Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 20:29-34

"And as they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace: but they cried out the more, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I should do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and straightway they received their sight, and followed him." — Matthew 20:29-34 (ASV)

Pseudo-Chrysostom: As the proof of a farmer's industry lies in the abundance of his crop, so the fullness of the Church is the evidence of an industrious teacher. So it is said here, And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. No one was deterred by the difficulty of the journey, for spiritual love feels no fatigue. No one was kept away by the thought of sufferings, for they were going to take possession of the kingdom of heaven.

For he who has truly tasted the reality of heavenly good has nothing to attach him to the earth. At an opportune time, these blind men come before Christ so that, having their eyes opened, they may go up with Him to Jerusalem as witnesses to His power. They heard the sound of the passersby but did not see them, and having nothing free about them but their voice, they pursued Him with their voice because they could not follow Him with their feet: When they heard that Jesus passed by, they cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, you Son of David.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Mark relates this miracle but speaks of only one blind man. This difficulty is explained this way: of the two blind men whom Matthew introduced, one was well known in that city, as appears by Mark’s mentioning both his name and his father’s. Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was well known for having fallen from great wealth and now sat not only blind but also as a beggar. For this reason, Mark chose to mention him alone, because the restoration of his sight brought fame to the miracle in proportion to how well-known his blindness was. Although what Luke relates was done in the same way, his accountⁱ must be understood as a different but similar miracle. The one he records happened as they drew near to Jericho; this one in the other two Gospels happened as they were leaving Jericho. ¹

And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For they saw how shabby their clothes were and did not consider how pure their consciences were. See the foolish wisdom of men! They think great men are harmed when they receive the homage of the poor. What poor man dares to greet a rich man in public?

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, they told them to be quiet, not from reverence for Christ, but because they were grieved to hear from the blind what they themselves denied—namely, that the Lord was the Son of David.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, those who believed rebuked them so that they would not dishonor Him by calling Him merely the Son of David, but should instead say, “Son of God, have mercy on us.”

Pseudo-Chrysostom: They were encouraged rather than repelled by this rebuke. For faith is quickened in this way when it is forbidden; for this reason, it is secure in the midst of dangers and endangered in the midst of security. As it follows, But they cried out the more, saying, “Have mercy upon us, Son of David.” They cried out at first because they were blind; now they cried out even more because they were forbidden to come to the Light.

St. John Chrysostom: Christ allowed them to be forbidden so that their desire might be more clearly shown. From this, learn that even if we are repulsed, we will obtain what we ask if we come to God earnestly on our own. ²

It follows, And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you?

St. Jerome: Jesus stood still because, being blind, they could not see their way. Around Jericho there were many pits, crags, and steep cliffs; therefore, the Lord stands still so that they might come to Him.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, Jesus does not pass by but stands still, so that by His standing still His goodness might not pass by, but that mercy might flow out to them as from a permanent fountain.

St. Jerome: He commands that they be called to Him so that the multitude might not hold them back, and He asks them what they want so that their answer might make their need apparent and His power might be shown in their healing.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, He asks them because of their faith, so that while the blind confess Christ to be the Son of God, those with sight might be shamed for considering Him only a man. They had indeed called Christ “Lord,” and in this they spoke truly; but by also calling Him the “Son of David,” they undermined their good confession.

While men are called “lords” through a misuse of words, none is truly Lord except God alone. Therefore, when they say, O Lord, you Son of David, they misapply the term to Christ, regarding Him as a man. Had they only called Him “Lord,” they would have confessed His divinity.

So when He asks them, What do you want? they no longer call Him “Son of David,” but only “Lord.” They say to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” For the Son of David cannot open the eyes of the blind, but the Son of God can.

As long as they cried, O Lord, you Son of David, their cure was delayed. But as soon as they said only, “Lord,” healing was poured out on them, for it follows, And Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately they saw. He touched them physically as a man; He healed them as God.

