A Blind Man Meets the Healer
Easter Series: On the Way to the Cross, #1
Chuck Sligh
March 11, 2018
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
This is a shorter adaptation of a sermon from an Easter series by Brian Bill found on SermonCentral.com.
TEXT: Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 18:35-43
INTRODUCTION
Illus. A blind man walks into a store with his seeing eye dog. All of a sudden, he picks up the leash and begins swinging the dog over his head. The proprietor runs up to the man and asks, “Sir, STOP! What are you doing?!!” The blind man replies, “Just looking around.”
This morning I want to talk about another blind man. He was not able to see, and it wasn’t a joke! He spent his days sitting by the places people would pass by, just waiting for someone to give him a shekel or a piece of bread.
Before we meet this blind man, I want to first give you some background to our story. In Luke 18, Jesus is walking to the cross to accomplish what He came to do.
Let’s read verses 31-34 – “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”
This is the third time in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus predicted His impending death, and each time He told them about what was to come, He got more explicit.
If you were to read through the Gospel of Luke, you would notice that beginning in chapter 9, there is a major shift in Jesus’ orientation. We’re introduced to what commentators refer to as a “travel motif” that permeates the remainder of the book. [VERSES BELOW ARE FROM THE ESV]
9:51: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” – And so Jesus begins His walk to the cross of Calvary.
10:38: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.…”
13:22: “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem.”
13:33: “Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following,…”
17:11: “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.”
Which brings us to verse 31 of our text where Jesus reminded his disciples that they were going to Jerusalem, and what was to come when they got to Jerusalem.
Today’s sermon is the first of a short series leading up to Easter where we will examine three incidences of Jesus “On the Way to the Cross,” the title of my series.
Without a doubt, Jesus is on a mission: He’s headed to Jerusalem. And the caravan of people who are following Him is growing at each rest stop. We see in Luke 18:35 that Jesus is now approaching the town of Jericho, which is about 15 miles from Jerusalem, and was a popular resting place because it was an oasis. It was here that the pilgrims gathered to make the final leg of the journey to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual Passover feast.
As Jesus heads into Jericho, He meets a blind man named Bartimaeus. We know that is his name from Mark’s account of the story. Bartimaeus is a difficult name to say over and over through the whole message, so I hope you don’t mind if I give him the nickname of Bart.
In this incredible encounter between Bart and Jesus, notice four things with me:
I. FIRST, WE NOTE HIS BLINDNESS.
We see this in verse 35: “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging.” My commentaries say that blindness was a very common problem in that day. And a healing from the condition was exceedingly rare.
While the Old Testament Law stipulated that God’s people were to care for those who are blind, there was, unfortunately, a cultural and religious stigma against blindness. We see this in the account of another blind man Jesus healed in John 9. There, the disciples asked Jesus in John 9:2: “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
There was this mistaken assumption that if you were blind, it was your or your parents’ fault, so you probably deserved it! Because of this error, blind people were often ignored or even castigated.
Because Bart was blind, he was relegated to a life of begging. Mark’s Gospel tells us this man was wearing an old garment, a sign he was a beggar. He’s just sitting there, waiting for something to happen because there was nothing he could do to improve his condition.
This is really a picture for our spiritual condition, isn’t it? 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Before our eyes are opened by God and His Word, we are spiritually blind and there is nothing we can do to change that on our own. Just as Jesus gave sight to those who are physically blind, so too He grants spiritual sight to those who are in spiritual darkness.
This man knew he was blind, and so did everyone else. Are you trying to act like you’re not spiritually blind this morning? The first thing you need to do is to admit that you are just as blind in a spiritual sense as this man was in a physical sense.
Now, take a look at verse 36 – “And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.” Bart knew that there would be a mass of people in Jericho that day preparing to make the final journey to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. That’s why he was sitting by the roadside with his hand out.
As Jesus and His entourage approached, Bart couldn’t see what was happening, but he could hear the commotion and excitement, so inquired about what was happening. In verse 37 some people in the crowd answered his question, saying “…Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
Judging from what we’ll see as the story unfolds, Blind Bart must have known about Jesus, the great Healer, who was headed to Jerusalem. So his heart must have begun to race. Could it be, that the person He had heard of was right here in front of him? It was almost too good to be true!
II. NOTICE SECOND WITH ME, HIS BELIEF.
Notice how Bart addresses Jesus in the first part of verses 38: “And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David….”
