We have learned that the miracles of Jesus are recorded that we may believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, we may have life through His name.
Among the many that He did, a very common one was that of giving sight to the blind. One of the most striking instances is that recorded in Luke 18:35-43. which we quote, that all the details may be fresh in the mind of every reader: "And it came to pass, that as He was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging; And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passes by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, You Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace; but he cried so much the more, You Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto Him; and when he was come near, He asked him, Saying, What will you that I shall do unto you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive your sight; your faith has saved you. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God." (Luke 18:35-43)
This is a marvelous illustration of the power of faith. It was utterly impossible that the man should do anything for himself. But he most earnestly desired to see. Jesus had the power to make him see, and he believed in Him. This was all. Jesus said unto him, "Your faith has made you whole." (Mark 10:52)
There was an actual work done, and faith did it. The man was not only blind, but he was poor. He was a beggar. His poverty would naturally result from his blindness. The restoration of his sight would be to supply all his wants, for with sight he could earn a living without any difficulty.
Another point to be noted is that the people tried to keep him away from Jesus. They were very careful of the Saviour. They did not want Him to be troubled. Doubtless they did as too many do now, namely, judged Jesus by themselves. They thought that He would not care to be bothered by a poor, blind beggar.
They did not know that He who made the worlds, and who upholds them by the word of His power, attends also to the smallest details, and is not bothered. Not only is He able to attend to the smallest details, but His delight is to help the poor and needy. Jesus came to this earth for the sole purpose of doing good, and in that He was showing forth the character of the Father.
Note also that the blind man made no delay when word was brought to him that Jesus had called him. Mark says: "And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." (Mark 10:50)
Instead of looking for a better suit of clothes in which to appear before the Saviour, he left even the garment that he had. It was doubtless ragged and worthless, anyway. Jesus was going to give him his sight, and that meant the gift of everything.
There could not be any better assurance than this miracle, of the willingness and the power of Jesus to do that which He promises in the 3rd chapter of Revelation. He first describes the people as saying, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of the thing;" (Revelation 3:17) and not knowing that they are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked." (Revelation 3:17)
This was exactly the condition of Bartimaeus, except that he was conscious of his condition. Christ calls to people to realize their condition, and when they do they are in the place that the poor blind man was who called for mercy. To such ones, Jesus says: "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see." (Revelation 3:18)
With what are we to buy these things? Evidently not with anything that we have, for we are poor. These things are to be sold to us, "without money and without price;" (Isaiah 55:1) we are "not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... 19 But with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Christ came into the world to give sight to the blind. In His first recorded discourse He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the captive, and recovering of sight to the blind." (Luke 4:18)
The blindness from which Jesus came to set us free is the blindness of sin. The apostle Peter enumerates the Christian graces as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. These make up the complete Christian. "But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1:9)
It was from the lack of these things, therefore, that Jesus came to deliver us. That is, as He came to give sight to the blind, and those who lack these things are blind, He came to give them to us. Take notice, also, that sight comes with the forgiveness of sins: "He that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1:9)
This speaks of one who has known the forgiveness of sins, but who has departed from the faith. Such a one is blind, and so is the one who has never known forgiveness of sins. But with the forgiveness of sins, all these things come, and also sight.
How are these graces to be obtained? Solely by the life of Christ. It is separation from His life that constitutes blindness. Thus we read of the Gentiles: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." (Ephesians 4:18)
This the more evident when we remember that Christ's life is the light of men. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
It is through the reception of the life of Christ that we get forgiveness of sins: "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:14)
The blood is the life, and therefore it is that the blood makes atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11) When Christ shed His blood He gave His life. But He gives His life to us if we accept Him, for we are crucified with Him, and raised up together with Him, that we may live in Him and He in us. His life takes the place of the old life of sin, and thus we are purged from our old sins. Thus also we receive all the Christian graces, for they are all in His life.
We have thus briefly traced the natural condition of men as blind, and seen what sight is, and where it is to be found, in order that we may realize the importance of the lesson taught us in the healing of the blind Bartimaeus.
Remember that these miracles are recorded in order that we may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, we may have life through His name. So Jesus gave Bartimaeus sight, not alone for His sake, but for all our sakes also.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime [whether in the Old Testament or in the New,] were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
Jesus gave Bartimaeus the sight of his natural eyes, in order that we might know how we may get spiritual sight, namely virtue, patience, temperance, godliness, charity, etc. What gave Bartimaeus his sight? Jesus said unto him, "Your faith has made you whole." (Mark 10:52)
In the same way are we to obtain all the excellencies of Christ. Not by a mere sentiment, nor by feeling, but by living faith. What that is, we shall see in another chapter.
The one lesson that we wish to learn in this, is that in just the same way that the blind man got his sight, we may have the cleansing from all sin.--Present Truth, October 20, 1892.