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Here we meet two men in company, between whom there are notable points of agreement.

I. THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN BLINDNESS.

1. In community there is sympathy.

(1) Their common blindness probably brought them together. They were in a condition to enter into each other's feelings.

(2) So is there sympathy in the blindness of ignorance. Ignorance as to truth, ignorance as to goodness. The ignorant are at home with their kind.

(3) So in the blindness of error. Hence the grouping of heretics into communities.

(4) So in the blindness of falsehood. This is especially wilful and malignant. Against the clearest evidence for the Messiahship of Jesus the Pharisees closed their eyes (cf. John 9:41). The miracles they could not deny they attributed to Satan rather than accept the inference that naturally followed from them (see ver. 34).

2. In sympathy there is power.

(1) There is the power of opportunity. For sympathy brings contact. It also conciliates confidence.

(2) Then there is the power of the strongest will. The pliant are led by the resolute. Note: Men of strong will should be good and true, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of those they will lead. The pliant should especially be careful as to the company they keep.

II. THEY ARE TOGETHER IN SEEKING SIGHT.

1. They seek it from the same Source.

(1) "Have mercy on us, thou Son of David." Note:

(a) It was the received opinion of that time in Judaea that Messiah should be a Son of David (cf. Matthew 22:42; John 7:42).

(b) Jesus was confessedly of that royal lineage (cf. Matthew 1:1; Matthew 12:23).

(2) The Source of life is also the Source of light. Jesus had just raised to life the dead daughter of the ruler; now these blind men come to him for sight (cf. John 1:4; John 8:12; John 9:5, 6).

2. They seek it by the same means.

(1) Not by works. They cried to the Son of David for mercy. In seeking mercy they disclaimed personal merit. They cried as beggars.

(2) But by faith. Mercy was promised with the Son of David (see Psalm 72:12, 13; Luke 1:78). Mercy in particular for the opening of blind eyes (see Psalm 166:8; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:6, 7).

(3) They cried with the same voice. "Have mercy on us. Each cried for the other as well as for himself.

(4) They followed with the same persistency. They were fervent, incessant, importunate. So must those be who would receive spiritual sight.

(5) Yet their faith came by hearing. They could not witness the works of Christ. Like the Gentiles, they received the gospel through testimony.

3. They seek it with the same encouragement.

(1) Jesus encouraged them by his silence. They followed him through the street, crying for mercy. If he did not answer them immediately, he did not drive them away. Note: The sight-seeker should never despair.

(2) For his silence Jesus had good reasons. Perhaps he was influenced by the reason which afterwards led him to impose silence upon the men (ver. 30). Perhaps the seekers were not yet in the moral condition to profit by the miracle to the utmost. Note: There is encouragement to persistency in the reserve of Christ.

(3) Jesus encouraged them by his speech. Believe ye that I am able to do this?" This question brought their faith to the very point. They now relied upon his power. Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith so be it unto you." Herein he affirmed but did not restrict his gift.

III. THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN THE BLESSINGS OF VISION. 1, They see the natural light.

(1) Revealing scenes of beauty and distortion.

(2) Opening new sources of instruction.

(3) Discovering unimagined avenues of delight, and perils to be avoided.

(4) The miraculousness of their cure was evinced not only in its suddenness, but also in that their eyes were able at once to bear the light of day.

2. They see the spiritual Light.

(1) They see the Son of David. This great sight prophets and kings desired to see (Matthew 13:16, 17; Luke 2:26; Luke 10:23, 24). This sight these men, too, desired to see, but could not for their blindness, though they were in his very presence. How many in Christian lauds are spiritually in this case ]

(2) Truth is to the intellect and heart what light is to the eye. The giving of spiritual vision is a blessing as much greater than the natural as spirit is nobler than matter - as the eternal surpasses the temporal.

IV. THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN DISOBEDIENCE.

1. "Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

(1) He had already wrought miracles sufficient in Capernaum to convince those who sincerely desired to know the truth.

(2) Greater publicity might intensify the malicious resentment of those who would not accept the truth.

(3) It might encourage that mistaken popular feeling which would have him as a civil prince.

(4) The inhibition had its lessons of humility and the obedience of gratitude.

2. But they went forth and spread his fame in all that land.

(1) For this disobedience there is no defence. The command was express. They had no business to judge differently from Christ.

(2) Honour pursues those who fly from it. Honour is like the shadow, which as it flies from those that follow it, so it follows those that flee from it" (Henry). - J.A.M.

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KJV: And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

WEB: As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, "Have mercy on us, son of David!"