Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

- Matthew 20:29-34

In yesterday's reading, Jesus, as He began going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many."

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  Of today's reading, my study bible notes, "This last miracle before Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem reveals the arrival of the messianic age.  For this reason, the two blind men greet Him as Lord, the common name for God, and Son of David, a title deeply rooted in popular messianic expectation.  Jesus knows beforehand what they want -- and what we want.  But He calls us to ask freely that He might answer us in mercy.  Matthew reports two blind men; Mark mentions only one (Mark 10:46-52)."

We might consider two blind men from various angles.  Why two?  Matthew has focused his Gospel as an approach to the Jewish community of believers, but there are various points where we encounter a concept of "two" -- and this is one of them.  The first thing to consider is that enlightenment comes from Christ to both Jews and Gentiles.  This messiah may be a Jewish messiah, but He is for all the world, both Jew and Gentile.  This is a very consistent message throughout this Gospel, a powerful focus, such as when Jesus encounters the Canaanite woman, and the fact that Matthew reports two miracles of feeding thousands in the wilderness:  one among a Jewish crowd, and another in territory of mixed Gentiles and Jews.  As my study bible has pointed out, today's reading differs from a similar incident in Mark's Gospel because there are two blind men here.  In both, there is a persistent cry to Jesus for attention, to which the crowd responds by telling the persistent petitioner(s) to be quiet.  Another common point is the occurrence of this scene in passing out of Jericho.  Jericho is the place where the great shout of the Israelites shattered down the walls of the city, so that they could enter into the promised land.  But here in this Gospel, and in the story of Jesus, the focus of the promised land has shifted.  It's not land as in the territory of Jerusalem that is to be conquered, but the great story of triumph will take place in Jerusalem.  It's a story that is meant for all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and the promised land is focused on one thing, the Kingdom of God as understood through this Gospel, the one that is among us and within us.  It is the Kingdom of God that is coming into this world to take power away from "the ruler of this world" and to liberate us all, Jews and Gentiles.  It's the triumph over death on the Cross that will be enacted through Christ's Passion, and death and Resurrection, and Pentecost that follows.  This passing through Jericho is the first scene in a new kind of conquest, a new type of sacrifice and ransom to free a people, and this time the people is really the whole of the people.  It's a gift for the whole of the world.  So, this time, the cry in the outskirts of Jericho is an essential one to that mission, one we may hear in every worship service and which shapes every prayer:  "Have mercy on us, O Lord."  In the Greek, it's very short:  Kyrie, eleison eimas (Κύριε, ελέησον ημάς).  You may have heard the shorter phrase in Greek "Kyrie eleison."  In the Greek, this word "eleison" (mercy) is used as a verb; it's like saying, "Lord, mercy us."  This may be the shortest prayer of all, besides simply the word "Jesus."  It is the most useful one to remember, and suits all occasions, whether we pray for ourselves or others, for any situation.  We call on this verb of "mercying."  In Greek, it emphasizes the action in showing mercy, and invites us to consider the ways in which mercy may be felt, understood, effected.  His mercy is for all the world, and, we remember, for each one of us to practice actively as well, however and wherever we find His way to do it.  This most useful prayer is answered by a specific sort of question; or rather, one that invites us to get specific:  "What do you want Me to do for you?"  Mercy is also linked to our inner lives, as Jesus is moved with compassion (in the Greek, akin literally to feeling it in the gut).  Let us consider the ways in which mercy may be active in us, in our lives,  and this very short prayer that is most effective in all times and circumstances.  It's the shout for the new promised land.

Lord, that our eyes may be opened

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

- Matthew 20:29-34

In yesterday's reading, Jesus first warned His disciples, for the third time, what will come to Him in Jerusalem. He taught more explicitly than before about what He will go through, His betrayal, His condemnation, suffering and death at the hands of the Gentiles. And He taught that on the third day He will rise again. Then the mother of James and John Zebedee came to Him, and asked that her sons be seated on His right and left hand, in His kingdom. Jesus told them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" The brothers replied that they were. But Jesus said these places were not His alone to give, but for those for whom it is prepared by His Father. Then He said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many."

