Called out of Darkness
By Pastor Jim May
Jesus and the disciples stepped out onto the dusty roads of Judea and began to walk toward Jerusalem. The time that they had spent beyond the Jordan river had been eventful and Jesus had taught some great lessons to the Jews that lived in that area.
It was on this journey that Jesus confronted the Pharisees concerning the legality of divorce in verses 2-12 of Mark Chapter 10. It was on this same journey when Jesus told his disciples never to stop a little child from coming to Him, proving that children have the same access to Jesus as any adult.
It was on this journey also that Jesus came across the young man who wanted to know what it would take to obtain eternal life. Jesus’ answer was simple and yet all encompassing. In Mark 10:21 Jesus told the young man to sell out to God, take up his cross and follow Jesus. Like so many youth, even of today, the pull of the things of this world are seemingly too great for them to sell out to God. His love for what the world could offer him right now was more important to him than what he wanted most of all – eternal life.
It was at this time that Jesus uttered those words that have plagued mankind since the day He spoke them, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven”. Of course the “Eye of the Needle” was a small, narrow gate in the city wall where a camel would have to crawl through on his knees. Some people are still convinced that Jesus was speaking of a literal needle. Either way it’s nearly impossible, but every once in a while a camel will make it through, and so it is with those that are rich in this world’s goods. Some will make it into Heaven’s gate, but most won’t.
Another valuable lesson that Jesus taught his disciples was that God’s idea of greatness and leadership is vastly different from that of the world. In the world, it is that one who is most honored because of his position and authority. Most of the time leaders are picked by the world because of their ability to influence other people, plus their wealth and success are taken into consideration. It’s all about power and control
But from God’s point of view, leadership equals serving. In Mark 10:44 Jesus said that he who would be a leader must be the greatest servant. Exactly the opposite of the world’s point of view.
If you want to be the leader, then practice being the servant. Be faithful in the small things and God will exalt you in due time.
Finally, after walking for a long time, they entered the city of Jericho. Jericho was the major stop on the road to Jerusalem. It is situated some 10 miles from Jerusalem and since the time of the Passover Feast was nearing, many of the Jews were traveling on the highways, passing through Jericho and continuing on to Jerusalem to be at the center of activities when the feast began.
Mark 10:46, “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. “
What a terrible thing it must be to live in a world filled with darkness. Someone told me a story one time of a man who was blind who was visiting in a friend’s house. In the middle of the night he decided to get up and go for a glass of water. The lights were off and the house was pitch black, but since he was blind, it just didn’t matter. A few minutes later the owner of the house else heard some noise in the darkness and got up, slowly walking around the house to see where the noise was coming from. As he rounded the corner, he ran, nose to nose, into the blind man. He turned to run in fear, tripped over a table, knocked down the lamp, fell over the sofa and then ran into a wall and bounced off onto the floor. Finally he found the light switch and turned it on. “Why were you walking around in the dark like that”, he asked his friend. “I didn’t know the lights were off”, came the answer. If you can’t see at all, and you walk around in a world of darkness, what good is the light to you?
No one knows how long Bartemaeus had sat by the side of the streets of Jericho begging. He had most likely been blind since birth. At no time in his life had he ever seen the light of the sun. He had never seen the sunrise over the hills of Judea. He had never seen the faces of any of his loved ones. Chances are that he had been left alone, to fend for himself, because no one else wanted to carry the burden of caring for an old blind man. His survival meant begging for crumbs or for whatever anyone would give to him. He was accustomed to being blind, but yet it was a very hard life to live.
For days upon days he sat by the road begging for anything to stay alive. There was no one to care; no one who took it upon themselves to help a poor blind man. Days turned into weeks, months and years, and still he sat begging, never knowing whether each day would be his last. His blindness was his prison, and he could see no hope of being free.
As bad as natural blindness is, there is a worse darkness than the darkness of a blind man. The darkness that fills the heart and spirit of a man lost in sin is far more fearful. To walk through this life blind to the things of God, not understanding of things that carry eternal importance, living only for today, with no thought of eternity, is a far worse blindness. Not are we trapped in a world dark with sin, but we cannot see the Light of the gospel without God’s help.
Bartimaeus represents all of us who were born into the dark world of sin. Since Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, every man born into this world is born into spiritual blindness. We all sit as beggars beside the highway, begging, seeking and desiring hope, but the world has no real hope to offer.
The world may throw a crumb in your plate; cast a penny in your hand; or even speak a kind word, but that’s all the world can do. The blindness that has stricken us and trapped us in gross darkness cannot be broken by anything of this world. We were lost in sin; trapped in darkness; begging for a little hope; and none was to be found anywhere. Nothing of this world can satisfy the longing of a heart for something meaningful and worthwhile. All that the world can give only leaves us empty and unfulfilled. We need something eternal; something greater than anything in creation, to fill the void in our hearts. It can only be filled by God’s presence.
Bartimaeus wasn’t satisfied with being blind. He knew that life had so much more offer than what he was getting. But where could he go?
We sing that old song, “Where Could I Go; oh where could I go; seeking a refuge for my soul. Neighbors are kind, but when I face death, where could I go? There’s only one answer – You have to go to Jesus. He has your only answer.
