A Tale of Two Jerichos [5-24-26]

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May 24, 2026

Luke 18:35-43

“A Tale of Two Jerichos”

The movement to Jerusalem and the cross takes Jesus through Jericho. As Jesus approaches Jericho, the journey takes a rather curious turn. Once again, things don’t seem to be connected. But in the trajectory of our salvation history, they are so very deeply connected.

Remember where we were last week. A rich young ruler wasn’t happy when Jesus described the cost of following him. So Jesus told his followers, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” That was a hard thing for Jesus’ followers to hear. And it’s a hard thing for us to hear. Compared to most everybody else in the world, and throughout history, we are quite comfortable. While we don’t have Gates or Musk money, we have so much wealth that we overextend ourselves and then complain when gas prices go up. I know I feel the weight of my materialism and consumer appetites.

In the midst of all that, Jesus leaves us hanging with camels and needles.

But notice the twist. Peter then asks, “Who can be saved?’ And Jesus responds, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

From there, while it seems like a sharp pivot, the narrative remains on eternal destiny. What is impossible with man is possible with God. That is the trajectory of our salvation history. The impossible becomes possible through Jesus’ death on the cross. As we read in Luke 18:31-34:

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus cannot be any clearer. And the disciples cannot be any denser. It’s

clear to us, right?

In order to help the disciples understand, as Jesus gets closer to Jericho, God gives him an encounter with a blind man. We move from the seeming impossibility of salvation for the rich to the seeming impossibility of a blind man receiving his sight. How can a rich man be saved? How can a blind man receive sight? Jesus Christ has come to make possible what appears to be impossible.

Now Luke 18:35-43:

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

We won’t belabor the geography of Jericho. Here are a few simple facts to let us know where Jesus is at:

There’s the Jericho where the walls came tumbling down. This was a miraculous conquest from the hand of God.

Herod the Great built a new, luxurious version of Jericho nearly a mile south of the old site, which is the one Jesus is heading toward.

It is a fertile oasis near the Jordan River, a gateway to the Judean Hills.

It was called the “City of Palms.”

It was very prosperous.

Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to about 11,000 years.

As Jesus approaches Jericho, a blind beggar calls out to him. Clearly, people have heard about Jesus. They know his reputation. And the blind man has heard the crowd talking about his approach. Of theological note, the blind man is the only person to identify Jesus as the Son of David. The blind man is placing Jesus smack dab in the center of the Messianic promise. He is the One coming to save his people from their sins.

With this profound insight – Son of David – Luke sets up a contrast between those who have physical sight but are spiritually blind. Do you see the contrast? It contrasts beautifully with the rich ruler, who was blinded by his riches.

So here’s the blind man, yelling for Jesus’ attention. And just like infants whom the disciples rebuked earlier, they do the same to the blind man. He, too, is considered inconsequential. A throw-away. Easily dismissed. He is an expendable nuisance.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt like an expendable nuisance? Have you ever felt like people don’t want you around? Or are tired of you being around? I think we can all feel like that, sometimes. Human nature as it is, we can sometimes feel like we don’t count or don’t

belong. Refuse to let miserable people try to make you feel as miserable as they are.

There’s no reason, when you are in Christ, to ever think, feel, or believe you don’t matter. No reason at all. Be like the blind beggar. His faith will not be throttled by the crowd. He perseveres. That is a key Biblical character quality. Perseverance. Even in the midst of noise and chaos, he will not give up. What a faith to have. No matter what we go through or experience in life, we will never give up or give in. That’s the gospel Luke is sharing. With God, nothing is impossible.

Here’s a fascinating sidenote. The crowd will give the blind man information…Jesus is passing by…but they will do nothing to help him receive the help he is seeking from Jesus. But that’s okay. That doesn’t matter. Jesus never turns away or rejects the faithful. In Christ, everything is always going to be okay. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. And never allow anyone to drag you down to their level of despondency or negativity. Never give up. Never give in. Never stop calling on the name of Jesus. Be like the blind beggar.

Here’s something you might want to write down:

THE BLIND MAN SAW WHO JESUS REALLY WAS.

Knowing that, what’s the first thing he says to Jesus? “Have mercy on me.”

That is a public confession of sin. He knows there’s nothing he can offer Jesus. He knows there’s nothing he can do to merit God’s grace. “Have mercy on me.” How many times do you say that in a week? If you have days like I have sometimes, how many times do you cry for mercy in a given day? Like the blind beggar, we are richest when we realize we are nothing without Jesus Christ. We have no hope in this life or, more importantly, in the life to come without our Lord and Savior. Amen?

As the blind man cries out, what, then, happens? We hear the three most beautiful words in the passage:

“And he stopped.”

Jesus had the time and he took the time for the blind man. Where else could the blind man turn? Who else could he turn to? These questions remind us of John 6:66-69:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Finally, we come to the final beautiful exchange between Jesus and the blind man. After Jesus stops, he asks the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” Can you imagine? The High King of Heaven, the Creator of the universe, the Sovereign Lord, the Son of David, wants to know what he can do for this blind beggar. Amazing. Jesus asks how he can serve the blind man. “What do you want me to do for you?”

And what does the blind man say? It’s so simple. “Lord, let me recover my sight.” To which Jesus responds, “Recover your sight.” Boom! That’s it. No thunderbolts…no lightening…no earthquakes…not even a single singing angel. Jesus doesn’t throw his arms out - receive your sight. And then comes the beautiful progression for the beggar, which is ours, as well:

FAITH -> INSIGHT -> FOLLOWING JESUS -> SALVATION -> PRAISING GOD

That’s where we’re at, right here, right now. Jesus has healed us. He has

healed us from sin and death. He has given us a faith which saved us. How wonderful is that? Jesus doesn’t ignore the cry of those who call upon him. Jesus is compassionate. Jesus came to do more than heal the body. Jesus came to forgive and to save and to produce obedience in his followers.

For us…right here…right now…we are assured that all who call on the name of Jesus are saved…which gives us great hope and joy in our lives, no matter what happens to us…we do what the blind beggar and all who saw what happened to him did…we joyfully follow Jesus. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3-14:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

And together, the saved people of Covenant Church said:

SOLI DEO GLORIA…

To the Glory of God Alone