Transcription
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Welcome to Sunday School Lesson at a Glance, a ministry of the Sunday School Publishing Board, where we focus on teaching, engaging application, and learning for teachers and students.
I will be sharing highlights and key points from the Adult Faith Pathway Bible Study Sunday School book and the Towns and Press Sunday School commentary based on the International Lesson Series.
This week, we continue our winter quarter of Sunday school lessons. The winter quarter, entitled "A King Forever and Ever," explores the broad sweep of Biblical teaching about God's reign and connects to Jesus as the earthly exhibition of the Divine Kingdom.
Beginning with key moments in the history of David's ancestors, Unit One highlights Jesus's birth as the son of David. Unit One, entitled "Jesus the Heir of David," prepares us for the Christmas season with five lessons from the books of Ruth, Second Samuel, and Luke.
Lesson Five, this week's lesson, which is the final lesson in Unit One, offers a glimpse of Jesus as the son of David who bestows mercy on those in need.
Get your Sunday school book, your Bible, notepad, pen, or device, and follow along as we take a glimpse into this week's Sunday school lesson.
Now, let's get started with this wonderful lesson.
The lesson title for this week, December 29th, is "A Cry for Help." This is the title in the adult book. The title in the Sunday School commentary is "The Merciful Son of David."
The background scripture is Luke 18:31-43, and the print passage is Luke 18:35-43.
The key verse in this week's lesson is: "Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me.'" (Luke 18:39, New International Version).
Here are three questions to consider and reflect on as we go through this week's lesson:
1. How did the blind beggar demonstrate his faith in Jesus?
2. What was the crowd's response to Blind Bartimaeus?
3. What should our attitude and response be to those considered undesirable and marginalized in today's society?
Let's take a brief look at the lesson's Biblical context.
This week's lesson continues in the Book of Luke, chapter 18. A reoccurring theme in the Book of Luke is Jesus's compassionate concern for all people, including Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and any others whom the hypocritical religious hierarchy labeled as outcasts.
Luke presents Jesus as a man of great compassion. Jesus performed many miracles and healed many people while he journeyed from city to city. He performed healing and non-healing miracles.
The narrative of Luke's gospel is largely devoted to Jesus's intentional journey to Jerusalem, where he would fulfill his ultimate purpose on earth: to give his life for humanity's redemption.
Jesus stopped in Jericho on his way to Jerusalem and healed a man who was blind. This week's lesson is about a beggar who cried out in faith to Jesus to heal him. He had faith that the Messiah, the Lord, could heal him.
The lesson aims for this week's lesson are:
1. Analyze the connection the blind man made between Jesus and the son of David.
2. Identify your own response to Jesus's invitation, "What do you want me to do for you?"
3. Help guide the church's effort to hear and respond to the cries of the needy.
As we continue our glimpse into this week's Sunday school lesson, I'm going to share two key points from each outline in the lesson text and expound on each one.
There are two outlines presented in the Adult Faith Pathway Sunday School book.
The first lesson outline is "A Desperate Plea" (Luke 18:35-39).
The second lesson outline is "A Divine Response" (Luke 18:40-43).
Let's begin our analysis of the biblical text with the first lesson outline, "A Desperate Plea" (Luke 18:35-39).
**Key Point Number One:** A blind man gets Jesus's attention.
Verse 35 reads: "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging."
Jesus stood on the threshold of entering the city of Jericho. His destination was his final journey to Jerusalem, where he would fulfill his divine mission by offering himself on the cross. Jericho was his last stop before entering Jerusalem for one last time.
Many people gathered in the streets to witness Jesus, and on the wayside sat blind beggars eager to experience the one about whom they had heard so much. Beggars often waited along the roads near cities because that was where they were able to contact the most people.
Usually, the beggars were disabled in some way; they were beggars because they were unable to earn a living. They had little hope of escaping their degrading way of life.
Luke, however, focuses on one prominent blind beggar, Bartimaeus, who called out as Jesus approached Jericho. This man faced a significant physical challenge. The duration of his blindness remains unknown, but the absence of sight meant that he had to rely on his remaining senses to navigate the world.
His world was confined to places where others led him or where he could cautiously feel his way around. But this beggar took hope in the Messiah.
**Verse 36:** When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
During Jesus's time, it was customary for large crowds of pilgrims to travel in groups to Jerusalem. Along the journey, it was common for rabbis to teach and discourse with the crowds. Evidently, Jesus was actively engaged with the group as they walked.
When groups of pilgrims passed through villages or towns, those who could not join them often gathered along the road to extend their well wishes to the travelers. The blind man found himself among this group, and upon hearing the commotion caused by the approaching pilgrims, he inquired about the cause of the excitement.
**Verse 37:** They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
**Verse 38:** He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
The beggar boldly cried out for Jesus. He cried out for Jesus's attention. He didn't hold back; he wasn't ashamed to do so. The blind man called Jesus "Son of David." This was a title for the Messiah. "Son of David" referred to the long-awaited Messiah.
This means that he understood Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah. A poor and blind beggar could see that Jesus was the Messiah, while the religious leaders, who saw his miracles, were blinded to his identity and refused to recognize him as the Messiah.
