Luke 18:31–43

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.         On His way to Jerusalem with His disciples, along with throngs of others going up to the city for Passover, Jesus, and for the third time, says that He will be given over to the Gentiles who will mistreat Him and also kill Him. Not only that, but that He will also rise from the dead. But they did not understand Him.

2.         Crossing over the Jordan River, they come to the city of Jericho. (There were two sites for the city, the old one built by the Jews and also a newer city built by Romans.)

3.         Now a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, which was common, and there were likely many more doing this hoping for offerings from the pilgrims headed toward Jerusalem. (Matthew speaks of two beggars.)

4.         The beggar, upon hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” a messianic term used by Jews in that era. Jesus stopped and had the blind man brought to Him.

5.         The man pleaded for Jesus to heal him, and Jesus did so and said to him, “your faith has made you well.” And that faith would be that not only could Jesus heal him but that He was the promised Messiah.

6.         The man now became a follower of Jesus and those who witnessed it gave glory to God.