There is a church in downtown Washington, DC, right in an area where there are a lot of street people. Almost every Sunday, a few of them would come into the church and sit in the back pews and watch the service. They are scary people, because they are toothless and dirty and they have not bathed or changed clothes in months; but, they seem harmless because they are severely withdrawn.
One day a bearded old filthy man came into the church. He looked like the picture of Abraham in some old Bibles, and if you got within a couple of yards of him, your nose would suspect that he might really be that old. But this particular Sunday, this man did not sit in the back pew. He sat right in the middle of the squeaky clean congregation. Right in the middle of the sermon he began shouting, “Hallelujah! Glory to the Lamb!” and other such things. Then he began to preach, confirming what the pastor had said in his sermon, quoting the Bible from memory.
The pastor was clearly terrified during this ordeal. The whole church service had gotten out of control, and he didn’t know what to do. But, when the old man had finished, he departed while calling down blessings on all those in the sanctuary. The congregation sat there in stunned silence and shame - condemned by their expectations of chaos but instead receiving blessings from this dirty, old man.
A similar thing happened a couple of thousand years ago outside Jericho. The Jews were gathering for the Passover, a time to remember the deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It is a mixture of patriotic spirit and religious fervor. They would come from every corner of the world, singing the ancient Psalms of Israel. And they would come encouraging one another in joyous ecstasy. It is estimated that not fewer than a million strangers would gather in Jerusalem at the time of Passover.
Add to this the expectation of a certain Galilean who has raised Lazarus from the dead. Multiply this with the anticipation of a carpenter’s son who had cleansed the lepers. Compound that with the joy over a man who had miraculously fed thousands of people. On top of all that, rumors abounded that the Messiah had come and would take His throne upon entering Jerusalem. It was an important moment in the life of Israel. One that should not be interrupted or disturbed by any one.
Enter the dirty old man. His name is Bartimaeus. He sits on the side of the road on a worn out mat wearing a tattered cloak. He is unshaven, uncombed, and clothed in the dirt and filth of Palestine. His face is placid and his posture resembles that of a hunchback. And when you look into his eyes you see a vast emptiness.
He is also blind. He is deprived of the most valuable scent. He is a stranger to the beauties of nature. He can hear the sounds of voices, but cannot see the faces who speak. He can feel those who come in contact with him, but he cannot behold them. He is perfectly helpless and dependent.
He is also poor. Thus, he is not only blind, but a beggar. He is pitied for both but responsible for neither. He begs because he is poor and his poverty is due to his blindness; therefore, there is no sin in his begging. Apparently he receives enough to support a daily existence. But he requires much more for a full life.
Keep in mind that Bartimaeus is blind, not deaf. He had heard of Jesus. He may have heard about how Jesus had healed a blind man on a previous visit to Jerusalem. He may have heard what Jesus told the followers of John the Baptist: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”
So, Bartimaeus sits, waiting. He thinks to himself, “If only I can get close enough for Him to hear me I can be made whole. But, what if he cannot hear me? What if he does not care about someone like me?” Bartimaeus has no one to introduce him to the Savior. No one to speak on his behalf. His one chance for healing will be totally up to him. He will sit and wait patiently for the Messiah.
(I wonder how long Bartimaeus sat there before Jesus passed by? I wonder how much of his life was wasted because he did not know how to find Jesus?)
Bartimaeus now begins to hear the crowd grow louder. He is told that it is Jesus of Nazareth passing by. But he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd saw with their eyes Jesus of Nazareth. Bartimaeus could see that it was the Son of David. In other words, he knew that this was the Messiah. The people saw Jesus as a carpenter’s son. Bartimaeus saw Him as God’s Son. The people saw someone going to be their king. Bartimaeus found the Savior for Whom he had been looking.
Many in the crowd began to rebuke him. They tell him to be quiet and let Jesus alone. This was their King. He was going to restore Israel to its proper place. How dare a lowly beggar try to stop Jesus from this appointed time at this appointed place. Bartimaeus was to them a pest, a nuisance. His wailing was disturbing them as they listened to the great teachings of this Rabbi, Jesus. They were all hurrying to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, and they reasoned that Jesus had no time for people like Bartimaeus. To them Bartimaeus must be a great sinner because of his poor, blind state; otherwise, God would have blessed him with wealth and health.
But, despite the discouragement of the crowd, Bartimaeus draws the conclusion that he is qualified for Jesus to help him. He probably reasoned: Jesus heals the sick and I am sick; He heals the blind and I am blind; He saves sinners and I am a sinner; He finds the lost and I am lost; He helps the poor and I am poor; He feeds the hungry and I am hungry; I qualify.
