WHAT DO YOU WANT? AN INTRODUCTORY SERMON FOR ADVENT
MARK 10:46-52
Big Idea: Advent Conspiracy helps us live the core values of our faith in a time when everything around us screams to abandon them for superficial alternatives.
Supporting Scripture:
• Reading from the Old Testament: Micah 6:1-8
• Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 18:1-6, 16-19
• Reading from the Epistles: Philippians 4:10-19
• Reading from the Gospels: Mark 10:46-52
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Illumine your Scriptures by your Holy Spirit, O God.
Let your good news radiate from this story;
Let your grace break into our hearts and minds.
Captivate all who hear the tale of Bartimaeus,
That we might believe and obey.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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.
INTRO
It’s that time of year once again when we are posed with an extremely revealing question: "What do you want?" Our kids have insisted that Vickie and I make Christmas lists. The question they asked: “What do you want?” Many others have made their lists and checked them twice as the Christmas holiday quickly approaches, and today it is only 31 short days away. And from now until almost immediately before Christmas arrives, we will most likely be asked and asking "What do you want?" numerous times.
When one is a child, this question is full of opportunity, and most of us probably learned rather quickly how to capitalize on such a question. We learn that some requests - maybe for the latest and greatest expensive holiday toy, a pony, or even a Red-Ryder bee-bee gun like Ralphie - will almost always go unanswered. But there are other requests that would be rather strange to be left unanswered.
• Who could turn down the request of a child for a family game or any item that would increase their learning or skills?
• I can almost guarantee that any child who asks for socks will not be disappointed on Christmas morning.
All of this, however, is dependent on their response to the question "What do you want?"
As accustomed as we are to hearing this question at this time of year, it sounds like such a strange question on the lips of Jesus. He’s talking to a blind man after all - why ask what the blind man wants? But it is in this question posed to Bartimaeus that we hope to hear from God today.
Before we jump into the story of Bartimaeus, we would to do well to look at the setting that Mark has so intricately prepared for us. What many of us fail to see in this text is that Jesus asked this very same question of two disciples just a few verses earlier. The brothers James and John come to Jesus. Listen to this story:
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,
40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” This is a pretty bold request. And yet Jesus is willing to entertain their appeal. So he responds asking “What do you want me to do for you?” Opportunity is ripe. These two disciples can ask Jesus for whatever they wish.
And they ask Jesus for something rather unbelievable. They say, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.” James and John are looking for thrones. They believe Jesus has come to set up a kingdom, and they want to be with Jesus at the top. You can imagine the looks on the faces of the other disciples when they hear this request, as all eyes fall on Jesus to see what his response to this request will be. Jesus’ response cuts straight to the heart: “You don’t know what you’re asking!” Their request is vigorously denied, and Mark sets up this whole scene for us to encounter immediately before Bartimaeus’ own story in our gospel reading for today.
In the next act of Mark’s gospel, Jesus, his disciples, and a sizable crowd are making their way out of Jericho when their journey is interrupted by a blind beggar at the side of the road. His name is Bartimaeus, and he’s screaming out -- in the same language used to describe the way that demons shriek -- “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” He has to shout this numerous times, as loud and he can muster, and somehow this blind beggar is able to capture Jesus’ attention in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the crowd making their way through the busy streets. After getting his attention, Jesus has the crowd call Bartimaeus forward.
Then the question is posed - the same one offered to James and John - the question asked this time of Bartimaeus “What do you want me to do for you?” I think Mark wants us to imagine Jesus looking over Bartimaeus’ shoulder ask he asks this, staring straight into the eyes of James and John. Surely, this shrieking blind beggar will not fair any better than the disciples who have been following Jesus the whole time. “Let me see again” is his response. And without a touch or gesture, Jesus simply tells him to “Go,” that his “faith” has restored him -- and Bartimaeus’ sight returns, and seeing again he joins in with the crowd as one following Jesus on the way.
You can imagine James and John scratching their heads in frustration. What just happened! You can almost hear them wondering “How does this blind beggar end up having his request honored while ours is denied? What makes Bartimaeus’ request so different from our own?” And I think if we are going to be honest, this same difficulty vexes us as we read this passage. How often do we too come to Jesus wanting something, desiring to have God work something great for us, all too often to leave empty handed and confused, all the while envious of the ways God seems to be working -- and working so extraordinarily -- in the lives of others?
Like James and John, we probably miss the point and fail to see what is going on in this story of Bartimaeus. Notice if you will, what it is that James and John are asking for. They want to sit at Jesus’ right and left, resting on thrones in the coming kingdom. But there is something deeper to discern in their request. James and John are not just looking for a future place in the kingdom they envisioned Jesus setting up. No, they are certainly looking for much more -- they are hungering for position, prestige, prominence, and power. Their want and desire is for greatness, presumably when Jesus is enthroned as king - something they were desperately hoping for on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. It is to this request for position, prestige, and power that Jesus says: “You don’t know what you’re asking!” Jesus explains to them that they, along with the other disciples, just are not getting it. Jesus explains that they were asking the wrong question of the wrong person. Jesus’ explanation to them is two-fold. First, Jesus says that such a request is not his to answer, and second, Jesus says that they have failed to understand that his kingdom is about service and suffering, not thrones of power, position, prominence, or prestige.
