What does Matthew 20:32 mean?
Jesus has heard the cries of two blind, roadside beggars. As He and a large crowd pass by them on the road to Jerusalem, they have called out repeatedly, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" The use of that name showed that these two men believed Jesus to the be the long-promised Messiah of Israel. They also believe Him able to heal their blindness. Despite being told by the crowd to be quiet, they have continued to appeal to Christ (Matthew 20:29–31).Now Jesus stops and calls back to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus has heard them and is responding, giving them a chance to ask for what they most desire from the Messiah. Their persistence has paid off, and is more important than the men might realize. This is Jesus' last trip through this area, as His arrest and crucifixion are merely days away (Matthew 20:17–19). Had the blind men hesitated, waited, or given up, they would never have gotten another chance to call out to Jesus.
Matthew 20:29–34 finds Jesus and a large crowd passing by two blind roadside beggars. Realizing it is Jesus, the blind men call out asking for His mercy. They call Him the Son of David, showing they know Him to be the Messiah. Refusing to be quieted by the crowd, they finally get a response from Jesus. He asks what they want, and they ask for their eyes to be opened. Jesus, having pity for them, heals the men. They begin to follow Him.
Jesus illustrates His earlier comments about how some of the "first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30) with a parable about hired workers. He then clearly tells His disciples about His impending death and resurrection. The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons number two and three in His kingdom. Jesus tells the disciples that true greatness won't come by flaunting authority as the Gentile leaders do. Instead, they will become great by serving each other, even as a slave does, as Jesus Himself has done. He then heals two blind men immediately before entering Jerusalem.