The crowd continued to try to silence him. But he shouts again, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
And Jesus stood still. He did not simply pause. He did not slow down and glance at the beggar. Jesus stood still.
Jesus now not only seeks to restore Bartimaeus, but He calls on the crowd to be restored. He says, “You bring him to me.” This crowd which had just a few minutes ago tried to silence this pest, was now playing a part in his salvation. They went to him and said, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you!” So, he throws his cloak to his side, jumps to his feet, and comes to Jesus.
Don’t you find it unusual that a blind man would throw away one of his few possessions? My dad used to work at the Volunteer Blind Industries. This was a bedding company sponsored by the Lion’s Club for the purpose of employing blind individuals. While I was growing up I spent a lot of time at the plant. One thing I noticed about blind people is that they don’t let a possession more than an arm-length away. Otherwise, they may have trouble retrieving it. Bartimaeus had no such concern. He had faith that he would be able to see his cloak after going to Jesus.
And Jesus asks a peculiar question: “What do you want me to do for you?” But Bartimaeus was asking for mercy in a general sense, and Jesus wanted him to be more specific.
So Bartimaeus asks Jesus for his sight. His vision is immediately restored by the One who is the Light of the world. He is told his faith has made him whole and that he may go on his way.
But instead of going his own way, he begins to follow Jesus. Is this an act of disobedience? No. Once we have had a close and intimate encounter with Jesus we will choose no other way but His.
There are two miracles in this story. First, a blind beggar has his sight restored. But its the second miracle I would like to leave you with today.
Allow me to re-stage the story: A multitude of people are making their way to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Among that crowd is one called Jesus. Many were ready to proclaim Him king of Israel. As they make their way into Jericho, a blind beggar sits on the roadside. He is probably one of many beggars calling for alms. But there is one who does not call for money, he calls for mercy. The crowd tries to silence him but he cries even louder.
And Jesus stood still.
We are told in the book of Joshua that the sun stood still in answer to Joshua’s prayer. But here the Creator of the sun and the whole universe stopped in his tracks in response to the prayer of a blind beggar. God hears the humble cry of every sinner, and this standing still of our Savior is a greater miracle than the sun standing still ages ago.
You see, Jesus was on a journey. As He stood still the shadow of a cross fell at His feet. He is making His last sorrowful trip to Jerusalem. In just a few days the cheers of this crowd will turn to jeers and curses. He knew that in a few days he would carry that cross to Calvary. He is in the middle of the most stressful trip of His life, surrounded by a screaming crowd. Yet among all the personal anxiety and commotion of the crowd, He heard a single voice cry out. And He stood still. He was going to provide a way of salvation for the entire world and He stood still for a single individual.
But this is typical of Jesus. He stood still many times for individuals during busy and stressful times of His life.
On His way to raise Lazarus from the dead, He stood still long enough to weep with the mourning family.
On His way to help a dying child, He stood still to deal with a despairing woman who had touched the hem of His garment.
On His way to Golgotha, staggering under the weight of a cross, He stood still to counsel several distraught women.
On His way to securing salvation for the sins of the world, He became still on the cross to appoint a caretaker for His mother.
And on His way out of this life, He was still long enough to issue an invitation to a repentant felon to join Him in Paradise.
Bartimaeus seized the opportunity afforded him. Not only was Jesus passing, He was passing by. He would never again return to Jericho. Bartimaeus may have feared that Jesus would not hear him and pass on by. An old Fanny Crosby hymn says, “While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.” What an absurd thought that is. For Jesus to pass by one soul would be to contradict His entire mission.
Jesus could not and would not pass by Bartimaeus. His very words confirm that:
(Luke 19:10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
(John 10:10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 3:16 & 17) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
And if Jesus would stand still for a blind beggar, a woman caught in adultery, a tax collector who stole from other people, 10 men with a highly contagious disease, a thief on a cross, 5,000 people who were hungry, a mother whose daughter was demon-possessed, -- if He will stand still for all these and more, then He will stand still for you.
I wish we had time to go around this sanctuary and hear the testimonies of those who have experienced the stillness of Christ. When I stand here on Sunday mornings I can see faces of people that have suffered the death of a spouse or child, have experienced divorce, feelings of unworthiness, times of disappointment beyond description. But I also see the faces of those who have called out to Jesus for mercy. And you know what?
Jesus stood still.
