The Blind Men & The Crowd

It's a short story; taking less than a minute to read.  Pastor Ryan had used it as an illustration in a sermon on service.  And although his sermon moved away from the verses, my mind camped in them.  

And pitched a tent.
And built a fire.
Which brings me here today with you my friends.

Two blind men sat on the side of the road.  A crowd had gathered as they were following Jesus on His journey.  Desperate to be healed of their blindness, they called out to Jesus as He and the crowd passed by.  "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!'

The crowd didn't like it and sternly told the blind men to be quiet. What did the blind men do?  They cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

And this my friends, is where my mind would not let go.

A crowd of people with good intentions, after all, they were there because they were following Jesus.  But the ones lost in the crowd - the blind men - calling out to Jesus annoyed and angered them.  The crowd had no problem telling the blind men to knock it off.

Seen any annoyed and angry crowds lately Beloved? 

Despite the crowd yelling at them, the men did not respond to the crowd.  No screams of "leave me alone" or "get out of my way" or "It's my Freedom of Speech."

No, as the crowd yelled, the men grew louder in calling out to Jesus.
They called out to Jesus and ignored the noise of the crowd.

Oh how today's world could use more of these blind men.

Make no mistake Beloved, Jesus could've heard their whisper.  He could have heard the unspoken cry of their hearts.  But today He chose to hear the loud cry in the midst of the crowd. Why?  I suspect maybe this wasn't just about the blind men, but also the crowd.  Jesus heard the voices of both the crowd and the blind men.

Upon hearing the cries, Jesus stopped.
He stopped and healed.
He gave sight to the blind that day.
The two men and to the crowd.
Now they all saw Jesus. 

Once given their sight, the response of the blind men was not one of retaliation against the crowd.  Upon given sight, their immediate response was to follow Jesus.  They became part of the crowd.

Jesus did not scold the crowd for their cries against the blind men.  Their rebuke simply came in witnessing the compassion of Jesus on the blind men.  The blind men that stood in their midst healed by the touch of Jesus.

Now they all followed Jesus.

Friends, in the chaos of the noise, in the yelling of the crowd, be the blind men.  No matter how loud the crowd's loud is, be louder in calling out to Jesus.

And be humbled when He heals you both.

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 Matthew 20 : 29-34

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ³¹ The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.