“And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” –Luke 18:42-43
As Jesus traveled through different towns and villages, he encountered a large variety of people. Some people wanted to see him as he passed through their community simply. They followed him like a modern-day celebrity. Others sought after Jesus because they wanted to hear his intimate religious knowledge. Often, when Jesus entered a community, he would encounter people eagerly waiting on him because they needed healing, and they had heard that Jesus was capable of incredible miracles.
That is what happened on the road leading into Jericho. A blind man was sitting along the roadside. He had heard that Jesus was passing by, so he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The blind man was persistent and caught Jesus’ attention. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The mercy he wanted was to see. Luke tells us that Jesus offered mercy that day and gave the blind man sight.
When this formerly blind man received mercy, “He immediately” began to follow Jesus and give thanks to God for His wonderful gift. This miraculous encounter reminds us that God constantly offers his gracious love and mercy to all His people. He comes to us and gives us so many blessings. When we receive this mercy, Luke reminds us of the proper response to such a wonderful gift…gratitude.
God has blessed each of us with love, mercy, and grace. Our lives are filled with blessings from our loving God. We have so much to be thankful for. I want to encourage you today to look to the example of the blind man on the road to Jericho. Let us follow Jesus, glorify God, and give thanks for the rich blessings we have received.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
