Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 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!” 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!” So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

Who Will Follow Jesus?

It was less than a week before Jesus would die. The events of the next few days would be a grueling and difficult mission to prepare for what Jesus knew was going to be a horrible experience. His ministry would be completed. The work He had come to do would find its fruition at Golgotha. In the past few months, Jesus had told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things but His followers were unaware of how short their time with the Lord was going to be. In a few days, the complete plan of God to save all men from His wrath was coming to pass. No other event in the history of man would have such significance.

As Jesus and His disciples came out of the city of Jericho, two blind men sitting by the road began to beg mercy from the Lord calling Him the Son of David. The multitudes reproved the two men warning them to be quiet but they cried out the more. On this first day of the week, Jesus was going to Jerusalem where He would be received with a triumphal shout from the people. Would He take time to heal two blind men? There was much to do and time was short. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus had shown His power by healing the lame, the deaf, and the blind. Why take time now to heal two blind men?

Jesus stops and asks the two blind men what they desired for Him to do. They asked the Lord to take away their blindness. Having compassion for them He touched their eyes and instantly they could see! The first thing the two blind men could see was the face of Jesus. They could see a face of compassion and kindness. What joy must have filled their hearts as their eyes filled with the wonder of the world they had never seen. Jesus turns and continues His journey to Jerusalem and the two blind men gather their meager belongings and follow Jesus. Why would they follow Jesus? What motivated them to leave the comfortable surroundings of their lives and follow after this man? Jesus had done the impossible. He had opened their eyes. The wonder of the miracle flooded the souls of two men who could now see the world about them. Darkness was no longer their captor and demon. The light of the world flooded their eyes and their hearts filled with joy.

A sad tragedy of the story is what the two men would see in the next few days. The record is silent to where the men went and if they continued to follow Jesus into Jerusalem. Did they witness His crucifixion? After the death of Jesus would they become the early disciples of the church? What is clear is that when they received the sight they followed Jesus. He had changed their lives by doing the impossible and the immediate response was to follow the One who set them free. Their fears had been taken away by Jesus. They followed Him because of what Jesus had done to their lives.

Jesus is the great physician that heals the spiritual darkness of sin. Obedience to the gospel of Christ translates a person from the power of darkness into the kingdom of light. Christians are children of the light and the day. Through the grace and mercy of God sin has been defeated and the blindness of Satan’s wiles has been removed. People of God do not belong to darkness and night. The two blind men received their sight and followed Jesus because they knew what He had done for them. It changed their lives. They could not but follow Jesus. When a heart is touched with the gospel of Christ and sin is removed, it should be the natural response to follow Jesus and obey His will in everything. If nothing more than a heart of gratitude fuels the soul, how can anyone not desire to follow the one who saved them from the wrath of God?

The two blind men did not make demands of Jesus after their eyes were opened. They followed Jesus and that was enough. Humbly bowing to the power greater than any the two blind men received their sight and dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. A Christian is someone who was blind but given sight by the power of God. Who will follow Jesus? Those who honor the Lord with an obedient life and devoted life in service to the one who saved them will show their love in gratitude. Thank God He saved me from the darkness of sin. There is nothing I can do that will repay the grace of God but I will live every day showing my love for Him. Where He leads I will follow.