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Passing through Jericho, we read different versions of this story in the Gospels. Here, it is two blind men. Jericho, of course, is the city whose walls fell with a great shout of faith. My study bible points out the two titles these blind men give to Jesus, as He is on His way to the triumphal entrance in Jerusalem. They call Him Lord which is "the common name for God," and Son of David, "a title deeply rooted in popular messianic expectation." It notes, "This last miracle before Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem reveals the arrival of the messianic age." The cry, "have mercy on us" is the prayer we pray when any of us need help, and call upon the Lord. It is the prayer echoed in Christian worship services throughout the centuries. He is the one who helps the blind to see.

Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Persistence in prayer, in relationship to Christ, is reflected in the persistence of these two blind men. Often I have remarked on the kind of "doubling" that appears in Matthew's Gospel. (In the story in Mark, it is one blind man.) It seems to me that this doubling indicates for us that He is the Messiah for all, Jews and Gentiles, who will give His life as a ransom for many, for the whole cosmos.

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. My study bible says, "Jesus knows beforehand what they want -- and what we want. But He calls us to ask freely that He might answer us in mercy." I think it's important to understand that once they receive their sight, they follow Him. They did not merely go back to their lives in Jericho. A touch of healing from Christ is a change that affects much more than the physical healing we read about, but every aspect of the inner life, the soul and spirit. Healing works on all of these levels, and, in effect, they become followers. We wish for more. All of the readings from last Thursday until yesterday focus on leadership. Here, we get a taste of the followers that are to come, the Church as it will gather the flock, the "least" of them, who will be touched by Christ -- even the formerly blind who now see.

As my study bible notes, this is Jesus' last healing miracle before His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. It is quite symbolic of those who are to come, those who will be the followers in the Church: Jews and Gentiles, in effect, the whole world. We should think, then, about those who are to come. To shout out for God's healing mercy is to be persistent in prayer. It doesn't matter what the crowd says or thinks. Decorum, the littlest ones staying silent, this is not the way with Christ. Each is called to call upon Christ, so to speak. And our prayer can knock down walls, barriers. Each of us may shout out to the Lord, and to be persistent, and specific. We may each hear His question to us, individually: "What do you want Me to do for you?" He takes His time for each of us. He is the personal illustration of His teaching in yesterday's reading: "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for man." As He makes His way into Jerusalem, let us remember how we form relationship with Him. We call upon Him in prayer. We are persistent. And, in following, we in turn desire to serve, to become a part of His ministry. How are your eyes opened? Do we have the desire for that, as well? I think we make a mistake to think of this merely as an astonishing sign of His divinity, that He is the Anointed One, or Messiah. In some ways, we can all reply as they did to His question, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Lord, that our eyes may be opened! That is an ongoing journey, with Him, in His Way. We just don't know where it may lead us, in faith.

That our eyes may be opened

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

- Matthew 20:29-34

Jesus is on his way toward Jerusalem. He has warned his disciples what will happen in Jerusalem, how he will suffer and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead. Here in Jericho, he encounters two blind men who call out to him. In Jericho, we recall the triumph of the people of God (Israel), who destroyed the walls with a mighty shout in unison.

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" My study bible notes on this section: "This last miracle before Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem reveals the arrival of the messianic age. For this reason, the two blind men greet him as Lord, the common name for God, and Son of David, a title deeply rooted in popular messianic expectation. Jesus knows beforehand what they want -- and what we want. But he calls us to ask freely that he might answer in mercy. Matthew reports two blind men; Mark mentions only one (Mark 10:46-52)." Once again, we remark on the "doubling" we find in the gospel of Matthew. In Mark's gospel, we encounter Bartimaeus, the blind beggar in Jericho, as my study bible notes. In today's story, there are two blind men who call out to Jesus. Other instances of this "doubling" in Matthew include the story of the two men possessed by demons in the country of the Gergesenes (as contrasted with the man who was called Legion in Mark's gospel), and the two miracles of feeding of the multitudes in Matthew - one of five thousand and the other of four thousand. I personally do not understand the reason for this sense of doubling, except in one kind of instance: in the feeding of the multitudes, the first happens among the "lost sheep of the house of Israel;" that is, among the Jews. In the second instance, there were many Gentiles present. Matthew's gospel is written primarily from the Jewish perspective and for a Jewish audience; it is possible that this sense of doubling is intended to convey that this gospel is for all people, both Jews and Gentiles.

