A Blind Man Sometimes Sees More than People with Sight! Mark 10:46-52 DATE: 7 July, 2002 AM PLACE: BBC Blarney
I. Introduction ()
A. Jesus is walking with His disciples on their way from Capernaum in the North of Israel to Jerusalem (Mark 9:33; 10:1; 11:1)
B. They are discussing various topics
- His soon coming death, burial and resurrection (10:32-34) - which they didn’t believe would actually happen
- Who would be greatest (10:35-45) - things never change!
C. They now come to a large city called Jericho (10:46). Population of 100,000 people! They don’t stay in Jericho, but just keep moving - Jesus is intent on getting to Jerusalem! It was His time!
D. Some people, when they think of Jesus, they see only:
- Religion
- A way to make money off of poor people who don’t know better
- A man who failed to become a king
- Someone who lived a long time ago
E. But just on the outskirts of that town, a blind man sees something that the majority of the crowd was blind to.
F. It’s a man named Bartimaeus, and because of his simple, yet earnest faith, his life is transformed!
G. The Condition of Bartimaeus (10:46,47a)
- Blind - relied on people to take him everywhere. A lot of people are “blind” and they don’t know it! Blind to God and His word!
- Begging - relied on people to provide for his needs - basically helpless
- Barren - he had no purpose in life but to just sit and waste away stranded by the side of a highway as people passed by! __Empty life! __
- Yet, Bartimaeus took time to inquire why the large crowd was passing by him that day! He found out the reason was one man - Jesus of Nazareth
H. It was then that Bartimaeus SAW/PERCEIVED what the majority of people with sight never seem to be able to see!
II. Message - What Bartimaeus Saw in Jesus (Mark 10:46-52)
A. The End of His Begging (10:46,47)
- To stoop to begging was the lowest thing a person could do
- This man was as low as you can go - emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
- But to hear the name JESUS can signal the end of:
- Looking to people for all your supply (Philp 4:19)
- Griping and complaining about how life is treating you
- Trusting in your own abilities, or giving up because you DON’T have any abilities
- What a life to be freed from - so many even in here have a bit of this:
- Living like beggars 1) Waiting on the government to get you another entitlement 2) Looking to people to meet your emotional and even physical needs
- Not that we can ignore our needs - our needs are intended to bring us closer to God
- But that we can learn to rest in God’s care 1) God is SOVEREIGN - in control 2) God’s supply will always be enough 3) God’s heaven will make up for anything you have to do without down here
- When you have a need, or a problem - quit griping, and learn to pray and trust in the Lord, and cast upon HIM your every care!
B. The Promised Messiah (10:47)
- Doesn’t call Him Jesus of Nazareth - that was His common name
- Calls Jesus, The Son of David - The promised descendant of king David who would be King of kings
- The Messiah (Isa 35:3-6; 42:6,7)
- So few people saw Jesus for who He really was
- They only looked for a Lion, when they needed Him to be their Lamb
- They only looked for a Sovereign, when they first needed Him to be their Saviour
- They only looked for a Judge when they needed a Mediator
- It is still true today
- People see a wimp, when he was restrained from showing His wrath
- People only see a religious teacher, when He was the Lawgiver
- People only see a good Man, but miss the fact he was the only perfect Man who ever lived
- People only see and unfortunate death on the cross, when we should see a triumphant cry of IT IS FINISHED!
C. A Merciful Saviour (10:48)
- Notice the words, “HAVE MERCY ON ME!”
- Those are the words of a sinner - he knows he is unworthy (Lk 18:13,14)
- The reason a majority of this world is going to hell is because they really believe they are unworthy of hell, instead of realizing they are unworthy of heaven!
- This was the cry of David in Psalm 51 after the sin with Bathsheba
- Oh the greatness of God’s mercy
- To NOT give us what we deserve
- Bartimaeus knew he deserved to die lost and blind
- But he counted on God having mercy towards him
- Mercy makes a way for GRACE to provide our need (Titus 3:5)
D. Someone Who Would Hear Him (10:47-49)
- There is a large crowd of people around Jesus
- It had been growing as Jesus passed through Jericho
- There were also 12 apostles walking closely alongside Jesus
- And here is this beggar along the side of the road
- And he cries out
- Not to Peter, St Jude, Mary, pastor Craig, or Bertie Ahern!
- Not to just anyone to get just SOMEONE to hear
- But called specifically to Jesus - that NAME!
- As if Jesus could actually hear his little voice! AMEN!
- Now, the nearby people only heard Bartimaeus as a distraction, as a nuisance, or even an irritation
- The world goes through motions of prayer but doesn’t really believe they are heard
- That’s why they repeat their prayers over and over (Mt 6:7,8)
- And they hate people praying out-loud passionately
- But Bartimaeus saw his cry as being heard by Jesus
- We need to believe this!
- In our prayer time (Ps 5:1-3) - how treasured is your prayer time? (Ps 116:1-4)
- In our needy time (Ps 34:6)
- In time for salvation (2Cor 6:2) - only a limited time
- God hears (Ps 3:4)
- You can call on Him
- All day long
- For ANY reason - pray about everything
- To ask for something
- To thank Him for something
- To seek wisdom
- To sing Him a song of praise
- Don’t neglect such a great gift - Bartimaeus didn’t - and he was blind!
E. Someone Who Valued Faith Only (10:50,51)
- Faith is all that Bartimaeus had - and all that he needed
- He couldn’t find his way to God
- Going to church brought him no closer
- Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17)
- Faith is the only thing that pleases God!
- Notice the steps of his faith
- Called out to Jesus
- Cared nothing for the way the crowd reacted - peer pressure, and family displeasure
- Knew he was accepted and came near
- Cast away his old rags (Isa 64:6) knew he was going to get a new suit
- Clung simply to Jesus - waited for His work in his life (10:51; Lk 23:42)
- And that was all Bartimaeus needed
- Notice the miracles recorded 1) Jesus was stopped by the voice of one blind man, when a whole city couldn’t stop Him (10:49) 2) Jesus called - no Calvinism here - Jesus waits for our faith to act 3) Bartimaeus followed the voice of God - couldn’t see Him, but knew His voice - by the words he spoke (Jn 7:46) 4) Sight was given - proof that Jesus was the Messiah - God in flesh 5) His LIFE was changed
- Faith in Christ not only gave Bartimaeus his sight, but made his life WHOLE, complete!
- That’s why FAITH must be sure - needs the absolute authority of the word of God to rest upon.
- Jesus is not impressed with ANY of our works before getting born again
F. Someone Worth Following (10:52)
- When Jesus saves a person, it is for a purpose
- He is not a Convenience Shop - just go into and get what you need and get out again
- He is God, who made us, and seeks to make something out of us
- Bartimaeus is surrounded by people who are following Jesus for all the:
- Free food - 9,000 get fed
- Entertainment - able to walk on water
- Blessings
- But Bartimaeus is now going to follow Jesus because He is worthy
- Could have gone his own way
- Decided to go whatever way Jesus went - even into Jerusalem
- Is Jesus worthy of following - all the way he leads? Even into the valley of the shadow of death (Ps 23)?
- If Jesus is only worthy of a Sunday, then you are still blind!
- If He is worthy of every moment of every day, then something must have happened to your eyes!