**Verse 39:** "Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'"
In Mark's account, he identifies the beggar as Bartimaeus.
**Key Point Number Two:** The blind man was not intimidated by the actions of the crowd toward him.
The crowd around him attempted to silence him. They told him sternly to be quiet, but the man's desire for Jesus's help motivated him to cry out even more urgently and desperately. He ignored the crowd who told him to be quiet; his focus was on Jesus.
The man's physical blindness did not hinder his spiritual insight for recognizing Jesus as the Son of David, the promised Messiah. Regardless of any public or personal obstacles, the man was immovable. He refused to quit calling out for Jesus.
We can learn valuable lessons from Luke's account of Jesus's healing of the blind man identified as Bartimaeus. The actions of the blind man in verse 39 illustrate the necessity of bold, persistent faith, especially in the face of opposition and discouragement.
The crowd attempted to silence the man, but the more they did, the more he cried out to Jesus for mercy. He cried out even more despite the crowd's efforts to silence him.
This persistent man showed the crowd and every other believer an appropriate response to Jesus: having faith in his power and humble submission to his authority. The man's unshakable faith is evident in his refusal to be intimidated by opposition and his determination to receive help from the Lord.
The beggar was desperate and bold, even when faced with resistance. The blind man had heard about Jesus, and his faith was built on what he had heard.
Now, let's move to the second lesson outline, "A Divine Response" (Luke 18:40-43).
**Key Point Number One:** Jesus responds to the blind man's cry and request.
During the clamor and noise of the crowd of pilgrims and bystanders, Jesus heard the blind man's cry for help, stood still, called for the man to be brought to him, and asked what he wanted.
**Verse 40:** "Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him."
When he came near, Jesus asked him,
**Verse 41:** "What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, I want to see," he replied.
Jesus asked this question with full knowledge that this man was blind. He knew what he needed and what he wanted.
When the blind man responded to Jesus as "Lord," addressing him as Lord, he was humbly acknowledging Jesus's power and authority to deliver. Without hesitation, Jesus responded to the man's faith in healing and restored his sight.
Jesus did not allow the noise of the crowd to prevent him from hearing this beggar crying out for his help. In verse 39, he asked for mercy. The blind man cried out for Jesus's attention; he was crying out for mercy, and Jesus responds.
The man was blind; he could do nothing to improve his condition. The blind man knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the one who could save him from his blindness.
**Verse 41:** The man verbalized his complete desire: "Lord, let me receive my sight."
He told Jesus what he wanted; he knew Jesus could help him. In stating his desire to see, the man was confident that Jesus, the Messiah, had the power to heal him.
Sometimes our requests have to go beyond just mercy, but mercy for what? We must be specific in our prayers, believing that God is able.
Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus will stop and minister to our needs? It is also wonderful to know that God can do it.
**Verse 42:** Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."
It was his faith that led to his healing.
**Key Point Number Two:** The beggar's faith made him whole.
The beggar believed that Jesus was the Messiah and could heal him. He had faith. He had never seen Jesus and had more faith than the leaders who were with Jesus daily, witnessing his miracles.
The man had faith in the Messiah, and it was the Messiah's power that had healed him. Jesus said that his faith allowed him to see. Jesus gave him his sight by faith.
No matter how desperate your situation may be or may seem to be, if you call out to Jesus in faith, he will help you.
**Verse 43:** "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God."
The blind man received sight and followed Jesus. Somehow, he had heard about Jesus and believed. When the beggar was healed, he praised God. When the crowd of people saw it, they also praised God; they worshiped and praised God.
In summary, several significant spiritual principles are revealed in Luke's account of Jesus's encounter with a blind man.
First, faith is a necessity for every believer, especially for those who are desperately seeking a blessing, such as healing or deliverance.
Next, believers must have spiritual insight to recognize Jesus's true identity and submit to his power over physical and spiritual infirmities.
Luke does not explain how the beggar acquired such spiritual insight, but his actions prove that he acted on his knowledge of Jesus in faith.
The crowd's negative response to the man's pleas for help challenges us, members of the faith community, to examine our own attitudes toward the cries of the needy and avoid condescending attitudes, indifference, or distracting focus on temporal concerns unrelated to Jesus's mission.
Like Jesus, no matter what else has happened, the church must have a compassionate ear to hear and respond to the cries of suffering, desperate, persecuted, disenfranchised, and marginalized people.
God wants us to be kind to others. We must never become so busy that we cannot see or hear those who cry out for us to help.
As believers, we must never attempt to pick and choose who is worthy to come to Jesus.
**Our closing thought and question:** People in our communities are constantly crying out for help because of oppression, abuse, discrimination, and mental and physical health issues.
**Question:** How can we help and respond to someone in need, demonstrating Christlike compassion?
I want to wish each of you a very, very happy New Year. May God bless you abundantly in 2025.
In closing, thank you for tuning in to Sunday School Lesson at a Glance. I hope this glimpse of this week's lesson is helpful to you as you prepare to study and teach God's word.
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Blessings to you until the next Sunday School Lesson at a Glance.
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