St. Jerome: The Creator bestows what nature had not given, or at least mercy grants what weakness had withheld.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as they were persevering before this gift, so they were not ungrateful after receiving it.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Upon being healed, they rendered a great service to Christ, for it follows, And they followed him. For this is what the Lord requires of you, according to the Prophet: that you be careful to walk with the Lord your God (Micah 6:8).

St. Jerome: Those who had sat confined in Jericho, knowing only how to cry out with their voices, afterward follow Jesus—not so much with their feet as with their virtues.

Rabanus Maurus: But Jericho, which is interpreted as “the moon,” denotes the weakness of our fickle nature.

Origen of Alexandria: Figuratively, Jericho is understood to be the world, into which Christ came down. Those who are in Jericho do not know how to escape from the world’s wisdom unless they see not only Jesus coming out of Jericho, but also His disciples. When they saw this, great multitudes followed Him, despising the world and all worldly things, so that under His guidance they might go up to the heavenly Jerusalem.

We can interpret the two blind men as Judah and Israel. Before the coming of Christ, they were blind, not seeing the true Word that was in the Law and the Prophets. Yet, sitting by the wayside of the Law and the Prophets and understanding Him only according to the flesh, they cried out to Him who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

St. Jerome: The two blind men are generally understood to be the Pharisees and Sadducees.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, the two blind men sitting by the wayside represent certain people from both nations who are already, by faith, entering into that temporal dispensation in which Christ is the way. They are seeking to be enlightened—that is, to know something about the eternity of the Word. They desired to obtain this from the Lord as He passed by, because of the merit of that faith by which He is believed to be the Son of God, to have been born as a man, and to have suffered for us. For in this earthly dispensation, Jesus, as it were, “passes by,” because all such action belongs to this world. ³

It was also necessary that they cry out loud enough to overpower the noise of the multitude that opposed them. This means they had to fortify their minds through perseverance and prayer. They had to continually put to death the practice of fleshly lusts, which, like a crowd, always surrounds one who is striving to see eternal truth. By the most exacting discipline, they had to overcome the throng of carnal people who hinder spiritual aspirations.

For bad or lukewarm Christians are a hindrance to good Christians who are trying to follow God’s commandments. Nevertheless, these good Christians cry out and do not lose heart. Every Christian, when first setting out to live well and despise the world, must initially endure the criticism of cold Christians. But if he perseveres, those who just now opposed him will soon yield. ⁴

Jesus, therefore—the same one who said, To him that knocks it shall be opened—hears them, stands still, touches them, and gives them light. Faith in His temporal incarnation prepares us for the understanding of things eternal. By Jesus’ passing by, they are prompted that they should be enlightened; and when He stands still, they are enlightened. For temporal things pass by, but eternal things stand still. ⁵

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Some interpret the two blind men as the Gentiles: one descended from Ham, the other from Japheth. They sat by the wayside, meaning they walked very near to the truth but could not discover it; or, they were grounded in reason but had not yet received knowledge of the Word.

Rabanus Maurus: But, hearing the news of Christ, they desired to become partakers of Him. Many spoke against them: first the Jews, as we read in the Acts, and then the Gentiles, who harassed them with persecution. Yet they could not deprive of salvation those who were predestined to life.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Accordingly, Jesus touched the eyes of the Gentile mind, giving them the grace of the Holy Spirit, and when enlightened they followed Him with good works.

Origen of Alexandria: We also, now sitting by the wayside of the Scriptures and understanding in what ways we are blind, will find that if we ask with desire, He will touch the eyes of our souls. The gloom of ignorance will then depart from our minds, so that in the light of knowledge we may follow Him, who gave us the power to see for no other reason than that we should follow Him.

1. de Cons. Ev., ii, 65
2. Hom., lxvi
3. Quaest. Ev., i, 28
4. Serm., 88, 13
5. Quaest. Ev., ii, 28