The Touch That Opens Our Eyes
Introduction
Just for a moment, I want you to close your eyes. Imagine what it would be like to see only that darkness every moment of every day. Imagine what it would be like to no longer see the faces of your family. Think of how sad it would be to not know what your children look like. Think of what it would mean if colors were nothing more than words that describe something you have never seen.
For the two men we meet in this text, all these things were tragically true. Every day they awoke to the same dark, colorless world. They heard voices but saw no faces. They felt the warmth of the sun, but saw no light.
Like so many that cluttered the streets of their day, these men were crippled by blindness. Most in their condition were forced to the miserable life of begging and groveling for the charity of those around them.
One day, however, the darkness of their existence was broken by a touch. In an answer to their extraordinary faith, the Lord Jesus put His hands on their eyes, and as those once dead pupils adjusted to that first burst of light, the first sight those men saw was the face of their Savior.
As we continue looking at some instances in which the Lord Jesus touched someone, we come to the story of these two blind men, and their miraculous encounter with the Son of God.
As we examine their case, we are reminded that not all blindness is physical, and not all blindness is the same. We can learn from these men about the touch that opens our eyes.
There are three truths that I want us to notice from their story.
I. WHAT THEIR CONDITION REPRESENTS
In verse 27, Matthew tells us that as Jesus was leaving from one place of ministry, He was immediately confronted with another. Verse 27 says, "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him..."
Matthew does not give us the specifics of their case. We do not know if they were born with this condition, or had come into it later in life. Likewise, we do not know the extent of their blindness.
While we do not know everything about the condition from which these men suffered, we do know something about the spiritual application of their condition.
Warren Wiersbe tells us that when we see blindness in the Bible, It is "...a picture of spiritual ignorance and unbelief."i
When we see the physical blindness of these two men, we are reminded of the spiritual blindness that afflicts mankind. I want you to notice a couple of things about their condition, and what it represents. Notice first of all:
A. What it Represents for the Sinner
There are different levels and degrees of blindness. The most severe blindness is called "NLP", which stands for "no light perception". A person with no light perception can see absolutely nothing. They live in total darkness. Their eyes are essentially dead.
A person that is lost, and does not know the Lord Jesus, suffers from spiritual NLP. The light of the gospel is completely invisible to them. The truth in no way shines in their heart. They grope through life in total spiritual darkness.
Proverbs 4:19 clearly describes this. It says, "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." I John 2:11 describes the lost man as someone in which "...the darkness hath blinded his eyes."
A person without Christ may be able to see this world, but they cannot see the world to come. They may see the sun light, but they cannot see the Son of light.
Is it any wonder why our world is in the shape that is in? This world is increasingly inhabited by those who are completely blind to spiritual truth.
They can't see the wickedness and evil of their lives because spiritually speaking, they live in total darkness. They can perceive no light of truth.
On November 30, 1991 a terrible dust storm near Coalinga, California reduced the visibility to zero on Interstate 5. When the storm passed, there was a three mile trail of twisted and mangled cars. Unable to see what was ahead, driver after driver drove straight into the wreckage, and headlong into disaster.ii
Every day lives are wrecked and ruin simply because people cannot see the danger of the direction in which they are headed. Their total spiritual blindness leads them inevitably to their destruction.
The blindness of these two men in Matthew chapter nine speaks to us of the spiritual blindness of the sinner. Notice something else their blindness represents. Notice not only what it represents for the sinner, but notice also further:
B. What it Represents for the Saint
While the severest form of blindness results in total darkness, there are other degrees of blindness in which a person can see some levels and forms of light.
Some people that are considered to be legally blind, can make out light and darkness, and can even see some shapes and various shades of color.
When we consider this level of blindness, we are reminded of those who are saved, but have very little spiritual vision. The light of the gospel has shined in their hearts, and while they can see some truth, there is much that they do not see.
An example of a believer that still suffers from a degree of blindness is found in II Peter 1:9, where the apostle refers to a carnal, worldly Christian as someone that is "...blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
Likewise, in Revelation chapter 3, the Lord Jesus referred to the members of the church at Laodicea as "blind."
The reality is that to some degree, no one has perfect spiritual vision. The Apostle Paul said that now "we see through a glass darkly (I Cor. 13:12)." He also prayed for the believers in Ephesus that the "eyes of [their] understanding [would be] enlightened (Eph. 1:18).
It could be said that all of us, to some degree, are spiritually blind. Some may see spiritual truth better than others, but none of us see perfectly.
The point is that we can all in some way relate to these two men. Their blindness is a condition from which we all, in one way or another, suffer.
Notice a second truth we find as we look at this story. We see not only what their condition represents, but notice also secondly:
II. WHAT THEIR CRY REVEALS
Look again with me at this text, and notice verse 27. Matthew says, "...two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us."
What makes these two men notable is not their condition. There was a multitude of blind people living in that day. What makes these men notable is that they blindness was cured.
We find in the text that the Lord touched their eyes as a result of their cries to Him. When we look at the cry of these men, we learn something about their heart, and their desire to see.
By looking at their cry, we also learn something about the heart we need in order to have our spiritual eyes opened to truth.
Notice a couple of things about their cry. Notice first of all that:
A. They Knew the Seriousness of their Problem
These men had grown weary of their blindness. They were not content to live in the darkness and eek their way through life.
No one needed to tell them that their blindness was debilitating. They were well aware of the seriousness of their problem. When they cried to the Lord they revealed their desire to see.
