Text: Mark 10:46-52 KJV.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
INTRODUCTION
In the life of this blind man certain new things happened. Sat by the road side begging, heard someone special passing. Cried for help, but asked to shut up. Refused to be silenced, then Jesus heard him and sent for him. following new things happened:
1. GOD STOOD STILL: Never before that day had God stood still for someone. Sun and Moon Stood still but not God.
In (Joshua 10:10-14 KJV)
And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth–horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth–horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
:- One who says I will walk who will hinder, who speaks and it is done, the Lord of Hosts stood still.
2. THE ALMIGHTY GOD CHANGED HIS ENEMIES TO HIS SERVANTS: Those who said he will die blind, keep quiet, a beggar, they were the one sent to bring him to Jesus. Was a new thing. Before that date God had dealt with enemies in various ways, buried Moses enemies in Num.16, in Exodus buried Pharoah alive
3. A CREATIVE MIRACLE CAME HIS WAY: In (John 9:32 KJV)
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
4. UNCOMMON PROMOTION: God had promoted before, a shepherd boy was made king.
In (1 Samuel 16:11-12 KJV)
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
:- Can pick up a beggar from a dunghill to kingship, but pick a beggar from roadside to prominence in one day was a first.
5. HE GOT A NEW GARMENT: In (2 Kings 5:1-14 KJV)
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
:- Naaman got a new garment physically, he got New Skin get ready for A NEW THING.
God that removed reproach in the life of Naaman every "BUT" in your life heaven will cancel them today.
In (2 Kings 4:1-7 KJV)
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord : and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
:- Widow got a new garment of prosperity, The almighty a God cause a great turnaround in her situation. She move from scarcity to abundance. God caused multiply a bottle of oil, it is a "NEW THING"
2kings4:8-17. Garment of joy for a woman.
But in the case of this, Blind Barthemeus he got all the three. Expect 7 major miracles in the New Year.
6. DISCOURAGEMENT LED HIM TO VICTORY: He was supposed to be discouraged not to offend those who give him money, instead propelled him forward. He was not only discouraged but got answer immediately.
7. THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF ALL: He got a pleasant surprise. When he woke up that morning was not expecting anything spectacular but before day over so many things happened. Got healing, new friends, did not know he had a good destiny, not know born to be great, or that 2000 yrs after still talked about. Things changed so much, could not be reversed
IN SUMMARY HE ASKED FOR MERCY? Why? Knew he did not deserve divine attention. Why should God bother Himself to answer a beggar, a sinner or do a new thing in your life considering the type of life you have lived before. Should someone like me even stand before you.
But He said He will have Mercy ...............etc. But for His Grace we should be dead by now, particularly till now to experience a new thing. Just out of mercy. No wonder blind man just cried for mercy.
