Matthew 20:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

NIV: Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

NASB: Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

CSB: Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.

NLT: Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

KJV: So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

NKJV: So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Matthew makes a point to tell us that Jesus was moved by pity for the two blind men who believed Him to be the Messiah (Matthew 20:29–33). He displays once more that He has compassion on those who are suffering and is willing to help those who trust in Him. Jesus touches the eyes of these two blind beggars. With their sight restored, they join the company of those who are following Jesus to Jerusalem.

Modern preachers often make note of the fact that this is the last time Jesus will pass this way; had the blind men wasted this opportunity, they would never have gotten another. This makes for a useful analogy with respect to salvation, and the fact that no one knows if they will get more time to reconcile with God (James 4:14; Luke 12:19–20).

Jesus accomplished something else with this healing, as well. He provided all who saw it—and everyone they told—one more piece of evidence that He was truly the Son of God. He performed this miracle publicly, within a day's walk of Jerusalem, and with no concern about who saw it happen or who made the connection that He was the Messiah.

This is different from the last time Matthew reported that Jesus healed a pair of blind men. Then He healed them inside of a house instead of out in the open and He "sternly warned them" not to tell anyone about it (Matthew 9:27–31). He was not yet ready for the confrontation that would follow from so many people hearing of His miraculous powers. Now, though, He had come to Jerusalem for exactly that, and there was no longer any reason to keep His power and His claim to be the Messiah a secret.

In fact, Jesus next recorded action will involve something very public: an event referred to as the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1–11).

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.

Matthew 20 begins with a parable that illustrates Jesus' statement at the end of Matthew 19: In His kingdom, some of the first will be last and the last first. Still on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells the disciples for the third time that He will be killed and then raised on the third day. When asked, Jesus explains that it is not up to Him to grant the seats on His right and left hand in the kingdom and that His disciples will not become great in the way of Gentiles. Instead, they will find greatness by serving each other. A healing of two blind men leads into the triumphal entry, the first event in the last earthly week of Jesus' ministry.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.