There are two, different sermons on this page
29/10/06 Year B Last after Trinity/Proper 25 - Mark 10:46-52 ( Heb. 7:23-28 )
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." 52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
A man goes to a bar with his dog. He goes up to the bar and asks for a drink. The bartender says "You can't bring that dog in here!" The man immediately replies "This is my guide dog." The bartender says, "I'm sorry, here, the first one's on me." The man takes his drink and goes to a table near the door.
Another guy walks in the bar with a Chihuahua. The first guys sees him, stops him and whispers "You can't bring that dog in here unless you tell him it's a guide dog." The second man thanks him and continues to the bar. He asks for a drink. The bartender says "Hey, you can't bring that dog in here!" The second man replies "This is my guide dog." The bartender says, "I don't think so. They do not have Chihuahuas as guide dogs." The man pauses for a moment and yells out "What?!?! They gave me a Chihuahua?!?"
This passage is about blindness. "Of course it is," you might say. Bartimaeus was blind and Jesus healed him.
In fact, Bartimaeus could see better than many of the people around him who had the gift of sight. He knew who Jesus was. He called him Jesus, Son of David. He realized that he needed to come to Jesus for mercy. He showed a persistent trust in Jesus. He also showed a willingness to make a new start in life. He said that he wanted to see. In doing this he was giving up his old way of life of relying upon people's hand outs, and accepting that he would now have to work. The throwing off of his cloak almost symbolized this.
Helen Keller said - 'It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.'
Blind Bartimaeus could see better than some of the other people that Mark mentions in his gospel. He could see better than James and John who we looked at last week. They wanted to be the greatest. Their desire for prestige blinded them to the example of their master who showed and taught that to be great you have to serve.
Bartimaeus could see better than the rich young man ( 10:17ff - 15/10-06 ) . He tried to live a religious, moral life but could not see and respond to Jesus because he was blinded by his riches.
Bartimaeus could also see better than the crowds who would welcome Jesus enthusiastically on Palm Sunday, Chapter 11. Yet would not be seen to stand up for him when he was crucified.
Bartimaeus could also see who Jesus was better than the religious leaders. They claimed to know and revere the very Scriptures that pointed to Jesus, but they couldn't see their need for a Saviour or that he had come amongst them. Jesus called them "blind" ( John 9:41, Matthew 23:16ff. )
Samuel Butler 1612-1680, British Poet, Satirist: "A blind man knows he cannot see, and is glad to be led, though it be by a dog; but he that is blind in his understanding, which is the worst blindness of all, believes he sees as the best, and scorns a guide."
We live in a world where people are blind to Jesus. Some, like James and John by their desire for popularity and power. Some, like the rich young man are blinded by their wealth. Some, like the religious leaders are blinded by their pride and their mindset. Everyone needs to be led by Jesus. To follow the example of Bartimaeus.
We all need to come to Jesus for mercy. The Hebrews reading ( 7:23-28 ) mentioned that
"He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself." And "because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. We need to show a persistent trust in Him. To show a willingness to make a new start in life. Giving up our old way of life.
How well do you and I see Jesus?
Have we never seen the need to have him open our eyes? If you have not, do that today.
As we have just sung;
"Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come."
Perhaps we have already responded to his call? This may have occurred some time ago. We had our eyes opened, but as time has gone on we have lost sight of what it means to persist in our devotion to him.
A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.
This is a picture of the Christian life! In this world, we are in reality blind about what course to take. We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted - God himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course. This will be difficult. It will sometimes contradict where we want to go and the way the world is prompting us to go.
Jesus will help us, wherever we are. But we need to wholeheartedly trust in Him.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
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6/4/03 10.30 a.m. Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." 52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
PRAY
A television program preceding the Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.
This is a picture of the Christian life! In this world, we are in reality blind about what course to take. We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted - God himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course. In today's reading we encounter someone who received physical and spiritual sight.
Jesus was on the road to Jerusalem with many other pilgrims to celebrate the Passover. This was the final time Jesus made this journey , soon he would be crucified. Jericho was a very ancient city located five miles west of the Jordan and about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
a blind man . . . begging. The presence of a blind beggar just outside the city gates, on a road pilgrims followed on the way to Jerusalem, was a common sight in that day.
You may be aware that there is a Royal etiquette that you should not talk to the monarch unless he/she talks to you first of all.
Bartimaeus calls Jesus 'Son of David', a Messianic title. The Jews expected that the Messiah would be a descendent of David, which Jesus was, of course. Jesus doesn't reject this title, he is now on his journey to the cross and it is now too late to conceal his identity.
Bartimaeus is persistent, he doesn't let himself be put off by the many people around him. Jesus had been ministering in public for some three years now and Bartimaeus has undoubtedly heard about Jesus' ability to heal and perhaps had drawn his own conclusions about who Jesus is.
Jesus acts like the King by halting the procession and ordering the man to be brought to him.
The crowd changed their tune, they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
The cloak that was discarded by Bartimaeuswas an outer one that might have hindered his movement, but it may also have been used to collect handouts.
A King would have the right to demand something from his subject, but Jesus asks Bartimaeus, 51 "What do you want me to do for you?"
