When Claire was reading that
passage of scripture, I thought about, not that I can think about
it, but what the Lord must have felt when he was eating the Passover,
knowing that he was the Passover. And in Luke's account, it says
in Luke 22, 14, you don't need to turn there. I'll just read
it to you. And when the hour was come, he sat down with the
12 apostles with him. And he said unto them with desire,
have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer? Turn back to Luke chapter six,
if you would, please. Let's read those two verses again. And he spake a parable unto them,
and he asked a question, perhaps a proverbial saying of some kind,
but he asks a question, can the blind lead the blind? The answer is obvious, no. Shall
they not both fall into the ditch? Verse 40 is connected with verse
39. The disciple, the learner, is
not above his master or his teacher, but everyone that is perfect
shall be as his master. The disciple or the learner will
not know more than his teacher. If your teacher is wrong, you'll
be wrong. If your teacher is wrong, you'll
be wrong. Everyone who has been fitted,
that word perfected is sometimes translated fitted or brought
to completion. Turn with me for a moment to
Ephesians chapter four. Let me show you how the word is used.
Ephesians chapter four, verse 11. And he gave some apostles, Ephesians
4.11, he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints. The word is actually once translated
mending, the mending of nets for the perfecting, for the bringing
to maturity, for the education. for the maturity of the saints,
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. Now, if the one who
is my teacher is blind, I will be as well. That's what our Lord
is teaching. If the blind Lead or guide the
blind, shall they not both fall into the ditch? I do not want
a blind man leading me. Do you? I want someone who sees. Look in Matthew chapter five
or Matthew chapter 15. Matthew chapter 15 verse 12. Then came his disciples and said
unto him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after
they heard this saying? Oh, they were concerned. You've
offended the Pharisees. But he answered and said, every
plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted
up. Let them alone. They be blind
leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind,
both shall fall into the ditch. He called these same people in
Matthew chapter 23, blind guides, fools and blind. Now blindness, let's think for
a moment about blindness. When I was a kid, I used to think
the most horrible thing that anybody could experience would
be blindness. I thought of all the five senses,
the one that I would least like to lose would be this thing of
sight, blindness. What if you were born blind?
If you were born blind, you would have no concept, no idea of what
anything looked like. It would be impossible for you.
You wouldn't be able to discern beauty. You wouldn't be able
to discern what is repulsive and ugly because you're blind. You can't see, you can't understand
any kind of concept like that. And if you're blind, How much
do you need for your guide to have sight? How dependent would you be upon
your guide? Now, we need a guide. Some are so foolish or foolish
enough to think that they have no need of a guide. Now that comes from a position
of blindness, arrogance, and presumption. If you or if I feel
like we don't need a guide, all we prove by that is how ignorant
we are. And some are foolish enough to
blindly follow blind guides. They swallow everything they
hear without any thought. They just take it up. They've
blindly followed a blind guide. It seems like very intelligent
people seem to check their brains out at the door when it comes
to religion, and they just blindly follow people. I remember one
time Brother Mahan back on American Avenue was bringing a message,
and he said this, in introducing this message, he said, most people
who are very intelligent, probably more intelligent than me, When
it comes to religion, they seem to just check their brains out
and just blindly follow and receive and believe and swallow what
they hear. And he gave this as an example.
He brought this message entitled four questions for thoughtful
people. And he said, you need to think,
you need to think. And I want you to listen to these
four questions. You've heard them before, but they're worth repeating. Four questions for thoughtful
people. Now you think about this. You
think about this. Use your brains. I know that
only God the Holy Spirit can reveal divine truth to us. It
doesn't come from intelligence and being properly informed.
But still, think about this. You ask these four questions.
First, if God loves all men the same, the people in heaven and
the people in hell, If God loves all men the same, those who believe
and those who do not believe, what does the love of God have
to do with salvation? If he loved that man in hell
and he loved the man in heaven, what's the love of God have to
do with salvation? Nothing. That makes the love of God meaningless. That's just so. If God wills
the salvation of all men the same, If that man who's in hell,
he desired his salvation the same way he desired the salvation
and willed the salvation of that man who's in heaven. If God wills
the salvation of all men the same, what does the will of God
have to do with salvation? Nothing. Not a thing. And here was his third question.
