Seeing, Although Blind

1. What Do You See?

Read the sermon passage together. Matthew 20:29-34 says:

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!' The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, 'Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!' And stopping, Jesus called them and said, 'What do you want me to do for you?' They said to him, 'Lord, let our eyes be opened.' And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

What details stand out to you about the blind men, the crowd, and how Jesus responds?

2. The Blind Who See and the Seeing Who Are Blind

The sermon pointed out that the large crowd could see physically but acted with spiritual blindness when they rebuked the blind men. Jesus said in another place:

'For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.' (John 9:39)

And when His disciples saw a man born blind, they asked:

'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.' (John 9:2-3)

Why do you think the crowd tried to silence the blind men? In what ways might people today think they can see while actually being blind to what matters?

3. Son of David and the Coming King

The blind men called Jesus 'Son of David,' showing they recognized His messianic authority. Earlier in Matthew:

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David.' (Matthew 9:27)

And after this healing, when Jesus entered Jerusalem:

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14)

What does the title 'Son of David' tell us about who Jesus is? Why is it significant that outcasts like these blind men saw Jesus clearly when many religious people missed it?

4. Mercy We Do Not Deserve

The sermon connected Jesus' healing to the mercy He offers sinners. Jesus came:

not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

And Paul writes:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

How is receiving spiritual sight from Jesus different from earning a reward? What does it mean that He gives mercy instead of what we deserve?

5. Where Do You Need Sight?

The preacher shared that physical problems do not necessarily mean God is punishing someone, but every spiritual need requires God's mercy. The psalmist says:

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. (Psalm 146:8)

What are some ways teenagers today can be spiritually blind—maybe to their own sin, to who Jesus really is, or to the needs of others around them? What would it look like to cry out to Jesus for mercy in those areas?

6. Debate: A Ransom for Many—Is Mercy Fair?

Jesus healed these two men, but He died as a ransom for a great crowd. The sermon asked whether all who followed Jesus physically would be part of the crowd He saves. Consider this:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Is it fair for Jesus to show mercy only to those who trust Him? Why or why not? Does grace being free make it more amazing or more confusing? Defend your view.