Today we are going to read our Bibles in Mark 10:46-52 but first I would like to tell you about a parable.
PARABLE OF THE PENCIL
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
1. One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.
2. Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
3. Three: I will be able to correct mistakes you might make.
4. Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
5. Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now remember the pencil is like you. Always remember it and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
1. One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
2. Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
3. Three: God will be able to forgive mistakes you might make.
4. Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
5. And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.
Mark 10:46-52
46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, " Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, " Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 And Jesus stopped and said, " Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, " What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, " Rabbi, let me recover my sight." 52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus and His followers were walking through Jericho. They were on their way to Jerusalem. Many people were traveling through to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, so it was a carnival-like atmosphere. Venders had booths set up along the roadway to try to attract business from people passing by them. They were selling and shouting to the people walking by. A man named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the roadway, begging. Bartimaeus was blind. He didn't have anything to sell; he was just calling out for mercy from those who walked by him. In that society, there was no welfare or social security; if you couldn't work and didn't have someone to take care of you, you had to beg for money or food to eat. It was a very sad situation for Bartimaeus. When he heard that Jesus was walking in front of him, he began to cry out to him, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
1. CRY OUT TO GOD - BE BOLD!
The Bible says that as soon as he heard about Jesus he began to cry out. He began for crying out loud! He could have just wished in his heart that Jesus would touch him. He could have just asked someone to go and talk to Jesus but Bartimaeus knew that his healing depended on a close encounter between him and Jesus. Blind people don't like to be helped unless it's their last resource. He took matters into his own hands and just started to cry for Mercy louder and louder.
Are you in need of a miracle? How hard do you need it? How desperate are you?
Probably it's time for you to do Something Bold and dramatic: "This blind man threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus." Sometimes, we have to do something different. We can't do the same old thing. If you're going to break out of your problems you have to get rid of every burden.
Bartimaeus coat represented his old way of life. It was his beggars uniform. He was dressed for begging.
Hebrews 12:1 says; let us lay aside every weight, every sin that so easily entangles us." It says to lay aside every burden and every sin. Whatever is that is keeping you from keeping Jesus first in your life?
Whatever is keeping you from running to Jesus? Whatever is holding you back from surrendering your life to Jesus?
Bartimaeus took off his coat and ran to Jesus. He did something bold, dramatic and different. How many times have you heard? "When I get older." "When I get more time." "When I get the chance." "After I get past this test, or this meeting, or this problem, or this trouble."
Today is your day to run to Jesus and lay aside your prejudice agains the Lord! Jesus is passing by this place and you have your opportunity to accept Him as your Saviour!
2. YOUR CURRENT VALUES MAY HAVE BEEN BLINDING YOU!
Bartimaeus was the son of Timaeus = "highly prized" (of great value). He was the blind man that Jesus healed that day. It is significant that he was the son of a highly prized man "Timaeus".
You know that sometimes our heritage and the values we received from our parents and our tradition may blind us tithe truth of the Gospel.
How many times I've heard people saying "I was raised Catholic" or "I am a Jew by birth". People link who they are to their family beliefs. Some are strong in those beliefs, others chose to reject their parents' beliefs.
You know that one day you will be confronted with the Gospel and you may resist the truth that is written in the Bile because t may go against your beliefs or the beliefs of your family.
I know that Bartimaeus wasn't blind because of his father but I wanted to mention the fact that he was the descendant of an important man. His family was known and his father's name deserved to be mentioned in the Bible and God does everything for a reason. Not only the Bible documents who this man was so the fact that he was healed could be confirmed. But the fact that he was the son of a highly prized man didn't allow him to have vision, he was blind.
There are two kinds do blindness. Physical blindness and spiritual blindness. Bartimaeus was physically blind but he had enough spiritual vision to break up with his past and embrace the power of Jesus Christ.
Are you bold enough to accept the fact hat Jesus Christ is the son of God as did Bartimaeus? Can you just think with your head for a moment and forget about your system of beliefs? It doesn't matter if you whe born catholic or Muslim or Hindu. The question is what are you going to do about Jesus? God is calling you today to accept his love and his mercy. God is he to touch you and remove our blindness.
3. JESUS IS ASKING, " What do you want me to do for you?"
Jesus is still asking the same question to all of those who call upon his name.
Joel 2:32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved...
First, I would like to mention what it means to "call on" someone. Let me give you a simple example. When a doctor goes to the hospital to "call on" some of his patients, he does not merely walk into the room and say, "I just wanted to come by and say, 'Hello.' I wish you the best. Now pay me." On the contrary, he involves himself in a service. He examines the patient, listens to the patient's concerns, gives further instructions regarding the patient's hopeful recovery, and then oftentimes prescribes medication. All of these elements may be involved in a doctor "calling upon" a patient.
When you call on the Lord it shouldn't be just a matter of doing a request. God is not just interested in answering to your requests. Jesus is here to ask you "what do you want me to do for you?" but there's a catch!
On the day of Pentecost Peter preached about this important subject. Peter quoted the prophecy of Joel and told those in Jerusalem on Pentecost that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21), he told them how to go about "calling on the name of the Lord."
The people in the crowd in Acts 2 did not understand Peter's quotation of Joel so in Acts 2:37 we see that they question him and the first Church "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" And we see that Peter responded to their question and told them what to do to be saved, he did not say, "I've already told you what to do. You can be saved by petitioning God for salvation through prayer. Just call on His name." On the contrary, Peter had to explain to them what it meant to "call on the name of the Lord." Instead of repeating this statement when the crowd sought further guidance from the apostles, Peter commanded them, saying, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (2:38).
So there is a rule in order to call upon the Lord for a petition of healing or to ask Jesus for a miracle. You need first to repent from your sins.
Then you can expect the Lord to ask this amazing question "what do you want me to do for you?"
Conclusion
God is calling...will you answer?
I already told you that today is your day!
Just as the blind man Bartimaeus came to Jesus and received his miracle I am here to tell you that this same Jesus is right here in this moment and he is waiting on you to do something different. He is expecting you together rid of the beggar's cloak and to call upon his name.
Jesus is waiting for your decision. Are you going to get attached to the past and reject him or can you make a bold move and just crying out for the Lord?
God is waiting on you!
Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus said, "go your way!" and the Bible says that, "he followed him on the way!" I believe that Jesus knew that Bartimaeus was choosing to follow Him. Today you have a choice and Jesus knows everything about your heart. Will you come and call upon the name of the Lord? Jesus will give you the choice to go your way as he told Bartimaeus...but I am sure that you will also chose to follow Him..