If Jesus Christ died for all men the same, If He paid for
the sins of that one in heaven, and that's why He's there, and
He also paid for the sins of the man in hell as well, what
does the blood of Jesus Christ have to do with salvation? Nothing. It didn't help the man in hell.
It didn't do anything for him. You see, under those views, salvation
is ultimately dependent upon what you do, not His love, not
His blood, not His will, not the work of the Holy Spirit.
Here is His fourth question. If God the Holy Spirit wills
the salvation and works and calls upon all men to believe. If he
wills the salvation of all men the same, what does the Holy
Spirit have to do with salvation? Really nothing. That puts salvation
in man's hands, not in God's hands. Now, four questions for
thoughtful people. Blindness is used in scripture
to describe the state of the natural man. Turn with me to
2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Paul says in verse 3, but if
our gospel be hid Someone doesn't see it. They hear what you're
saying, but it doesn't mean anything to them. But if our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this
world hath blinded, the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them. Blinded. If I've been blinded,
that means I no longer have the ability to see. It might be there,
but I can't see it because I have been blinded. Now, when Adam
fell, I think it's very interesting that the scripture points out
that when he ate of the fruit, his eyes were opened. His eyes
were open. He could now see things that
he couldn't formerly see. But when his eyes were open like
this, he had become spiritually blind. His blindness came when
his eyes were open. He demonstrated that by thinking
that he could hide from omniscience and omnipresence. He went out
to hide himself from God. He knew God was omniscient, knows
all things, and omnipresent. He was everywhere at once, but
somehow he thought he could now hide. He became spiritually blind
to the character of God. He became blind thinking he could
cover himself with those fig leaves and that God would accept
that covering and that would hide his shame and his nakedness
from God. He became spiritually blind. Now understand this, it's blindness
to the character of God that makes a man believe that he can
be saved by his works in any way. All that is, is blindness. He does not see that those works
that he thinks could make him acceptable before God are nothing
more than filthy rags that could never satisfy a holy God. He
doesn't see his works that way. He sees them as better than that
because he's blind. blind to God's holiness, blind
to his own sinfulness and inability. I think of what we looked at
in Sunday school about Nadab and Abihu. All they did was they
didn't take the fire from off the altar. to burn the incense
and make it acceptable before God, which represents the only
thing that makes our prayers acceptable to God. The incense
of our prayers is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing
else. They thought God could be approached apart from the
blood, so all they did was use different fire. They didn't use
the fire off the altar, they used the fire that was different,
maybe of man's making, and they put the incense on that, and
the scripture says, fire came down from heaven and consumed
them for that. You see, in that, they demonstrated their blindness
to the character of God. God can accept this. It doesn't
matter what kind of fire it is, as long as I'm sincere. Does
it make that much difference? No. Well, they found out different
though, didn't they? Fire came down from heaven and
consumed them. Now, the only reason Somebody
does not believe in the total inability and depravity of all
men by nature. The only reason that someone
would believe in free will is because they're blind to the
character of God. And because they're blind to
their own sinfulness, spiritual blindness. I remember back in,
1992 is the first time I'd ever gone to Mexico. This was before
Cody was a missionary there. Paul Mahan and I went, and we
went with Brother Henry and Doris to see the mission work. But
they took us downtown. It was a downtown metadata. And
that's a third world country. The first time I was there, when
you see it, it's amazing, seeing the vultures up over the food
and everything. Walter, if you know, we were
following Walter through downtown. doesn't care about the people
following him. He doesn't look behind you. I mean, he's just plowing along.
And if you catch up fine, if you get lost, that's your problem.
You're big, you know? I mean, that's the way he is when you're
going through there. And all of a sudden, Walter disappeared.
