Anybody’s Welcome

Luke 18:35-43

Not long after we started the church at Navajo, New Mexico, an early teen girl visited the church and enjoyed it. The next week, she asked her older brother to bring her, and because she was the only girl, with six brothers, she could get almost anything she asked. Bob, (not his real name), was drunk and stayed in the truck waiting for her. Every week, he did the same thing. When it got colder, Mom got concerned for him and invited him several times, but he refused because he was drunk and didn’t want to cause a disturbance. One morning the temperature was well below zero, and Mom refused to take no for an answer because she was afraid he would freeze while he waited, as the sister had told her the heater didn’t work.

He sat at the very back, with his hat pulled down and refusing to speak to anyone, obviously drunk, but caused no problem. When the invitation was given, he came forward and accepted the Lord. The next Sunday, he came in sober, wearing clean clothes, with his hair cut and a smile on his face. He went around and shook hands with everyone in the building. That was in early 1964. Today he and his wife are still members of that church. We really wondered if he could even understand enough to get saved when he was that drunk, but he did. We learned later that Bob had been told he couldn’t go into other churches because he was drunk. People toled the blind man in todays story he couldn’t come either.

“And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by 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, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.” (Luke 18:35-39)

The blind man Hadn’t seen Jesus, but he’d heard about him, and believed he could help him, so he cried out for help. The crowd was embarrassed by the disturbance and tried to shut him up, but he continued to ask for help. Jesus heard, like he always does, and responded, ordering them to bring him to him.

“And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.” (Luke 18:40-41)

While he believed Jesus could and would help him, nothing happened until he told Jesus what he wanted. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Our faith accomplishes nothing until we act on it, as James 2:13-26 teaches. Just asking was all the man had to do, and it is all we have to do to be saved. When he asked, Jesus responded.

“And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.” (Luke 18:42-43)

Not only did he receive his sight, but he was saved. It was an immediate result. Like Bob, he didn’t go back to what he used to do, but began following the Lord, praising God.

This is the second time people tried to keep somebody from coming to Jesus because they didn’t want to be embarrassed or disturbed. We have no authority to deny anyone access, whether they be rich or poor, old or young, or of another race. Jesus commanded to let them come, and even to bring them.