And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Ver. 30. When they heard that Jesus passed by] Happy it was for them that, though blind, yet they were not deaf. For as death came in by the ear, so doth life. "Hear, and your soul shall live," Isaiah 55:3; a heavy ear is a singular judgment, Isaiah 6:11; a hearing ear a special favour, Proverbs 20:12. When God struck Zacharias,Luke 1:22, he made him dumb, but not deaf. When God struck Saul, he made him blind but not deaf. When God struck Mephibosheth, he made him lame, but not deaf. There is a deaf devil, Mark 9:25, and a deaf adder, Psalms 58:4, and a deaf man, that yet want for no ears, Isaiah 43:8. But "he that heareth instruction is in the way of life," saith Solomon. These two blind beggars had heard of Christ by the hearing of the ear, but that satisfied them not, unless their eyes also might see him, Job 42:5. They waylay therefore the Lord of light, who gives them upon their suit, both sight and light, irradiates both organ and object, cures them of their both outward and inward blindness at once.
Thou Son of David] They knew and acknowledged Christ to be the true Messiah. Few such knowing blind beggars today. They are commonly more blind in mind than body, loose and lawless vagrants; such as are neither of any church nor commonwealth; but as the baser sort of people in Swethland, who do always break the sabbath, saying, that it is only for gentlemen to sanctify it; or rather as the poor Brazilians, who are said to be sine rege, lege, fide, without any government, law, or religion.