Unfortunately, many people are not so disturbed by their spiritual blindness. The lost people of our world so often continue in their darkness, because as John says, "they love darkness rather than light."
Likewise, far too many Christians have grown satisfied and complacent with their current level of spiritual light. They don't care that they don't know and see the Lord as well as they could.
It is sad to say, but too many of us don't realize the seriousness of our poor spiritual vision. So many are ignorant of the things of God, and yet they never cry out to see and know more.
When we are first born, our vision is relatively poor. An infant will spend much of the first days and weeks of its life learning to see. In those early days of life we learn how to control our eye movements, focus on certain objects, and develop depth perception. It can take a couple of months for our eyes to really begin to work as they should.
In much the same way, when we are first saved, our eyes are opened to the big world of spiritual truth. We know very little, but with time our spiritual vision and understanding can get better.
Unfortunately, through neglect of the Word of God and sin we can hinder the development of our spiritual sight. Too many Christians have never progressed past the infant stages of spiritual perception, and far too many of those Christians don't realize the seriousness of their blindness.
Notice something else we learn from the cry of these men. We see not only that they knew the seriousness of their problem, but notice also further that:
B. They Knew the Solution to their Problem
Look again at the cry of these two men in verse 27. It says they followed the Lord Jesus, "...crying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us..."
These men, while physically blind, could already see what the religious leaders of their day could not. They called the Lord Jesus, the "Son of David". This title referred specifically to the Messiah.
When these men came to the Lord, they came with an understanding that He was no mere man. He was the Son of the Father, the Messiah, the Savior.
They believed that He was the solution to their problem. They believed that He alone could give them sight.
Once again we can learn from these blind men. The only source of spiritual sight is the Lord Jesus. If our eyes are opened to spiritual truth, that vision will from the Lord Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that in these last days, God speaks through His Son. Therefore, if you want to increase your spiritual knowledge and spiritual vision, you must come to the Lord Jesus. He is the only optometrist that can give spiritual sight.
I remember reading several years ago about a blind man that was treated by a doctor, and had his sight restored. It was said that not long after he regained his sight, he was heard walking through a train, stopping people and saying, "Do you know anyone that is blind? Send them to Dr. Smith. He can cure them."
I would say to you, are you blind? Do you know someone that is blind? Send them to the Great Physician. He can cure them! He is the solution the problem of blindness.
There is a final truth we glean from this wonderful story. Notice not only what their condition represents, and what their cry reveals, but notice also thirdly:
III. WHAT THEIR CURE REQUIRED
These blind men were about to be removed from a world darkness as their eyes were opened by the Lord Jesus. Yet we see in this text that the miracle of their healing required some things.
There is a reminder here that spiritual vision is not an easy thing to acquire and develop. In fact, many that are blind remain in their blindness because they do not meet the requirements to have their eyes opened.
Let me explain what I mean. Notice a couple of things that their cure required. Notice first of all that:
A. It Required a Dedicated Pursuit
Look at this story again. We are told in verse 27 that these men "...followed the Lord, crying..." The indication is that they did not get their answer after the first request.
They had to follow after the Lord, continually crying for His merciful intervention in their life. To get the sight they desired, they had to pursue the Lord.
The application for us clear, we will not see with clearer spiritual vision until we are willing to pursue the Lord with dedication.
Once they followed the Lord into the house, He still questioned their faith. In verse 28, He asks them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?"
The Lord Jesus knew their hearts, and yet He still required their confession of faith. The indication is that spiritual vision and better spiritual understanding is reserved for those that are willing to earnestly and sincerely seek for it.
To put it plainly, if you never seek the Lord in His Word and in prayer, you will never see any better than you do now. You will remain dim sighted and blind until you pursue the Lord with dedication.
Former President Calvin Coolidge once said, "Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence."iii
When in comes to improving our spiritual eyesight, and being able to see more spiritual truth, nothing can take the place of persistence.
Do you want to see better spiritually? Then follow Christ everywhere, everyday, and in every way. Read the Word of God passionately, and pray consistently for God to open your eyes.
Notice something else that this cure required. Notice not only that it required a dedicated pursuit, but notice also further that:
B. It Required a Divine Power
Look again at our text, and notice verse 29. There it says, "Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you."
Then verse 30 says, "And their eyes were opened..." They wanted to see. They cried out to see. Yet it was not until they were touched by the Lord that their eyes were opened.
The reminder here again is that there is no hope of spiritual sight apart from the Lord Jesus. He alone can touch and heal our spiritual blindness.
You can look for spiritual light in this world, but it will be a vain pursuit. You can seek knowledge in the wells of our society, and garner for yourself an education and worldly wisdom.
However, all the education and knowledge in the world can't give you spiritual vision. There are people with Phd's that cannot see or discern spiritual truth.
To see with spiritual vision, you must be touched by the divine power of the Lord Jesus Christ! He alone can give sight to the spiritually blind.
Ephesians 5:14 tells us that "Christ shall give thee light." Let us not remain in our spiritual blindness and darkness, but let us come to Him that open the eyes of our understanding.
Conclusion
When I was a youth pastor, there was a song we often sang with our young people. The song is entitled "Open the Eyes of My Heart". I love the words. It says:
"Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart,
I want to see you."
You do realize that the first thing these two formerly blind men ever laid eyes on was the face of the Lord Jesus.
May our prayer today be, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see you."
i Be Loyal; Wiersbe, Warren; p. 63
ii www.sermonillustrations.com; accessed 7/19/07
iii The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart; Swindoll, Charles; p. 441