We Want Our Eyes To Be Open

“We Want Our Eyes to Be Open”

Matthew 20.29-34

February 16, 2014

Chester FBC Chester, IL * Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A This week, the American voice of the Olympics, Bob Costas, was absent from the airwaves due to a double eye infection.

1 He said, “"Bear with me for a moment as I spare my friends in the press office countless inquiries. ... I woke up this morning with my left eye swollen shut and just about as red as the old Soviet flag. According to the NBC doctors here, it's some kind of minor infection, which should resolve itself by the weekend. If only all my issues would resolve themselves that quickly. But that's another story."

a When your eyes are hurting it seems like your whole body hurts.

b You don’t know how much you need, use a body part until you’re unable to use it.

2 In our text this morning, Matthew 20.29-34, we find two men who are blind.

a In the ancient world, blindness was a very common malady.

aa Sometimes blindness was caused by an accident or a battle wound.

bb Most often, if someone was blind from infancy by getting gonorrheal infection of the eyes, contracted from the mother during birth and also trachoma, a form of conjunctivitis.

cc Today, many doctors will routinely place antiseptic drops in the eyes of newborns to stymie blindness in babies.

b Matthew 20:29-34 (NASB)29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 1 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 33 They *said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened." 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

B (ETS) The blind men knew that only the Messiah could meet their greatest need.

1 (ESS) Jesus Messiah is the only one who can make us a completely whole person.

a (Objective) I hope you’ll make Jesus the first one you run to to meet your most desperate, deepest need.

b (Probing Question) Where do you run first for help when all hell breaks lose in your life?

2 Let’s look at two ways we can be certain that Jesus is the one we run to when things in our life come at us fast & furiously.

a We’ll look first . . .

aa at being at the right place.

bb placing your problems in the hands of the right person.

b Pray

I The first way we can be certain that Jesus is the first one we run to, to meet our most desperate, deepest need is . . .being at the right place.

A Jericho is the location we find our Savior and the two blind men.

1 Jericho was the first city taken by Joshua after leaving the 40 year wilderness wandering.

a The city had been cursed by Joshua.

Joshua 6:20-21, 26 (NASB) 20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates."

aa That curse was fulfilled under the reign of King Ahab

1 Kings 16:34 (NASB) 34 In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

bb It was the hometown of Rahab the harlot, Jesus’ Great, Great (way on back) grandma.

bb Later, Jericho would have a seminary for the prophets

2 Kings 2:5 (NASB) 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be still."