And we were left. We didn't know where we were
at. I mean, it was disconcerting. Walter was gone. There was me
and Paul and Henry looking at each other. And Henry walked
around. And Henry said, I feel like an Armenian preacher, leading
people and having no idea where I'm going. And I thought, yeah,
that's very true. I can certainly see that. But
what does it take to see? Now, every man is, by nature,
blind. What does it take to see? Well,
two things. It takes light and it takes a
seeing eye. Now, that's what it takes to
see. It takes light. I mean, if you have 20-20 vision,
if you don't have light, you can't see any more than a man
who's blind, can you? It takes light, but it also takes a seeing
eye. You can have all the light there
is, but if you don't have a seeing eye, the ability to see, you
can't see even though you have all of that light. Now, I must
first be given an eye that can see. And when I'm given that
eye that can see, now light is meaningful. Think of what Job
said when he said, I've heard of thee with the hearing of the
ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I hate myself and
I repent in dust and ashes. That came from that spiritual
side. He'd heard things with his ear, but now he saw. Didn't
the Lord say, except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. I must be given eyes to see. And when you see how precious
is that light of where our Lord said in John 8, 12, I am the
light of the world. And he said that directly after
he said to that woman who was guilty, who was caught red-handed
in what she'd done, committing adultery, he said unto her, woman,
where are those thine accusers? She said, no man condemn thee.
She said, no man, Lord. And he said, neither do I condemn
thee. Can you imagine the Lord saying
that to you? You know you're guilty, guilty of sin, because
you are sin, you're guilty. And yet to have the Lord Jesus
Christ in His holiness look at you and say, I do not condemn
you. When you're guilty, how can that
be? The only light is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. My
sin that I'm guilty of became his sin. His righteousness, his
perfect obedience is given to me. And now when the Lord doesn't
condemn me, it's because there's nothing to condemn me for. I
have no sin. Isn't that light precious? I, the Lord said, am the light
of the world. Now there is a blindness that's
worse than spiritual blindness, judicial blindness. Barnard, a preacher of most,
if you're not familiar with him, he was a preacher back in the
fifties and forties, fifties and sixties. But he preached
the message once he entitled when the lights go out on the
road to hell. And there is such a thing as
judicial blindness where God gives a man up when he leaves
him to himself and there's, he can't see. Turn with me to John
chapter 12. John chapter 12 beginning in verse 37. But though John 12, 37, but though
he had done so many miracles before then, yet they believe
not on him that the saying of Isaiah, the prophet might be
fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who has believed our report into
whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Therefore, they
could not believe. They could not believe because
that Isaiah said again, he had blinded their eyes and hardened
their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand
with their heart and be converted. I should heal them. These things
said Isaiah when he saw his glory and he spake of him. Now there
is where the Lord blinds somebody. Turn with me for a moment to
2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. Verse 9. Speaks of him whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders. and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive
not the love of the truth, the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause, because they
receive not the love of the truth, God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned
who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
But Paul says, but we're bound to give thanks always to God
for you, you who have received the love of the truth. And he
doesn't say because you're better than them, but because God had
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Now, judicial blindness,
what a scary thought. I don't want that to happen to
me. But you know there's a good kind of blindness too. There's a good kind of blindness.
Now turn with me to John chapter 9. There's spiritual blindness.
There's judicial blindness. Spiritual blindness is what all
men are born with. They can't really see who God
is or who they are. They're blind to the truth. Judicial
blindness is when God gives a man up. They reject the light they
have and the Lord says, okay, he's finished with them. It's
called reprobation. He sends them strong delusion
that they should believe a lie. But here's a good kind of blindness.
