Luke 18:43Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We may here well inquire, why Christ forbids the healed demoniac who wished to follow Him, but permits the blind man who had received his sight. There seems to be a good reason for both the one case and the other. He sends away the former as a kind of herald, to proclaim aloud by the evidence of his own state his benefactor, for it was indeed a notable miracle to see a raving madman brought to a sound mind. But the blind man He allows to follow Him, since He was going up to Jerusalem about to accomplish the high mystery of the Cross, that men having a recent report of a miracle might not suppose that He suffered so much from helplessness as from compassion.

And to shew that our Lord did not even walk without doing good, He performed a miracle on the way, giving His disciples this example, that we should be profitable in all things, and that nothing in us should be in vain.

Having been brought up a Jew, he was not ignorant that of the seed of David should God be born according to the flesh, and therefore he addresses Him as God, saying, Have mercy upon me. Would that those might imitate him who divide Christ into two. For he speaks of Christ as God, yet calls Him Son of David. But they marvel at the justice of his confession, and some even wished to prevent him from confessing his faith. But by checks of this kind his ardour was not damped. For faith is able to resist all, and to triumph over all. It is a good thing to lay aside shame in behalf of divine worship. For if for money’s sake some are bold, is it not fitting when the soul is at stake, to put on a righteous boldness? As it follows, But he cried out the more, Son of David, & c.

If we interpret Jericho to mean the moon, and therefore death, our Lord when approaching His death commanded the light of the Gospel to be preached to the Jews only, who are signified by that one blind man whom Luke speaks of, but rising again from the dead and ascending to heaven, to both Jews and Gentiles; and these two nations seem to be denoted by the two blind men whom Matthew mentions.

In the blind man we have a type of the Gentile people, who have received by the Sacrament of our Lord the brightness of the light which they had lost. And it matters not whether the cure is conveyed in the case of one or two blind men, inasmuch as deriving their origin from Ham and Japhet, the sons of Noah, in the two blind men they put forward two authors of their race.

He did not have faith in the divinity of Christ, yet he believed in His ability to bring healing. Out of gratitude, he chose to follow Him as a way of expressing his appreciation.

Because the disciples being yet carnal were unable to receive the words of mystery, they are brought to a miracle. Before their eyes a blind man receives his sight, that by a divine work their faith might be strengthened.

Not only for the gift of light obtained, but for the merit of the faith which obtained it.

The healing of the blind man stands as a remarkable testament, amidst numerous others, to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Who but God, in His omnipotence, could restore sight with a mere command? “See!” He proclaimed. Witness the voice of the Almighty, witness the voice of the Divine! The same One who declared, “Let there be light,” and light came forth, is the genuine God and Creator. This One commanded, “See,” and indeed, “see.” Observe as the God-Man, true to His nature, does not credit the miracle to His own divine abilities but instead to the faith of the blind man, saying, “Your faith has saved you,” guiding him to turn away from superficiality. The healed blind man, recognizing the greatness of this grace, expressed his thanks, exalted God, and followed Jesus, his benefactor. Not only did he respond in praise, but the onlookers who witnessed this magnificent miracle also glorified and honored God.

The narratives of the evangelists regarding this occurrence present two discrepancies: first, while Matthew mentions the healing of two blind men, Mark and Luke refer to only one. Additionally, Matthew and Mark state that the incident happened as they were departing the city, whereas Luke indicates it took place upon entering. It is evident that there were indeed two men healed; however, in the early church, the name of one, Bartimaeus, is notably highlighted in Mark’s account, which may explain why the tradition became centered around this single individual.

Jesus told him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Instantly, he regained his sight and began to follow Jesus along the path. When questioned, “What do you desire from me?” Bartimaeus replied, “That I may receive my sight.” Jesus responded, “Look, your faith has healed you.” At that moment, it is likely that another blind man approached with the same plea, and Jesus, filled with compassion, touched their eyes. Immediately, their sight was restored, and they followed Him, glorifying God. Upon witnessing this, the crowd also gave glory to God.

The crowd shifted their demeanor and spoke to Bartimaeus, who had boldly called out for mercy in his affliction: “Do not be afraid, get up, He is calling for you.” Filled with joy, he quickly discarded his cloak, stood up, and approached Jesus. “What do you wish me to do for you?” the Savior inquired. “Rabboni,” answered the man, addressing Jesus with the highest respect he knew, “that I may regain my sight.” “Go,” replied Christ, “your faith has made you whole.” He placed His hands on the eyes of the blind man, and instantly, his sight was restored, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God.

The account of the healing of the blind man in Jericho as narrated by Luke bears resemblance to Mark's version. Mark recounts the story of one blind man, while Matthew refers to two, as noted in the references to Mark 10:46-52 and Matthew 20:29-34. However, Mark's narrative indicates that the healing occurred as the Lord was departing Jericho, in contrast to Luke's account, which suggests it happened upon the Lord's arrival. The Greek term used in Luke (ἐγγγι'ζειν) implies that He was near Jericho. This could refer to either His entrance or exit from the city, but both Matthew and Mark specify the exit, and Luke's wording does not conflict with them. Therefore, the healing likely took place as the Lord was leaving Jericho.

After a long journey through a barren region, the travelers beheld the ancient city of Jericho, known for its palm trees and surrounded by vibrant greenery. By the roadside at the city's entrance sat a destitute blind man who was begging for alms. The sounds and movements of the crowd following the Lord drew his attention. Recognizing that it was the miraculous Jesus of Nazareth, the blind man called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." In this heartfelt plea, he demonstrated his genuine faith in Christ as the anticipated Messiah from David's line.