Luke 18:42 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well."

NIV: Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."

NASB: And Jesus said to him, 'Regain your sight; your faith has made you well.'

CSB: "Receive your sight." Jesus told him. "Your faith has saved you."

NLT: And Jesus said, 'All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.'

KJV: And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

NKJV: Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus is in the center of a crowd, walking from the Jordan River to Jerusalem for the Passover. It will be His last Passover; in a little over a week, He will be crucified. As the throng passes through Jericho, they hear a blind beggar ask what is going on. Undoubtedly, he's used to crowds at this time of year, but his one is unusually large (Mark 10:46). The crowd tells him Jesus of Nazareth has come (Luke 18:35–37).

The man has heard about Jesus and cries out. The crowd tries to shush him. But Jesus hears and asks the man what he wants. The blind man says, "Lord, let me recover my sight" (Luke 18:38–41).

Right before this story in Luke's narrative, Jesus told the disciples that they are going to Jerusalem. There, He will be handed over to the Gentiles who will mock Him, flog Him, and kill Him. But on the third day, He will rise again. The disciples were confused. How does this chain of events lead to Jesus driving out the Romans, restoring the independent Jewish nation, sitting on the throne as king, and giving the disciples twelve thrones beside Him (Luke 18:31–34; Matthew 19:27–29)?

That was not the first time Jesus had warned them about what was to happen. On another occasion, they didn't understand and they were too afraid to ask (Luke 9:44–45). After telling the parable of the sower, the disciples asked for clarification. Jesus assured them that He meant for them to understand His parables (Luke 8:9–10). When Jesus talks about the crucifixion, somehow the bigger picture is hidden from them (Luke 18:34).

Unlike the blind beggar, the disciples have stopped asking Jesus to recover their sight. In fact, right before this interaction, James, John, and their mother asked Jesus for honored positions in His kingdom—still not understanding their reward is a long way away (Matthew 20:20–28).

Luke 18:35–43 records Jesus healing a blind beggar in Jericho. The trusting man believes the plain meaning of what he's heard about Jesus, in contrast to the disciples (Luke 18:31–34). This story is the beginning of the last of four sets of stories that begin with a miracle and go on to explain truths about God's kingdom. After meeting Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10) and telling a parable about faithfulness in the kingdom (Luke 19:11–27), the "Travelogue to Jerusalem" will end and Jesus will triumphally enter the city. Mark 10:46–52 identifies the blind man as Bartimaeus. Matthew 20:29–34 says Jesus heals two blind men.

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.