Look in John chapter nine, verse 39. And Jesus said for judgment,
I am come into this world that they which see not the blind
might see, and they which see might be made blind. Christ came so that the blind
might see, and that those who see might be made blind. Verse 40, and some of the Pharisees
which were with him heard these words and said unto him, are
we blind also? Jesus said unto them, if you
were blind, you'd have no sin. But now you say we see, therefore
your sin remaineth. Now this was said after the Lord
had given sight to one who was born blind. What a miracle. This man had been blind all of
his life and the Lord spit in the mud and made a spittle and
stuck it in his eyes. And he said, you go wash in the
pool and you come back and he came back seeing. Can you imagine
that? Spending all your life blind
as a bat and now all of a sudden you see. Now look in verse 24
of this same chapter, John chapter nine, The Pharisees were upset because
the Lord had given this man sight on the Sabbath day. He'd broken
the Sabbath day. He shouldn't do that. He should
have waited until Monday at least or Sunday or some other day to
give this man who'd been born blind. So you see the ridiculousness
of that. Verse 24, then again called they
the man that was blind and said unto him, give God the praise.
We know that this man is a sinner. That's what they said about the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this man didn't know who
Christ was yet, and he answered and said, whether he be a sinner
or no, I know not. Now that tells you right there
that he doesn't really know who he was, because he wouldn't have said
something like that if he did. But he knew he had healed him. In
his experience, all he knew was that he healed him. He answered
and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. I'll tell
you one thing, when you know him, you know he's not a sinner.
You know he's the only holy man to ever live. The one thing I
do know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to
him again, what did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? And
he answered them, I've told you already. And he did. He told him exactly what happened.
He didn't hear. Wherefore would you hear it again? Will you also
be his disciples? I think the man knew he was kind
of sticking a needle under the skin. He knew they wouldn't like
this. Then they reviled him and said, thou art his disciple,
but we're Moses' disciple. We know that God spake unto Moses,
but as for this, look how fellows in italics, this, we don't even
know what to call him. We know not from whence he is.
The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath
opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth
not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth
his will, him he hereth. Since the world began, was it
not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They
answered and said unto him, thou wast altogether born in sins,
and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out, they excommunicated
him. Jesus heard that they cast him
out, and when he had found him, he said unto him, dost thou believe
on the Son of God? And he answered and said, who
is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him,
Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him. Now this is what I know about
everybody who sees the Lord Jesus Christ. They will worship him. You see, he's God. And in my heart, I bow down before
him with my face in the ground, and I worship him who is God. The one that I can't manipulate,
the one that I can't make him do anything, I'm in his hands. And remember, you only worship
a sovereign. He bowed down and he worshiped
him. And then the Lord said, for judgment
I'm coming to this world, that they which see not might see,
just like this fella. He saw who Christ was and he
worshiped him, and that they which see might be made blind. Now, for all who are blind, who
cannot see, why God would look in favor toward them. They can't
find one reason in themselves why God would ever look in favor
and mercy toward them. These are the ones he came to
save. Can you see why God would find
a reason in you to save you? Then you're blind. That's all
I can say. You're plumb blind. You have
no idea of who you are or who God is. But can you see no reason
in you as to why God would look in mercy upon you. You've been given eyes to see. That's the only reason you see
that way. You've been given eyes by God
himself to see who you are and who he is. Now I want to show
you a spiritually blind man who had spiritual sight given to
him. Would you turn with me to Acts chapter eight? Beginning in verse 26, and the angel of the Lord spake
unto Philip saying, arise and go toward the south and to the
way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And
he arose and went and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of
great authority under Candacy, Queen of the Ethiopians, who
had the charge of all her treasure, he'd come to Jerusalem for the
worship. Now he wasn't born a Jew, but
somehow he knew that the God of Israel was God. And he wanted
to come to Jerusalem to worship. during the Passover. He didn't
know what that meant, but he wanted to do it. God put in his
heart a desire to know the living God. He came to worship, verse
28, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot. And I
have no doubt that he had gone through the Passover. He'd gone
through the mechanics of religion and it hadn't done anything for
him. He went with expectations and came back in frustration,
knowing that he didn't know any more now than he did when he
got there. And he was going home, but he, by the grace of God,
had a copy of the Bible and he was reading the Bible. Now that's
a good thing, isn't it? He was reading Isaiah chapter
53. What a chapter for him to be
reading. He was reading that passage where
it says he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised
for our iniquities. He opened not his mouth during
this time. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He read Isaiah 53 from the gospel of Isaiah, that wonderful
chapter regarding the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross. He was reading this and he had
no idea what it meant. But he was reading it. That's
a good place to be, isn't it? Reading the Bible. I love what
Donnie Bell says on his sign out in front of his church. He
says, read your Bibles. It's a good thing to do. Read your
Bibles. He was reading Isaiah 53. Verse 29, then the spirit said
unto Philip, go near and join thyself to this chariot. And
Philip ran hither to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah. And he said, I guess he was reading
it out loud, and Philip just standed there and listened. And
he said, do you understand what you're reading? Now, if you came across the average
person reading the scriptures and said, do you understand what
you're reading, what would they say? Well, here's what I think
it means, or here's what I think. Here's my take on it. or of course
I understand what I'm reading. Mind your own business. Who do
you think I am anyway? Who do you think you are? But
notice this man's attitude. Verse 31 and he said, how can
I accept some man should guide me? Now that word guide is the
same word translated lead. Shall the blind lead the blind? He says, how can I, I have no
idea what this, how can I accept somebody that knows what it means
tells me somebody except some man should guide me. What, what
a attitude. And he desired Philip verse 31,
that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture,
which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter, and like a lamb done before his shearer, so opened
not he his mouth." He didn't try to defend himself or justify
himself or protect himself. In his humiliation, his judgment
was taken away. and who shall declare his generation
for his life is taken from the earth. Talking about Christ not
trying to defend himself and keeping his mouth shut when he
was being accused and his life being taken from the earth. Why
was his life taken? There's one reason for death.
Remember what that one reason is. One reason for death. Sin.
Sin. That's the only reason. Sin.
My sin became his sin. He became guilty. He opened not
his mouth because he's guilty. He's guilty. Now, verse 35 verse
34. And the eunuch answered Philip
and said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of
himself or of some other man, some other man. Then Philip opened his mouth
and began at that same scripture and preached unto him, Jesus. What a message that must have
been. He explained to him clearly that it's some other man. It's
the God man who came as a representative for his people and kept the law
for them and was bruised in their place. They would please the
Lord to bruise him. And he raised him from the dead
and he accomplished salvation. It was some other man. Verse
36. And as they went on their way,
they came under certain water. No doubt Philip had said something
to him about baptism, what baptism means. Whosoever believeth and
is baptized, the same should be saved. It explained to him
what the issue of baptism was. Baptism typifies the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's my hope of salvation,
that when he lived, I was in him and he lived for me. When
He died, I was in Him and He died for me. When He was raised
from the dead, I was in Him. That's my only hope, that what
He did, He did for me. He died under the wrath of God,
was submerged under the wrath of God, but He was raised from
the dead. His resurrection pictures the
complete salvation of all His people. And baptism is how I
confess, this is my hope. This is my hope. Baptism is the
public confession of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eunuch heard that, and look what
he says. Verse 36, and as they went on
their way, they came into a certain water, and the eunuch said, see,
here's water. What doth hinder me to be baptized?
Now I want to know. If there's a reason why I shouldn't
be baptized, I realize I've just heard the gospel. I think it's
kind of funny. Somebody has to be baptized and
they've only heard one message and, well, they need to hear
more. Well, Philip didn't say that to him, did he? He didn't
say that to him. He heard the gospel this one
time. And he says, here's what, tell me, is there a reason why
I shouldn't be baptized? I love that question. He didn't
say baptize me. He had some idea of how sinful
he was. And he thought, maybe I should,
maybe I don't know enough. Maybe I haven't experienced enough.
