Luke 18:35-43

Hallelujah! Our God is a great and mighty healer,
and even at just His word, He can change everything.

Luke 18:35-43

This week's devotions are written by my friend Jessica Hermann, former director of our college ministry at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

As we finish studying Luke 18 today, we will skip ahead a few verses to the final story of the chapter.

"As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' And he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' He said, 'Lord, let me recover my sight.' And Jesus said to him, 'Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God." (Luke 18:35-43)

Hallelujah! Our God is a great and mighty healer, and even at just His word, He can change everything. Would you stop for just a moment and praise our God for His might and glory?

Lord, you are so powerful. At your word, you created the whole universe, and at your word, you can heal the broken, just as you gave sight to this blind man. It is such a comfort to serve such a powerful God. Amen.

Another thing I find remarkable about this passage is how the man was able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. By calling Jesus "Son of David", the blind man is expressing faith that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, as the title "Son of David" is a title for the Messiah that is well-known by the Jewish community. I don't know how the blind man came to this conclusion. Had others told him about Jesus and he believed? Did God reveal this to him directly? I'm not sure, but the important thing is that the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and he responded by calling out to Him in great faith.

The blind man knew he had a need. He simply and humbly made his request to the Lord as an act of faith. Let us contrast this man to the Pharisee we read about on Tuesday and the rich young ruler we read about yesterday. These men placed their hope in themselves and in their possessions, respectively. Neither of these postures yielded a fruitful outcome nor did they please the Lord. This man in today's passage requested sight from the Lord in faith that He could give it to him; he believed Him to be the Messiah after all. The Lord honored his faith and healed him instantly. Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Remember that He can change anything in an instant.

Were there any themes that you noticed all throughout Luke 18? I am noticing a theme of humility and an emphasis on the posture of our hearts in how we relate to the Lord. These parables and stories help us to understand how the Lord calls us to posture our hearts. In humility, with great faith, let us cling fully to the Lord knowing that He alone is our hope, our healing, and our salvation.