Luke 18:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jesus instructed that he be brought to Him. The call of the Lord Jesus responded to the one who sought Him in faith, and He ordered that the individual be brought into His presence, uniting the physical and spiritual closeness of one who had already approached Him in belief. The narrative surrounding the healing of the blind man by Christ, along with Zacchaeus and themes of judgment and charity, are works credited to St. John Chrysostom and categorized as Spuria in the Minya edition.

Thus, Jesus invited him to come closer to Himself, recognizing him as truly deserving of His presence, and inquired, ‘What do you seek from Me?’

Thus, he justly earned this honor from Christ, who summoned him and instructed him to approach. Take note of this, dear friends, that faith likewise brings us into the presence of Christ, drawing us near to God so that we may be deemed worthy of His words.

And behold, the light has entered the world. This light has come to illuminate the eyes of the blind and nurture faith in those who lack it. When the blind man came near, he called out, “Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38). The beggar extended his hand to receive a coin from a passerby, yet he found himself gifted by God instead. “Son of David, have mercy on me.” The blind man rightly recognized Him as the Son of David, who showed compassion to the blind and the crippled in Jerusalem. What was Christ's response to him? “Your faith has saved you” (Luke 18:42). Notice that He did not remark, “Your faith has restored your sight.” This emphasizes that the primary gift was salvation, followed by the restoration of his vision.

He inquired of him, to prevent the impression that He provided something different to one who desired a specific request. He did not urge him to openly declare his belief in Him, as true faith is marked by a constant and fervent plea.

As we continue to hear the echoes of our aspirations in prayer, we sense the presence of Jesus nearby. When we earnestly devote ourselves to prayer, He halts to renew the light within us; God establishes His dwelling in our hearts, and the light that was once lost is restored to us. In this moment, the Lord enlightens us with deeper insights into both His humanity and divinity. The cry of the blind man reached the ears of Jesus as He was passing by, and upon stopping, He performed the miracle of restoring sight. The act of simply passing by reflects His humanity, while the act of standing still embodies His divinity. In His human nature, He experienced birth, growth, death, resurrection, and movement from place to place.

The God-man heard the lament of the blind men, specifically their plea: ‘Have mercy on me, Son of David!’ In response, He paused and remained nearby, directing that the blind man be brought to Him. Once the blind man was placed in proximity to Him, He inquired, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man replied, ‘Lord, I seek the illumination of my eyes; this is what I ask of You, that You would open my eyes so that I may see.’ But did the God-man not know what the blind man sought? He did not! As the true God, He was aware of the profound thoughts of the human heart, as evidenced when He disclosed the thoughts of His disciples who reflected, ‘We have not taken bread’ (Mt.

As the Lord traveled through Jericho with His disciples, accompanied by a large crowd, they were about six hours away from Jerusalem. As they neared the city, a voice called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" It was Bartimaeus, a blind beggar. He addressed Jesus using the title "Son of David," acknowledging Him as the Messiah. The crowd, perceiving the Messiah’s greatness in their own limited understanding, attempted to silence Bartimaeus, believing his pleas were bothersome. However, the blind man persisted in calling out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Eventually, Jesus paused, instructed that Bartimaeus be brought to Him, and upon asking what he wanted, restored his sight.

The narratives provided by the evangelists regarding this occurrence exhibit two distinct variations. First, while Matthew refers to two men who were blind and subsequently healed, Mark and Luke focus on just one individual. Additionally, Matthew and Mark assert that the miracle occurred as Jesus was departing the city, whereas Luke claims it happened upon His entrance. It is evident that there were indeed two individuals who received healing; however, the apostolic tradition has particularly preserved the name of one, Bartimaeus, as noted by Mark. Consequently, the story of this event in early Christian communities often became closely linked to the figure of Bartimaeus alone.

Upon hearing their cry for help, Jesus paused and summoned them to approach Him. One of the blind individuals, the renowned Bartimaeus, who drew particular attention with his loud cries, perceived Jesus calling them. He rose, discarded his outer robe to avoid any hindrance in his movement, and went to Jesus.

The crowd then altered their tone and spoke to Bartimaeus, who had cried out fervently for mercy during his time of suffering, saying, “Do not be afraid, rise up, He is calling you.” Overcome with joy, he quickly removed his cloak, leaped to his feet, and approached Jesus. The Saviour asked him, “What is it you desire?” The man responded, “Rabbi,” using the highest title of respect he could offer, “that I may regain my sight.” Christ replied, “Go, your faith has made you whole.” He touched the eyes of the blind man, and instantly his sight was restored, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God.

The narrative of the healing of the blind man in Jericho found in Luke's Gospel parallels the account in Mark's Gospel, though there are notable differences. Mark mentions the healing of a single blind man, while Matthew refers to two. Additionally, Mark indicates that the healing occurred as Jesus was departing Jericho, whereas Luke's account suggests it might have been while Jesus was approaching the city. The term used in Luke (ἐγγγι'ζειν) conveys the idea of being in proximity to something. This could imply that Jesus was near Jericho, either at the entry or exit point, but the preceding Gospel writers assert it was at the exit. As such, we can deduce that the healing indeed took place as Jesus departed Jericho.

After a long journey through a desolate region, the travelers beheld the ancient city of palm trees—Jericho—surrounded by lush greenery. At the city’s entrance, a destitute blind man was sitting and begging for alms. The commotion and chatter of the crowd following the Lord caught his attention. Recognizing that it was the great Miracle Worker, Jesus of Nazareth, he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” In this heartfelt plea, he demonstrated his genuine belief in Christ as the true Messiah descended from David's lineage. Such an open declaration could have provoked the Pharisees and led to the blind man's persecution; indeed, many in the crowd ahead of him urged him to remain silent.