Matthew 9:27-31 - Homilies By P.c. Barker

The blindness of sense vanquished by the sight of faith.

In introduction, dwell a moment on the frequency of the allusions to the blind, and to Christ's giving of sight to them. Show how it accords with the typical statement of Christ's work, which also had travelled down from the prophetic "Go and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see," etc. ( Luke 7:22 ), compared with" The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind," etc. ( Luke 4:18 ). Also in what natural harmony it is with alike the delicacy of the sense, the sadness of the deprivation, and the too familiar woe that bears the description of blindness or darkness. Note that there follows in this same Gospel a far more graphic description of the prayer to Christ of two blind men ( Matthew 20:30-34 ), which invites correspondingly fuller treatment. But that as this account is given us, in a word that knows no vain repetition, nothing that can be styled correctly repetition at all, it must have its specific value and its own significance of lessons amid other features that may show it common with other accounts. Observe, then, that we have here—

I. THE SOUND OF AN APPLICATION , A PETITION , AN ENTREATY , THAT NO DOUBT MUST HAVE TAKEN ITS RISE ORIGINALLY ON THE SUGGESTION OF RUMOUR , AND ABOUT WHICH THERE IS SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER IT IS THE PRAYER OF FAITH , THAT THE MERCIFUL ONE WHO " WAITS TO HEAR PRAYER " DOES ALSO GRACIOUSLY WAIT TO TEST WHETHER THAT SOUND OF PRAYER IS PRAYER INDEED . For what multitudes of us, for what multitudes of occasions in our life, for what multitudes of the lip-offerings of our prayers, is that very test needed!

II. THE TEST ITSELF REVEALED WITH ITS SIMPLEST MACHINERY , OF THREE DEGREES , SHOWN IN THE DELAY AS THE TWO BLIND MEN " FOLLOWED HIM , CRYING ;" AS THEY FOLLOWED HIM , STILL APPARENTLY VOUCHSAFING NO PARTICULAR ATTENTIVENESS , INTO THE REPOSE AND CALMNESS OF THE HOUSE ; AND AS FINALLY THEY ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE DETERMINING QUESTION , " BELIEVE YE THAT I AM ABLE TO DO THIS ?"

III. THE CONFESSION OF FAITH — WITH HONESTY AND TRUTHFULNESS ALL - UNCHALLENGED BY THE OMNISCIENT KNOWER OF THE HEART .

IV. THE NO DELAY OF MERCY , WHEN THE FIT QUALIFICATION TO RECEIVE THE BENEFIT OF IT IS ONCE ASCERTAINED . There is no delay now; no "making of clay," no application of any outer material. This is only the touch , that touch of energy, of omnipotent efficacy, the omnipotent efficacy of light and life.

V. THE IMPETUOUSNESS OF GLADNESS CONQUERING THAT FAR MORE ACCEPTABLE GRACE , VIZ . THE EXACT AND EXQUISITE OBEDIENCE THAT SHOULD BE THE GROWTH OF THE HEART 'S DEEPEST THANKFULNESS , AND THE BOUNDEN OFFERING OF A SAVED SOUL 'S PUREST GRATEFULNESS .—B.

Matthew 9:32 , Matthew 9:33 (see also Luke 11:14 , Luke 11:15 )

The tyrannous intrusion.

Note, in introduction, that the words of the passage quoted above from Luke 11:14 , Luke 11:15 , though given in a different connection, certainly seem to describe one occasion with that before us, or vice versa. If this be not so, the present passage is isolated, and has no parallel in either of the other Gospels. The blasphemy of "some of them," however—those "some" apparently the Pharisees—is treated of at length in a subsequent chapter of the present Gospel, and in both of the other Gospels. The present passage is allowed by very leading commentators to be distinct from such a one as that recorded in Mark 7:31-37 , and can scarcely be thought to be simply included in those sacred descriptions, that tell generally how the grace and power of the Lord healed many dumb and deaf and blind; and therefore needs its own consideration in this present place. Notice—

I. THE OBJECT OF PITY THAT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE CHRIST —A MAN DUMB , NOT BY NATURAL DEFECT , NOT BY FORCE OF DISEASE , NOT BY REASON OF ACCIDENT , BUT BY THE TYRANNOUS INTRUSION INTO HIS BODILY ORGANIZATION OF A DEVIL WHOSE MALIGNITY TOOK THE DIRECTION OF INFLICTING DUMBNESS ON THE VICTIM . Whether this possession and other similar were a result and forestalled punishment of excess cf immoral vice of their own, or of "their parents," on the part of those of whom we read from time to time; or whether really vicarious suffering, in days that were marked by the lowest social degradation, and could not justly be fixed on the individual sufferer as the meriting cause; or whether it were all to be safely described, as to the end, that the works of God might be manifested, it seems impossible to assert. The barest facts of these cases of possession are terrible, and for the fidelity with which they are portrayed, they are indisputable. They must be accepted even if they lay only on the page of profane history, instead of on the specially tested, the microscopically examined, pages of sacred history.

II. THE " MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS " METHOD OF TREATMENT OF THAT MOURNFUL OBJECT OF PITY ON THE PART OF CHRIST . It is the method of One who takes in the whole situation; who regards it as it is now; who recognizes who the invisible enemy is, and what the sting of his enmity; who delays not to confront his odious challenge, nor delays by a moment remedy and rescue for the sufferer.

III. THE SWIFT AND SUPREME EASE WITH WHICH THE MIGHTY ONE EXPOSES THE WORK OF THE EVIL PRESENCE ; AND DISPLAYS TO MANIFESTATION ITSELF THE GRACE OF HIS OWN PRESENCE . Now "he did not strive nor cry; neither was his voice heard in the streets;" but the voice of the dumb was heard, and the voice of an acclaiming, admiring, blest multitude was heard! And the crown was already being raised that should be placed on the brow of that King of kings.—B.