Blind Faith

          One sat alone beside the highway begging,
        His eyes were blind, the light he could not see;
    He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows,
        Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee

This opening verse of a hymn by Dr. Oswald J. Smith has such a wonderful message. The passage of scripture it draws it's inspiration from is found in the Gospel of Luke.

 The sun was shining bright that morning on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples were on their way to that great city that would lend itself as the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecy he had just given them. He had just shared with them, in Luke 18:31, words of the prophets in the Old Testament concerning his ministry--words that they were witnessing unfold before their very eyes.

"For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on; And they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again. (Luke 18:32,33)KJV

After sharing this with them the scriptures go on to say that the disciples, "understood none of these things."


It was at this time, as they were approaching Jericho, that they encountered a blind man begging along the side of the highway. Although he could not see, he could tell by all the clamoring and noise of the crowd that had gathered that something was going on. He, no doubt, was able to get someone's attention that told him that Jesus was passing by. We are told that the blind man, upon hearing this cried out, " Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." Some in the crowd, upon hearing his plea, tried to quiet him down, but the passage says he, " cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me." Upon hearing this Jesus instructed that someone should help the blind man over to him. When they had done this and the man was brought near, Jesus asked him what it was that he desired. The man answered, "Lord that I might receive my sight." And Jesus immediately said to him, "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee."

What does this passage concerning the earthly ministry of Christ teach us? Firstly, it lends authority to the Old Testament scriptures as being the inspired word of God. Secondly, that prior to the resurrection, the disciples were not able to understand what he meant when he spoke prophetically of his mission on earth. And lastly, it gives us a picture of the spiritual condition of all of us before we come to Christ. 


My friend, are you still, as the beggar along the highway was, in spiritual darkness? The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4(KJV)that, 

" But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Trust God today and experience what the blind man received. Jesus told him, "Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee." We are told in the book of Ephesians that, "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8)KJV 

Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. That you were buried, and that God raised you from the dead the third day. Please forgive my sins and come into my heart and save me. Amen

Let's examine the first point---It lends authority to the Old Testament scriptures as being the inspired word of God. Christ himself says here,"all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. " A study of some of the Old Testament prophecies referred to here by Jesus can be found in Psalms 8:4, 80:17, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, 32:2, Zechariah 13:7.

Many of today's modern Bible scholars, theologians, and ministers attempt to dismiss the Old Testament scriptures as out of date or irrelevant. We see, as attested to here by Jesus himself, that we can can rely on all of the word of God. Paul admonishes Timothy that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."(2 Timothy 3:16)KJV 

Secondly, we see that the twelve, at this point, did not comprehend what Jesus was foretelling of himself. Verse 34 tells us, "And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." Although these sayings were hid from them prior to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; they were later revealed to two disciples along the Emmaus road. We see this in Chapter 24 of Luke beginning at verse 13 through verse 24. Jesus appears to the disciples as they travel along the highway. Not recognizing him, we are told that they invite him to have dinner and the scriptures say, "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." Luke 24:30,31(KJV)

So we see here that, although that which was prophesied in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah was being witnessed first hand by them, the disciples did not understand his sayings. It would take a very exhaustive undertaking to explain here the mystery concerning their discernment, we get a glimpse into it in Paul's message to the Romans. Romans 11:25(KJV), tells us, "For I would not brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." God has a plan for the nation of Israel. His redemptive work at Calvary had to be completed; which it was by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and made available to the Gentiles before all prophecies concerning the nation of Israel can be accomplished.