And there is another similarity here that recalls another story from Matthew's gospel. That is the way in which Jesus is addressed by the blind beggars: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" We hear this same cry, using this title, in the story of the Canaanite woman who wanted help for her daughter who, we are told, was "severely demon-possessed." In that case, the woman was pointedly told by Jesus that he was sent for "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she "argues" with him, saying that even the dogs get the children's crumbs under the table. And for her persistence, she was rewarded with the healing of her daughter. This was the first explicit instance of Jesus' mercy expanding to include Gentiles, whose faith makes the connection to healing and mercy. So, in this story of the two blind beggars in Jericho, just before Jesus enters Jerusalem to be greeted triumphantly as Messiah, we are reminded of just where this gospel will go, that it will go out to all people, although Jesus is firmly identified as the Jewish Messiah.

Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" As with the Canaanite woman, these beggars are shushed by the crowds, the ones who are also in the story. In the earlier case, it was the disciples who told the woman to be quiet, and asked Jesus to send her away, as she continued to pester them to help her. So, we learn here of the persistence of the blind beggars in calling out to Jesus for mercy.

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks for specifics. First he observes their persistence -- how much do they want what he has to offer? And then he asks them to put yet more effort into this connection in faith with him. "What do you want me to do for you?" This, in its way, is also similar to the event with the Canaanite woman, in which she was goaded, in a sense, to express her persistence in faith, in seeking specifically what Jesus has to offer, her desire for his presence and relationship in her life, his mercy and healing. This delay, the asking for specifics, the time spent "urging out," in a sense, the desire on the part of those who would be healed for what Jesus is offering, is a kind of analogy to prayer. It is the way God deals with us in prayer. We are asked to come to this table with specifics, for our desire to be flamed and fanned, to pursue in prayer what we want and need, to hone our desire for the mercy and healing that is offered from the Lord.

They said to him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. What do they want? They want their eyes to be opened. How analogous is this to prayer, to the spiritual enlightenment we seek in this relationship? Healing and mercy are synonymous with enlightenment, with good or true sight. We all want our eyes to be opened. Truth and love are synonymous when it comes to this relationship of faith. We don't get one without the other. The mercy that is in salvation involves healing all of ourselves, all that ails us, be that on spiritual, mental, emotional or physical grounds. It is "all of the above."

And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. Those who are healed become his followers. This act of the receipt of sight is an act not just of getting something physical that they want for themselves. They are changed, transformed, healed through the truth that is this mercy, that is salvation. In that transformation, they thirst for more. They are changed and become his disciples, his followers. They have found the place in which they wish to remain, and to go forward in following. So, as we march toward Jerusalem with Jesus, we go, too, as the blind beggars. We pray for mercy, and remember that mercy is the balm for every rough edge, for all that ails us in this world, be it on any level within ourselves. Our sight that we wish to be restored to is not just a physical sight, but it is the mercy we wish to know as the reality of God, and our place in God's kingdom. Mercy, as we have often said on this blog, comes in the word in its Greek form as the same word for "olive oil" (eleos), which was the basis for all healing balm in the ancient world. What we pray for is that which softens the world, gives us mercy and love - and the truth that this reality of the love of God is there for all of us. We just have to make certain it is what we really want. It is not there for those who do not value it properly, nor for those who do not truly want it. In time - similarly to the delay in the answering of the prayers of both these blind beggars and the Canaanite woman - we have time to choose, to decide. Is this what we really want? How do we refine our prayer? For what do we pray? Do we understand mercy as the "opening up of our eyes" or as the thing that heals us of the "demons" of this world, that sets us free from that which causes spiritual pain and blindness? Let us consider, then, what do we pray for when we pray for mercy, so that we truly see.