Matthew 20:29

The Lord acted according to their faith. He restored their eyes. He has been healing sickness within, deafness within and deadness within. Now he is healing blindness within. The eyes of the heart are closed. Jesus is passing by so that we might shout to him.What does it mean that Jesus was passing by? He is coming to us in time. Only for a short time is Jesus passing by us. What does it mean that Jesus is passing by? He is acting in a moment that comes to pass. Note how many things he has now done which have already passed by. He was born of the Virgin Mary in time. Is he being born always? As an infant he was nursed. Is he still being nursed? No, he matured through the successive ages of life until he came to adulthood. Is he always growing physically? After infancy came boyhood, after boyhood came youth; after youth he came to full human stature in several developing stages of growth. Even the very miracles that he did have "passed by." Now we read about them and believe. They were written about so that they might be read later. But when they were occurring they were passing by like all temporal events. Finally, not to dwell long on this, he was crucified. Is he still hanging on the cross? In a similar temporal flow, he was buried, he rose again, he ascended into heaven. Now "he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him." Now his divinity abides forever; yes, even the immortality of his body now shall never pass away. But nevertheless all those things that were done by him in time have passed by, and having passed by they were written down in order to be read and preached to be believed. In all these things then "Jesus was passing by."

(de Cons. Ev. ii. 65.) Mark relates this miracle, but speaks of only one blind man. This difficulty is thus explained; of the two blind men whom Matthew has introduced, one was well known in that city, as appears by Mark's mentioning both his name, and that of his father. (Mark 10:46.) Bartimæus the son of Timæus was well known as having sunk from great affluence, and now sitting not only blind, but a beggar. For this reason then it is that Mark chose to mention him alone, because the restoration of his sight procured fame to the miracle, in proportion to the notoriety of the fact of his blindness. Though what Luke relates was done after the same manner, yet his account is to be taken of another though similar miracle. (Luke 18:35.) That which he gives was done as they drew near to Jericho; this in the other two as they came out of Jericho.

But the miracles of our Lord and Savior are to be received, dearest brothers, in such a way that we both believe them to have truly occurred, and yet understand that through their significance they indicate something to us. For His works both show one thing through their power and speak another through their mystery. For behold, we do not know who this blind man was according to the historical account, but yet we know whom he signifies through the mystery. For the blind man is the human race, which, expelled from the joys of paradise in its first parent, ignorant of the brightness of the light above, suffers the darkness of its condemnation; but yet is illuminated through the presence of its Redeemer, so that it now sees the joys of the inner light through desire, and sets the steps of good work upon the way of life. It must be noted that when Jesus is said to draw near to Jericho, the blind man is illuminated. For Jericho is interpreted as "moon," and the moon in sacred speech stands for the weakness of the flesh, because as it wanes through its monthly phases, it signifies the weakness of our mortality. Therefore, while our Creator draws near to Jericho, the blind man returns to light, because when the divinity took on the weakness of our flesh, the human race received back the light it had lost.

And when they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. The indignation of the disciples was repressed by word; here he represses it by deed, exercising his ministry toward some. And first, the devotion of others is set forth; secondly, Christ's compassion, at …

But Jericho, which is interpreted 'the moon,' denotes the infirmity of our changefulness.

And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked …

And as they departed from Jericho,.... Which, was distant about ten parsas, or miles, from Jerusalem (i), through which Christ just passed, and had met with Zacchaeus, and called him, and delivered the parable concerning a nobleman's going into a far country.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:100%@v1-3

See Mar 10:46-52, and Luk 18:35-43; Luk 19:1, where this account of his restoring to sight two blind men is also recorded. “And as they departed from Jericho.” This was a large town about eight miles west of the Jordan, and about 19 miles northeast from Jerusalem. Near to this city the Israelites crossed the Jordan when they entered into the land of Canaan, Jos 3:16. It was the first city taken by Joshua, who destroyed it to the foundation, and pronounced a curse on him who should rebuild it, Jos 6:20-21, Jos 6:

In these verses we have a touching picture of an event in our Lord’s history. He heals two blind men sitting by the wayside, near Jericho. The circumstances of the event contain several deeply interesting lessons, which all professing Christians would do well to remember. For one thing, let us mark what strong faith may sometimes be found where it might least have been expected. Blind as these two men were, they believed that Jesus was able to help them. They never saw any of our Lord’s miracles; they knew him only by hearsay, and not face to face.

In these verses we have a touching picture of an event in our Lord’s history. He heals two blind men sitting by the wayside, near Jericho. The circumstances of the event contain several deeply interesting lessons, which all professing Christians would do well to remember. For one thing, let us mark what strong faith may sometimes be found where it might least have been expected. Blind as these two men were, they believed that Jesus was able to help them. They never saw any of our Lord’s miracles; they knew him only by hearsay, and not face to face. Yet, as soon as they heard that he was passing by, they “cried out saying, ‘Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David!’ Such faith may well put us to shame. With all our books of evidence, lives of saints and libraries of divinity, how few know anything of simple, child-like confidence in Christ’s mercy and Christ’s power. Even among those who are believers, the degree of faith is often strangely disproportionate to the privileges enjoyed. Many an unlearned man who can only read his New Testament with difficulty possesses the spirit of unhesitating trust in Christ’s advocacy, while deeply-read divines are harassed by questionings and doubts. They who, humanly speaking, ought to be first, are often last, and the last first. For another thing let us mark what wisdom there is in using every opportunity for getting good for our souls. These blind men “sat by the wayside,” had they not done so, they might never have been healed. Jesus never returned to Jericho, and they might never have met with him again. Let us see, in this simple fact, the importance of diligence in the use of means of grace. Let us never neglect the house of God, never forsake the assembling of ourselves with God’s people, never omit the reading of our Bibles, never let drop the practice of private prayer.