CHRIST COLLIDES
WITH OUR BLINDERS
Luke 18:31-19:10
Pastor Calvary deJong
April 6th, 2025
Introduction: Climbing Trees
On March 31st — the last legal day to prune elm trees in Saskatchewan — I found myself 20 feet up a ladder with a chainsaw, overlooking my wife’s raised garden boxes. She loves to garden, but the shade from a neighbor’s overgrown elm had been blocking sunlight for years. A couple of years ago, we dealt with the roots by laying landscape fabric and gravel and building up fresh soil in raised beds. But we still hadn’t dealt with the shade. So, there I was — ready to trim a few limbs — until I realized they’d fall directly onto the power line. My options weren’t great: risk electrocution, break the law by pruning late, or disappoint my wife until August. So, I called Saskatoon Light and Power to request a line drop. To my surprise, a crew showed up 15 minutes later. One technician looked at me and said, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I said, “Yes, sir” — which was only mostly true.
With the line down and the branches cleared, I stood in the tree and looked out across the neighbourhood. And it reminded me of another man who climbed a tree — not for sunlight, but to catch a glimpse of a Savior. Zacchaeus wasn’t physically blind, but he still couldn’t see clearly — not until Jesus showed up. And sometimes, we need Christ to collide with our blinders so we can see what matters most. Luke 18:31–19:10 tells a continuous story in three scenes. Each involves someone who cannot see clearly, and each moves us closer to the heart of the gospel: that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
Act 1: The Disciples and Their Blindness (Luke 18:31–34)
Jesus, nearing Jerusalem, tells His disciples what’s about to happen: “Everything that is written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” He predicts His betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. This is a direct reference to Daniel 7:13–14, where the Son of Man is given divine authority and a kingdom that will never end. Jesus is saying plainly: “I am that King — but my crown will come through the cross.” And yet the disciples are confused. Luke writes, “Its meaning was hidden from them.” Despite walking with Jesus, hearing His teaching, and witnessing His miracles, they don’t see what’s coming. They’re not physically blind — but spiritually, they’re in the dark. Their assumptions about power and glory prevent them from seeing the suffering path Jesus must take.
Act 2: The Blind Beggar Who Sees (Luke 18:35–43)
As Jesus enters Jericho, a blind man hears the commotion and asks what’s going on. When he learns that Jesus is passing by, he cries out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” That title — Son of David — is a loaded phrase. It comes from promises in 2 Samuel 7:12–16 and Isaiah 11:1–10 about a coming King from David’s line who would rule with righteousness. This man may be blind, but he sees Jesus more clearly than the disciples do. The crowd tells him to be quiet — but he cries out louder. Jesus stops and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replies, “Lord, I want to see.” Jesus says, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” This man doesn’t just regain physical vision — he becomes a disciple. Luke says he follows Jesus, glorifying God. In contrast to the disciples’ blindness, this beggar shows what true sight looks like: faith that sees Jesus for who He really is.
Act 3: The Tax Collector Who Climbs (Luke 19:1–10)
Next, we meet Zacchaeus — a wealthy chief tax collector. He’s not physically blind, and he’s not marginalized in the same way the beggar is. But he’s spiritually stuck. He’s traded dignity for wealth, working with the Roman occupiers to collect taxes — often overcharging his own people for profit. Still, he wants to see Jesus. Short in stature and blocked by the crowd, he climbs a sycamore tree — an act both desperate and undignified. Jesus stops, looks up, and says, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” It echoes the murmuring from Luke 15:2: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” But Zacchaeus is transformed. He stands and says, “Lord, I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I’ve cheated anyone, I’ll pay back four times the amount.” That’s far beyond the restitution laws in Leviticus 6 and Numbers 5, which only required repayment plus 20%. He isn’t earning salvation — he’s responding to it. Jesus declares, “Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Come On Down — Jesus is Coming Over
Let me ask: Do you want to see Jesus? Not just know about Him. Not just agree with Christian ideas. But to encounter Him — to have your eyes opened and your heart awakened? That’s what happened on the Jericho road. A blind man cried out. A tax collector climbed a tree. Both were desperate. Both were seen. And both were changed. Maybe you feel like the blind man — stuck, ignored, unsure if you matter. Or maybe you’re more like Zacchaeus — successful but spiritually adrift. Either way, Jesus still stops. He still looks up. And He still calls people by name. Before Zacchaeus repented or paid anyone back, Jesus said, “I must stay at your house today.” Grace didn’t wait for him to clean up — it moved first.
What’s Blocking Your Vision?
What’s keeping you from seeing clearly? Is it pride? Pain? Fear? Shame? Maybe just distraction? Like the disciples, have you grown familiar with Jesus but lost your wonder? Has your faith become routine? The invitation still stands. Jesus is passing by. And He’s calling your name.
We Are a Church Where Weakness Becomes Witness
This message isn’t just for individuals — it’s for our church collectively. If the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost, that shapes our calling too. Let’s be a church community where:
- It’s safe to cry out, like the blind man.
- Outsiders like Zacchaeus are welcomed with joy, not suspicion.
- Weakness isn’t something to hide — it’s something Jesus redeems.
Because the story doesn’t end when you meet Jesus. That’s where it begins.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You still stop for the forgotten, and You still call the searching by name. You see past our blinders — and You draw near with compassion and grace. Help us climb whatever tree we need to climb, to cry whatever prayer we need to pray, and to follow wherever You lead. Let our weakness become a witness, our homes a place of welcome, and our lives a testimony to Your redeeming love.
Amen.