What hinders me? What could prevent me from confessing
Christ in believers baptism? And Philip verse 37, and Philip
said, if thou believest. with all thine heart thou mayest. Remember when Paul said, with
the heart, man believeth under righteousness. And with the mouth,
confession is made into salvation. The heart means the understanding,
the affections and the will. If you believe with all your
heart, Now with my understanding, I believe, right now I'm saying
this, I believe that Jesus Christ, I understand that Jesus Christ
isn't the only righteousness I have. I understand that, I
understand I don't have any, and Christ is my righteousness
before God. Not only do I understand that, I love it being that way. I love
having Jesus Christ as my righteousness, my personal righteousness before
God. Not only do I love it, remember the heart is the will. Give me
a choice between being saved by my righteousness and His righteousness. There's no choice. I want to
be saved by His righteousness. That's what it means to believe
with the heart. Philip said, if you believe with
all your heart, you may. And I love his answer. Verse
37, and he answered and said, I believe. I love what he says. He didn't say, I believe I'm
one of the elect. He didn't say, I believe that Jesus Christ died
for me. He didn't say, I believe I'm a Christian. He said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is God, the son, the eternal creator, the
son of God. He believed who he is. You see,
that's what faith is. It's believing who he is. And he commanded the chariot
to stand still, and they went down into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch, and he baptized him. Now the Lord gave sight
to many blind people when he walked upon the earth. Many. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 42,
six and seven says, I've given thee a covenant for the people
for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes. We read
in verse 16 of Isaiah 42, and I will bring the blind by way
they knew not. And I will lead them in paths
they have not known. I will make darkness light before
them and crooked things straight. That's what the Lord does. Now
there are many instances of him. giving sight to people who were
blind. But I want to close by just reading
Mark chapter 10, Bartimaeus, one of my personal heroes. I
can't wait to see him in heaven. There were many instances, even
where they give details. And I was going to do that, but
I'm afraid it'd take too long. So let's just end with Mark chapter
10. Verse 46, and they came to Jericho.
And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great
number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the
highway side begging. Now, I don't have any doubt that
during Bartimaeus' life, He'd been led by the hand into the
temple, and he heard the scriptures read. And I have no doubt that
he heard those scriptures that I just read read. He heard about
how the Messiah would give sight to the blind. And how much do
you think that meant to Bartimaeus when he heard that? Now, if you
had sight already, you'd think, well, that's a good thing. That's
a good thing. If I ever go blind, I'll need
it. But if you were blind, can you imagine how much that would
mean to you? And Bartimaeus knew. that the Messiah would give sight
to the blind. And one day, I have no doubt,
you know, they'd set him every day by the highway side, there
would be with his cup, begging, hoping somebody would give him
something. And he heard things about Jesus of Nazareth. And
one day he heard that Jesus of Nazareth had given sight to one
who was born blind. And at that time, he became a
secret disciple of Christ. He thought that's the Messiah.
And if he ever comes my way, oh, how I'll cry for mercy!"
But there he sits there in his blindness. But he knew that Jesus
Christ gave sight to the blind. Verse 47, And when he had heard
that it was Jesus of Nazareth, What is all this commotion about?
Jesus of Nazareth passeth by, he began to cry out and say,
Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me! And many charged
him that he should hold his peace. You know, whenever somebody starts
crying for mercy, they're going to have some other voice saying,
there's no point, shut up, be quiet. You don't need to be doing
that. But you know, that's not going to hold back anybody who's
really seeking mercy. If you're seeking mercy, you
will not stop crying no matter how many objections you have.
And many charged him that he should hold his peace, but he
cried, the more, a great deal. Thou son of David, have mercy
on me. And Jesus stood still and commanded
him to be called. And they called the blind man
saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. And he
casting away his garment, that filthy security blanket he had,
his righteousness, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, what wilt thou? that I should do unto thee. Not just what will I do for you,
but what will I do unto you? What is it that you need? What
if the Lord said that to you? What wilt thou that I should
do unto thee? The blind man said unto him,
Lord, oh, he knew he was the Lord, that I might receive my
sight. And Jesus said unto him, go thy
way, thy faith hath made thee whole. What was his faith? He believed that Jesus Christ
was the Christ, the Messiah, the son of God, and that he could
give him sight. And immediately he received his
sight and he followed Jesus in the way. May the Lord enable
us to do the same. Let's pray together.