Matthew 20:30–31

The royal proclamation begins at Jericho, the city of the curse; which does not and cannot, however, prevail over the blessing. Jericho, which even in Joshua's day had witnessed the salvation of Rahab from its own doom, now witnesses the grace of the Son of David. Two blind men, sitting by the wayside, cry out to Him as this, only to find the crowd rebuke them. But they cry out all the more, until He who can never turn away from the voice of need answers and heals them. The light dawns on those sightless eyes, they see their Saviour, and then they follow Him.

Matthew names two blind men. That suited the writer whom God inspired to bear witness of Jehovah-Messiah to the Jews, for the law had a well established rule that they should look for at least two witnesses. Matthew also names two demon-possessed men in an earlier account, where Mark and Luke found it enough to dwell on the more striking of the two.

It was there that two blind men, sitting by the wayside, cried out, and most fittingly, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" God led and taught them. This was not a matter of law; they appealed to Him strictly as Messiah. Here is something remarkable. From time to time Israel had seen signs and wonders: miraculous cures, the dead even raised to life, leprosy cleansed. Yet before the Messiah we never hear of anyone giving sight to the blind. The Rabbis held that this was reserved for the Messiah.

As the Lord goes out of Jericho, He accepts from the blind men the title He bears in relation to Israel. He is about to present Himself to Israel for the last time as having a right to this title... The world was impatient and would not trouble itself with the misery of the blind men. The Lord did not give in to that. He stops to heal them, and they follow the Son of David — a clear testimony to the reality of His title. But He presents Himself here too as the "Lord," that is, as Jehovah Himself.

If they knew nothing of the coming crisis, they were still completely in the spirit of the scene. The Holy Spirit was acting on them so that they might bear testimony to Jesus. He was now being presented in public for the last time as Heir to the throne. What a picture! Those who could see rejected their own Messiah in the blind hardness of their hearts, even though Gentiles owned Him as the born King of the Jews. And the poor blind ones, through faith, confessed Him aloud as the true King. Perhaps their main desire, their only desire, was to have their sight back. Let that be so. God still gave their faith the proper object and the right confession for that moment, for He was guiding the scene.

These two blind men sit by the road, groping in the dark, crying to the Son of David to rescue them. They are a picture of the poor and weak remnant of Israel at the end of this age... That remnant of Israel will cry to Him as Son of David and call upon Him for deliverance... The cry of the blind men was the work of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the Spirit of God will produce the seeking, the longing and the prayer of that future remnant.

It was there that two blind men, sitting by the road, cried out — and their words fit the moment: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, You Son of David!" God led them and taught them. Their appeal rested on no question of law, but on His place as Messiah, and it fit the scene exactly. They felt that the nation had no sense of its own blindness... It is remarkable that Israel had seen signs and wonders from time to time — miraculous cures, even the dead raised to life, and leprosy cleansed. Yet never, before the Messiah, do we hear of anyone restoring sight to the blind. The teachers of the law taught that only the Messiah would do this.

Matthew names two blind men. That detail suits the writer God inspired to testify of Jehovah-Messiah to the Jewish people. Their law held a well established rule: look for at least two witnesses.

They had faith in Him, that He could do it. But it was the Holy Spirit who put that confession and cry in their hearts and on their lips: "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David." And the crowd rebuked them to make them be quiet. Surely this is proof enough of the unbelief and state of this great company of people following Him. Why would they rebuke these men and order them to be silent, if they shared the faith of these two? Calling this Jesus "Son of David" offended the crowd. But no one could silence them.

We must expect rebukes when faith is at work. To others it looks troublesome and unreasonable. Why? They do not have the same spiritual urgency — but it is true faith. "He cried out all the more." And the Lord will stop, though people would not. Their minds will change then, when they see that the Lord pays attention to the cry.

Popular opinion will not silence faith. In fact, the Lord waited to answer until they showed this evidence of serious concern.

As He goes out of Jericho, the Lord accepts from the blind men the title He holds in relation to Israel. He is about to present Himself to Israel for the last time as having a right to this title. "Have mercy on us, O Son of David," say the blind men. The world was impatient and would not bother itself with the misery of the blind men. The Lord would not go along with that. He stops to heal them, and they follow the Son of David — clear testimony to the reality of His title. But He presents Himself here too as the "Lord," that is, as Jehovah Himself.

We have seen in the blind men here (for Matthew shows us two of them) a picture of that remnant in the last days who will have their eyes opened to see and follow Jesus as their King. They cry after Him, and the crowd in that day will indeed "rebuke them, telling them to be silent." But they will only cry to Him the louder. He finds them in the city of the curse, and He will soon lead them up to the city of blessing, and of His rest forever.