How Bold is Your Faith?
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Key Verse: “Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Lesson Scripture: |
THIS IS THE LAST LESSON in this series on faith, and the Key Verse records the marvelous occasion when Divine power was used to restore sight to a man who was blind. Our Lord performed this wonderful miracle because of the man’s faith in him as the Son of David. Jesus said, ‘Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.’
Our lesson begins with Jesus and his disciples making their way toward Jerusalem. As they walked, he began to prepare their faith for what was to happen to him. He told them that the Son of man would be delivered unto Israel’s religious leaders, that they would condemn him, and take him to the Gentile authorities demanding his death. Also, he would be mocked, scourged, spit upon, and killed. But he would rise from the dead on the third day, as prophesied.—vss. 32-34
The next recorded incident concerns the sons of Zebedee. “They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” (vs. 37) James and John were not exercising humility in the request, and were not comprehending the nature of their High Calling in Christ Jesus.
Answering James and John in a firm manner, Jesus said, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (vs. 38) Their answer was yes, but they obviously did not understand their position in the request. On another occasion he stressed the seriousness of his own experience. He said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened [Marginal Translation, pained] till it be accomplished!” (Luke 12:50) Reasoning further with the two, Jesus emphasized that God alone had the authority to give such honors. He said, “To sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”—Mark 10:40
Following this, Jesus restored sight to the blind man. This wonderful miracle happened when Jesus, together with some of his disciples, arrived in Jericho. Among the multitude of people in the city was Bartimaeus, who was blind and was sitting alongside the road begging. “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, 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: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.”—vss. 47,48
Jesus heard the man cry out, and address him as the Son of David. His attention was therefore focused in the direction of the man, and commanded that Bartimaeus be brought unto him. The man arose and ran up to our Lord. “Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”—vss. 51,52
Let us all renew our faith in the promises of the kingdom when all the blind, deaf, and maimed of humanity may be uplifted and blessed even as was the blind man.