What does Luke 18:39 mean?
A crowd is making its way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem for Passover. The road goes through Jericho. A blind man named Bartimaeus sits along the path, begging for alms (Luke 18:35; Mark 10:46). Considering the busyness of the road and the tradition of donating to the poor on Passover, he's probably doing well.The crowd is bigger than normal, and Bartimaeus is curious. He asks what's going on. Someone tells him that Jesus of Nazareth has come. His demeanor immediately changes. He cries out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:36–38). It's unclear why the crowd tries to quiet him. They may think he's cursed by God because of sin (John 9:2). They may think Jesus is too important to be bothered with beggars, much like the disciples tried to "protect" Jesus from children (Luke 18:15–17). Or maybe they're trying to get Jesus' attention for themselves. Whatever the case, the beggar's yelling isn't welcome.
But Jesus hears him. He stops and tells the crowd to bring Bartimaeus to Him. Then He asks what he wants. When Bartimaeus says his sight, Jesus tells him his faith has made him well (Luke 18:40–42). Bartimaeus is healed, and the crowd grows by one (Luke 18:43).