Mark 10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Bartimaeus was a blind man. He could not see anything with his natural eyes, but he had a vision that few of his fellow Jews had. He could see that Jesus was more than just a man; more than just another teacher of the Law and more than just a priest. His spiritual eyes were opened to see Jesus as the Son of David and not just the Son of Man.
The title “Son of David” was referring to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. God opened the spiritual eyes of Bartimaeus and he knew that Jesus was the very Son of God. He had heard of the miracles that Jesus performed. He had opened blinded eyes before and He could do it again.
Bartimaeus cried out, not just once, but continually cried out, “Have mercy on me!”
That’s the key to being called out of the darkness. We have to first realize that we are blind, wretched, poor and lost in sin. Then we have to be called by the Spirit of God to see that Jesus is the Savior and that we need Him to touch us. Then we must cry out for mercy, fall down in repentance and ask Jesus to give us back our sight.
Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
There are always people and things that will hinder you from coming to Jesus. And sometimes it is our own hard-heartedness or unwillingness to surrender to Jesus that keeps us from receiving our sight. Satan doesn’t want you to know the Lord. He wants to keep you trapped in sin, and he will do anything he can to stop you from coming to Jesus.
He will bring questions to your mind like, “What will others think of me?” “Will they think I’m a sinner?” NO, we won’t think that. WE know that already. Either you know the Lord and you are serving Him, or you are a sinner, lost in darkness. There’s no in between. You may have sat just fine through the entire message, but the altar call starts and now you just have to go, either to the restroom or to the restaurant. Your phone will ring, and of course anyone and everyone who is calling your cell phone is more important than what the Spirit of the Lord is doing, or trying to say.
You can just hear your friends in your mind saying, “Don’t do it. Stay as you are. All this doesn’t matter. It’s not real.
When that begins to happen you have to do just like Bartimaeus; you have to cry out to God even more. Block out the world and set your mind, heart and eyes on Jesus. Cry out louder for mercy.
You have to ask, and keep asking; knock and keep knocking; seek and keep seeking. God isn’t going to hear your prayer of repentance until you really mean business. This is no game we are playing. It’s serious business because eternal souls hang in the balance. It’s only by the grace and mercy of God that you will be called out of darkness into the Light of God.
Mark 10:49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
The disciples began to encourage Bartimaeus, “Be of good comfort. Come on, get up – Jesus is calling you right now.”
That’s where you and I as Christians, pastors and evangelists come into this picture. We are called by God to be the bearers of the good news of the gospel. We are to call out to those who are in darkness, “I have good news to bring, let me tell you about Jesus.” Come on, give your heart to the Lord. Come on, kneel at the foot of the cross and give it all to Jesus. He will open your eyes; He will heal the broken hearted; He will break the chains that bind you in darkness; He will set the captive spirit free! Jesus is your answer! Come to Him! Jesus is calling your right now. Jesus is calling you out of darkness! Come while He is calling.
Mark 10:50 - 51 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Bartimaeus could have sat there and remained blind for the rest of his life if he had chosen not to get up. All of the crying, hoping, begging and praying that he had done would have been for nothing if he hadn’t chosen to do something about it when the chance came.
He could have allowed Jesus to just pass on by and said nothing. He could have listened to those who told him to be quiet. He could have chosen to just wallow in self pity. Instead he chose to get up, lay aside the things of the world and go to Jesus. Nothing was more important to him right then but getting to Jesus.
When we get that kind of attitude and have that kind of determination to get to Jesus, nothing will be able to stand in our way. But you have to have the “Want To” first!
Jesus already knew what Bartimaeus wanted. He knew that this was a blind beggar. But Jesus needed a confession of faith before he would do anything for Bartemaeus. He is waiting for the same thing from you this morning.
What do you want from the Lord? He has called you out of darkness to come to Him. He has given you enough spiritual light to understand the Word of the Lord. He is calling you right now to come to Him. Lay aside your pride. Lay aside your questions. Lay aside the things of this world and come to Him right now. Confess that Jesus is Lord, the Messiah, the Deliverer and believe in His shed blood to wash your sin away.
What do you want from the Lord? What are you willing to do to receive it?
Bartimaeus cast aside his garment. He didn’t want the beggarly things of the world anymore. He never wanted to see that old worn out garment again. He wanted to be a new man. He wanted a new life and he knew that Jesus could give it to him.
Mark 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Thy casting aside of your garment made you whole.” He didn’t say, “Your cries for mercy have made you whole.” None of the works of Bartimaeus brought his healing. All they did was to let Jesus know that he wanted help. All they did was allow Jesus to move in his heart.
It was faith in the power of God, through the Son of David, Jesus Christ, that made him whole.
Faith in what Jesus has done for you and I on the cross is what saves you. Repentance alone isn’t enough. Crying out to God isn’t enough. You can repent and cry all you want but until you put your faith in the Blood of Jesus and surrender your life to the Lord, nothing will change.
Faith moves the heart and hand of God. Just believe and you will receive.
Bartimaeus received his sight and his life was forever changed. He was a beggar no more. He had met the Savior and was a new man.
Will you come to the Lord today and allow Him to make you into a new man?
Jesus is calling you out of darkness. Come into his Light and gain eternal life this morning.
