John is preaching from Luke 18:35-19:10 under the title, ‘He Turned Not From Us’. He writes,

“The healing of a blind beggar and the saving of a rich tax collector speak profoundly of how Jesus does not allow the world’s mood and judgments to determine what he should be about and who he should associate with – he is not politically motivated. He will heal and redeem who he wants to! He came to seek and save what was lost, including the unwanted and unloved.

The beggar’s stubborn refusal to be sidelined by the crowd in his desire to be healed and the tax collector’s determination to find out who Jesus was, even if it meant climbing a tree, must have delighted the heart of Christ. In all this we see the Father and the Son working powerfully to bring their redeeming love to the most unlikely people, blowing away the stuffiness of human categories of worthiness and righteousness.”