and now, two blind men were sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they began to cry out and say, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.”
This verse presents an event that has both historical and deep symbolic meaning. The two blind men are sitting helpless at the roadside, yet their hearing and their faith are alive. They hear that Jesus is passing by, and from what they hear their cry is born. This shows that faith often begins with hearing, not with seeing (Rom. 10:17). Their shout, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us,” has profound theological significance. The title “Son of David” was a Messianic designation, showing that they recognized Jesus as the promised Savior. In this way, blind people were seeing by faith what many, with healthy eyes, saw but did not recognize. Their cry sounds as a prayer and a confession of faith. These two blind men also symbolize human souls that are in darkness, who do not wait for someone to come near to them, but themselves, by faith, appeal to Christ. This highlights living faith, which gives strength to cry out to God even in outward helplessness and in a state of complete need.