I suppose that one predisposed to cynicism would declare that the Bible is both untrustworthy and incredible. Here is an example that might baffle some. In the gospel of Matthew the 9th chapter we see our Lord going about doing well. This is the chapter that the woman having the issue of blood for 12 years came behind Jesus and touched the hem of His garment and was healed. Our Lord said, "daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole" (v.21). In the preceding verse we read the working of her mind as we read her say within herself, 'If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole". We know indeed that she was healed and Jesus turned to her saying, "Daughter be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' Scripture says that she was made whole from that very hour. In Mark we learn a little more about this woman. There it is revealed that this woman was a suffering woman. Surely she suffered from the issue of blood. But Scriptures also says that she had suffered many things of many physicians. She had spent all she had, and was not better. Rather she grew worse. But Jesus the great Physician was passing by on the way to raise the dead at Jairus' house.  Jesus declared that this woman's faith had made her whole.

What did that mean? She believed that if she but touch His garment that she would be whole. Did she have faith that if she did the work of touching Jesus' garment that her touching the garment would make her whole? Was her faith in the work? Some preach such things today. Is that hard to believe? I have heard and sadly seen some so-called preachers entice droves to come down from their seats in a football stadium to the stage where they could be saved and have a home in heaven.  Shall we believe that God can't figure out who are His elect unless they can get down to that preacher? The fact of the matter is that those that are born again have already been brought down further than that stage where the preacher stands. They have been brought up out of a horrible pit where there was no water. Those that are born again have been made to see that their life was a nothing but a pit filled with miry clay and that they needed to be delivered and brought up out of that place. I would have no confidence in the teaching of a preacher that said that I needed to come on down to see him to have my ways established. It is God who brings us up and sets our feet upon the rock. It is God Himself that establishes our going. He has never said that all one has to do to be made whole is to come and touch his garment. That woman had no confidence in her own works.

Did she have any faith in the garment?  Brethren, that same garment didn't add anything to the one whom gained it by casting lots for it at the Lord's crucifixion. When the Lord stood up in the ship the wind and the sea didn't obey the garment that the Lord wore. The wind and the sea obeyed the word of the One that spoke from within that garment. The Word of God made flesh! The faith that the woman had was in Jesus. Her faith was in Him for she was in Him from before the world began! 

How different Jesus is from the stadium preachers. He came down from glory, to this land of sin and sorrow to bring many sons unto glory (Heb. 2:10).  Jesus never asked that woman to come and touch His garment. He instead gave her faith to desire to come to Him. Likewise, Jesus didn't tell Jairus to bring his dead or dying daughter to Him; but rather He went to her. He went to the dead and took the dead by the hand. The dead cannot take Jesus by the hand! The dead cannot come anywhere at all. The Lord went to her and took her by the hand and said to her,  "Arise". And straightaway the damsel arose, and walked. Jesus commanded that something be given her to eat. That's still the way that Jesus works today. He comes to each if His elect in this world and calls them from death to life and says, Arise. The next thing for one alive to do is to walk. Jesus wouldn't have you walk like a blind man into a ditch. He has established the goings of His children here in this world (see Psalm 40:2). When they are walking according to His commandments they shall indeed be feed.

If the cynic and the skeptic didn't have enough to in these passages the next passage in Matthew will no doubt cause them to mock. When Jesus departed from Jairus' house two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. That is a strange passage indeed. How would that be possible? How could the blind follow after Jesus? How would they know where to go, practically speaking? Here is a better question. How come all those with eyes to see didn't have a desire to follow after Jesus? These blind men were needy. These blind ones called out for mercy out of their neediness and looked to Jesus to dispense that mercy. There were no doubt many sighted who saw the good works of the Lord and found no desire to follow him or call upon Him. These blind men who could have never seen one of our Lord's good works were still endowed with faith to call upon the Lord. They had never looked upon a passage of Scripture but they knew that Jesus was the Son of David spoken about in the Scriptures.    

In my imagination I can see these two staggering behind him steadily calling upon the Lord. Scripture says that when Jesus came unto the house, the blind man came unto him. Don't you suppose that Jesus could have turned and healed those blind men as soon as they began to call upon him for mercy? I believe He could have. But Jesus waited until He came into the house.  Those stumbling needy crying blind men somehow came to him. Thank the Lord and His House. Thank God that the needy and blind still come following Him there. There Jesus asked them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" They said yeah Lord. Brethren, He is the only one that can make the blind eye to see.  He was the one that sent Ananias to preach Jesus unto Saul. Ananias said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. Is there any more evidence of the blind seeing than to witness the evidence of the desire to follow the Lord in baptism? Jesus said to these blind men, "According to your faith be it unto you". These blind men didn't come to Jesus to be born again. They came that they might see how to live and move and have their being in this world. They came with praise honor and glory for God and His mercies. They had come to Him who makes the Seeing Eye and the hearing ear and Jesus indeed had mercy on them.

Do you suppose that these two blind men were the only ones that Jesus made to see?  The cynics will direct you to different accounts of the Lord's dealing with the blind in Jericho. Matthew chapter twenty records the facts saying that they departed form Jericho and a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by they cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord thou Son of David. In Mark the account has our Lord departing from Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people and says, "Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. The account of Luke records the incident this way, saying, as He was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat at the way side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by he asked what it meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried out saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

From the distinctions in these accounts I presume that the wise of this world would believe that the Bible is a fraud. I can see why these things befuddle the wise of this world. All their worldly learning will never lead them one step closer to the truth. Here is a question for such wise and the scribes and the disputers of this world. How was it that these blind and consequently illiterate were possessors of faith and believed in Jesus? They had not the advantages of the sighted and wise of this world. Jesus declared, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent".

One account has our Lord saying, Thy faith has made thee whole. Another states that our Lord said, Thy faith hath saved thee. And the third has the fact that Jesus touched their eyes. Each account has the blind receiving their sight and following Jesus. Is it hard to believe what is written in the Scriptures? In fact it is impossible for many to believe the Scriptures. All the accounts have our Lord asking the blind saying, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?"  All accounts respond with the fact that the blind desired to receive their sight or have their eyes to be opened. The fact of the matter is that these blind men all already had faith.

Blind Bartimaeus was distinct because he presented a distinct witness. That account in Mark has Batimaeus sitting by the highway side begging. When that blind beggar heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out for mercy. Many charged him that he should hold his peace. That is still the case today. Those that are found beggars and strangers and pilgrims that are calling upon the Lord for their mercies in this world are still told to hold their peace. But this one paid them no heed. He cried out more and more. The best news that blind beggar had ever heard was when he heard that Jesus had told him to be of good comfort. Jesus bid Bartimaeus to rise and come. Bartimaeus cast away his garment. That is a picture of a great outward change. Bartimaeus arose and came to Jesus. Jesus then asked what wilt thou that I should do unto you? Bartimaeus said Lord that I might receive my sight and immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way.

The question is why is there a difference in accounts? Why is there one that has only Bartimaeus where the passage in Matthew has two blind men? Can we not conclude that there were two, one indeed was Bartimaeus and another blind man too? Both possessed faith before they received their sight. Bartimaeus seems to me to be a picture of one that was converted and translated into the kingdom following the Lord casting off his former garment. But what of the other blind man, who is he and what does he typify?  I am reminded of the one that is called blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (2 Peter 1:9). How horrible to have been made to see and end up blind again! Unless we are diligent to add to our faith virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness brotherly kindness and charity then we shall end up blind again. We will be found unfruitful and barren in the knowledge of our Lord.   Godliness is the evidence of growing vital faith. Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1/16/06 Elder M. Hoogasian