a new life?

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The two blind men were sitting by the side of the road begging for enough money to eat something that day.

This was their life - they’d been doing this as long as they could remember. They had no way to earn an income because of their disability.

Suddenly they heard quite the commotion. Apparently, someone important was traveling down the road because there was quite a crowd.

Then they heard a name they had heard before - the name of a man who had helped countless people just like them before. The one people were calling the Messiah.

Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the son of David.

The blind men felt a surge of emotion and reacted to the news of Jesus passing near them.

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" (Matthew 20:30)

As the tears rolled down their cheeks, their hearts sank. Some walking with Jesus rebuked them for crying out for the Lord’s attention.

Jesus is on an important mission - He’s trying to get to Jerusalem. Be quiet, the Messiah doesn’t have time for you.

But they wouldn’t stop. Jesus was their only chance - their only hope.

Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" (Matthew 20:31)

All at once, the footsteps of the crowd stopped.

And then - they heard someone call them. Was it Jesus? The two blind men slowly, carefully, and somewhat awkwardly made their way through the crowd to the one who called them.

They came to the one who called them - it was Jesus!

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Matthew 20:32)

Tears again welled up in the blind men’s eyes. They were usually the ones that people walked past and ignored. Occasionally someone would give them something, but most people kept walking past as quickly as possible.

And now - Jesus of Nazareth had stopped in the middle of the road and asked them what He could do for them.

The two blind men longed to have their life changed.

They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." (Matthew 20:33)

If Jesus granted their request, it would change everything! No more sitting beside this road all day, every day.

If only Jesus would grant this one request.

So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Matthew 20:34)

The two blind men didn’t know whether to laugh, shout, or cry!

One moment they were blind, and the next, they were looking into the eyes of Jesus of Nazareth - Jesus, the son of David.

They knew at that moment what they needed to do. They could have done anything with their new life, but they chose to do one thing.

They followed Him.