Perhaps the answer was obvious, but Bartimaeus had asked constantly for 'mercy', not his sight. Jesus assumed nothing, he wanted a response, perhaps to develop Bartimaeus' faith in him. Wanting a desire to change and to acknowledge that Jesus could heal. After all, a beggar of that day could lose a sometimes profitable and easy income if he were cured.
This shows Jesus concern for the needy. He is concerned not only for Bartimaeus' physical health but his spiritual health as well.
In asking to be healed Bartimaeus was opening the door to a new way of life that would involve him giving up begging and having to work. Yet he would also be able to see, to go into the city, be restored in his relationships with people, and be able to go to Jerusalem for the Passover and worship God in the temple .
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
The Greek word 'sozo' is translated 'healed' but it can mean so much more. It can mean 'save', 'deliver', 'protect' or 'be made whole'. Jesus might be saying that 'your trust in me has given you sight' or he could be saying, 'your faith in me is restoring you to a right relationship with God'. If so, this salvation is based upon the correct recognition that Jesus is the Messiah, the one anointed by God who has come to save his people.
Psalm 146 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind. Only God can do this and, in giving Bartimaeus his sight Jesus is confirming who he is. The Messiah, God and man who came to save people.
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Bartimaeus may not have followed Jesus as a disciple but to go to Jerusalem for the Passover along with the rest of the pilgrims. They would normally travel in a group for company and security. However, for all we know he could have witnessed or heard of Jesus' trial, death and resurrection.
A traveller in the desert awoke hungry in the middle of the night. He lit a candle and began eating dates from a bowl beside his bed. He took a bite from one and saw a worm in it; so he threw it out of the tent. He bit into the second date, found another worm, and threw it away also. Reasoning that the wouldn't have any dates left to eat if he continued, he blew out the candle and quickly ate the rest of the dates.
There are people who prefer darkness and denial to the light of reality. Bartimaeus was someone who was physically blind but could see spiritually. This is in contrast with the disciples. Immediately before this passage in verses 35 to 45 we read of their spiritual blindness. James and John had asked Jesus to do what they wanted, verse 36, in contrast to Bartimaeus who is asked by Jesus what he wants, verse 51. James and John think that Jesus' kingdom will be an earthly, material one and so they want the best positions there. Jesus corrects them, saying that his kingdom is about sacrifice and service, verses 43-45.
In another incident featuring the healing of a blind man Jesus implies that the Pharisees are blind, John 9:41.
This passage is about more than physical blindness or Jesus' healing power. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4; On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," A made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn't see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. He found it overwhelming. "I never would have dreamed that yellow is so... yellow," he exclaimed. "I don't have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favourite colour. I just can't believe red. I can see the shape of the moon - and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapour trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is."
This illustrates the type of experience that Bartimaeus had.
It also illustrates what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4. Without the intervention of God people are spiritually blind, living in darkness. What are the steps that we can observe in moving from darkness into light, from blindness to sight?
(1)people are blinded by sin. They do not by nature see the truth of God.
(2)The only remedy to this "blindness" is to call upon Jesus to open our eyes. If we ever see, it will be by the grace of God. God is the fountain of light, and those in darkness should seek him.
(3)when people rebuke us and laugh at us, it should not deter us from calling on the Saviour. We should be persistent. We should feel that our eternal destiny depends on our being heard.
(4)the persevering cry of those who seek Jesus will not be in vain. They who cry to him, aware of their blindness and knowing that he only can open their eyes, will be heard. He turns away no-one who calls upon him.
(5)faith is the only channel through which we shall receive mercy. This is, of itself, a gift from God by His enabling Spirit. Only through confidence and trust in Jesus can we be reconciled to God. Without that, we shall perish.
(6)those who come to Jesus will receive sight. Their eyes will be opened and they will see clearly.
(7)they who receive their sight should follow Jesus. They should follow him wherever he leads; they should follow him always; they should follow no-one but him. He that can give sight to the blind cannot lead us astray. He that can shed light in the "beginning" of our faith, can enlighten our goings through all our pilgrimage, and even down through the dark valley of the shadow of death.
Bartimaeus was persistent, he wanted to change, he trusted in Jesus which brought him sight and, perhaps, salvation.
Phillips Brooks, the minister who wrote 'O little town of Bethlehem' defined faith by saying, "Faith means Forsaking All, I Take Him.
We have had our eyes opened by Jesus. Let us ensure that our eyes continue to be open to what God is doing, and that our faith is radical and based upon Jesus. Let us pray that God will open the eyes of those who arte spiritually blind, especially those on our yellow 'prayer cards'. Let us pray that our lives may bear witness to his transforming grace, and that this will bring glory to God.
PRAY:
O Lord, You are my salvation, from justification throughout a lifetime of sanctification.
Forgive me for underestimating my need for You.
Forgive me concerning the self-sufficient, self-confident ways by which I have often lived. I humble myself before You.
I want to live by trust and confidence in You.
I long to live by Your grace, not by my best efforts.
Help me to know You, that humility and faith might develop in my life,
Amen.