Jesus simply cannot answer the request for James and John. Their request is simply incompatible with who Jesus is and what his mission is about. Imagine asking Gandhi or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to teach you how to throw a left hook. Could they show you? Would they show you? I’m almost positive they would not. For Gandhi or Dr. King to do so would violate their core values of nonviolence. The same is true of Jesus in this case. Granting this request would violate the very image of Jesus and the difficult road of discipleship described in Mark.
Maybe like James and John, many of the requests we make of God never seem to be answered for the same reason. While I’m sure that many of us are not looking for a throne to sit beside Jesus with and exercise his power, I wonder how we approach Jesus seeking responses to requests that are entirely misguided.
• How often do we seek to have our own fortunes restored, without concern for the needs of those around us?
• Are we envisioning faith as something that will help us get ahead and provide a measure of prosperity?
• Do we ask for trivial wants and desires - treating Jesus as if he were some divine santa or genie - instead of desperately pleading for the opportunity to participate in the mission of God?
I cannot help but hear in this text the echoes of James’ letter when he writes, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly.” Maybe, like James and John, we leave Jesus’ presence empty-handed and confused because in our requests we show that we too have failed to see who Jesus is and what the life of discipleship is about.
Blind and begging Bartimaeus, on the other hand, he certainly can see - and he sees much better than James and John. Bartimaeus recognizes who Jesus is what his ministry is about. He acclaims Jesus as the “Son of David” - which is a messianic title, but so much more. This title for Jesus is connected with the healing work of God; not a kingdom of power. He asks of Jesus something that only God can give, as the psalmist and prophets suggest that only God can restore sight to the blind. Bartimaeus may be blind, but can certainly see who Jesus is, more than just a one-dimensional political revolutionary, healer, or teacher -- Bartimaeus sees God at work and present in Jesus, and his request is made in light of his extraordinary insight. Seeing who Jesus is, Bartimaeus makes a fitting request. He asks the one who has come in God’s power to do what only God can do.
And it quickly becomes apparent that Bartimaeus is not just seeking sight to have life as usual restored to him. For when Jesus tells him to “Go,” he does not take this as an opportunity to return to his hometown, seek out employment, or anything else. No, his request for this newfound sight is necessary for him to get up on follow Jesus. And he follows Jesus “on the way,” which is a chorus Mark uses time and again to speak of what it means to be one of Jesus’ disciples. Mark seems to want us to see that Bartimaeus has not requested sight alone, but the chance to both see again and follow Jesus. Bartimaeus is not looking for a throne -- for some grandiose place in the kingdom -- he is requesting for his sight to be returned so that he can ultimately follow Jesus.
As I see it, John and James heard a different question than Bartimaeus. John and James heard an opportunity to exploit for personal gain and power. Bartimaeus heard an opportunity to be made whole and follow the Christ.
Two centuries ago, a somewhat obscure Scottish historian named Tytler made this profound observation:
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits …"
If I may borrow the concept and apply it to our faith and our Christmas:
“Christmas will cease to exist as a holiday that proclaims our faith, once the people discover they can use it for self-gratification and materialistic gains.”
Materialism is simply incompatible with the core values of our faith!
WRAP-UP
I wonder if our “What Do You Want?” lists need revising in light of Bartimaeus’ story. Mine does. How might we change what we ask for if we made requests in light of who Jesus is and a desire to participate in his mission?
• Maybe we would ask for the dissolution of our prejudices and fears so that we could reach out into the diverse community around us.
• Maybe we would ask for the strength and courage to stand with the forgotten in our society.
• Maybe, like Bartimaeus, our greatest request could be to see Jesus more clearly so that we are able to better follow him.
The point of Bartimaeus’ tale is not to simply stand in amazement as a blind man receives his sight, but to challenge us to carefully consider the requests we make of Jesus that we too might offer up a request worthy of divine approval and blessing. We are meant to creatively imagine what daring and bold requests we might make of God -- not for our own wants, desires, or benefits -- but requests made in light of the Jesus revealed to us and the mission to which he has called his Church.
And that brings us to Advent. As you know, we are using “The Advent Conspiracy” as a tool to help all of us have a more meaningful and “Christian” Christmas. We are looking for a way to teach and live the core values of our faith in a time when everything around us screams to abandon them for superficial alternatives.
In the next few weeks we will look at ways we can:
• Worship Fully
• Spend Less
• Give More
• Love All
As part of our expression of faith we are making a way for you have a Christmas that communicates the core values of our faith; values Bartimaeus understood but the disciples did not. We are making a way for you to bless others – even some who during this time of year, are in desperate need. Rhonda * will be sharing that with you shortly.
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Special thanks to Rev. Kris Adams, student at Union Theological Seminary (and my son-in-law) for this sermon’s concept.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