The crowd merely referred to the earthly heritage of Jesus—He was from Nazareth. That just lets us know where He grew up. That’s like someone saying that I’m from Texas.
That tells you some things—I like steak, fried food, sweet tea, Blue Bell ice cream and Tex-Mex; my team is the Dallas Cowboys; and I think Austin is weird. That tells you some things about me, but it doesn’t tell you everything about me.
Rather of calling on Jesus as a guy from Nazareth, in verse 38, Bart confesses his understanding of Jesus’s messianic heritage. In verse 39 Bart addresses Jesus as the Son of David—in other words, the Messiah, the one who the Old Testament had prophesied to come and save them. This blind man saw that Jesus as more than just a man from a small town in the north; He’s the God-man, sent from Heaven to be the Savior of the world.
Related to this, I suspect Bart was aware of what Jesus had done in other people’s lives. Surely, he had heard of Jesus giving sight to other blind people. Perhaps he had heard what Jesus said in Luke 4:18, when He stood up in the temple and read from the book of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind.”
When Bart called out for the Son of David to have mercy on him, he was expressing his belief that Jesus was the Messiah, and that He could heal his blindness. He knew who Jesus was and He also knew what Jesus could do for him. Do you know what Jesus can do for your soul? If He can give sight to the blind, He can grant you your heart’s deepest longing. You need to cry out for mercy just like Bart did.
Do you know who Jesus is? He’s much more than just a good teacher. He’s the promised one, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. And He wants to open your eyes and answer the spiritual longings of your soul.
III. CONSIDER THIRD WITH ME, BART’S BOLDNESS!
Bart was aware of his need, and his belief in Jesus was right on. But he did more than just believe—He boldly acted on his belief. Bart knew that he needed mercy because there was nothing he could do on his own.
So he called out to Jesus, the Son of David, for mercy in verse 38. In the first part of verse 39 we see how his cry annoyed the crowd’s leaders: “And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace…”
Those who “went before” (as the KJV puts,) may have been important city officials in Jericho or important religious leaders. They were trying to make a good impression on Jesus in case He was the Messiah! Bart’s cry for mercy distracted from their agenda, so they tried to get him to shut up.
I love the second half of verse 39: “…but HE CRIED SO MUCH THE MORE, ‘Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!’” This guy was really bold; he would not be muzzled! He chose to not listen to the crowd and shouted out even louder than before. He broke all the cultural rules of etiquette, for he didn’t want Jesus to get away. This might be his only chance to receive the mercy and healing he so desperately needed.
If you’re here without the assurance that you’re truly forgiven for your sins and on your way to heaven, I exhort you to have this same kind of boldness to call out for God’s help. Often people don’t because they don’t really understand their blind condition—or because they don’t believe Jesus can really do anything about it.
What about you?—Do you not see that you are spiritually blind and helpless? Or do you think less of Jesus than you should—that you’re just too far gone! If you saw yourself in spiritual darkness and desperately in need of mercy, and if you saw Jesus as Bart saw Him—as the Messiah who could heal and save him, you too would shout out for Jesus to save you!
Listen, don’t hold back or be afraid to give yourself to Jesus. Come to Him boldly and with confidence; let Him know you need his saving power. That’s what He’s waiting for—and He will answer your call and heal your soul.
As a result of Bart’s boldness, verse 40 says, “And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him…” Then Jesus asked Bart in verse 41: “What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus knew what Bart wanted but He asked the question for BART’S sake…and for THE CROWD OF PEOPLE who had gathered around. He wanted Bart to verbalize what it was that He wanted. Bart’s answer was simple: “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
What do you want Jesus to do for you? Have you ever put into words the cry of your heart for a relationship with God? Have you ever verbalized your deepest needs for forgiveness and restoration? Have you ever shouted out for mercy to have Jesus heal you from your sins?
If not, Jesus is waiting for you to boldly ask Him for what you need.
IV. THAT LEADS US TO OUR FINAL THING ABOUT BART’S STORY: HIS BLESSING.
In verse 42, we read, “And Jesus said unto him, ‘Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.’”
Because Bart believed and put his faith in Jesus, he got a “twofer”: He received his sight AND Jesus saved him! Here’s a spiritual principle you should never forget: Jesus always responds to faith. Jesus is looking for more Barts today—people who will exercise faith and cry out for mercy. Jesus loves to answer prayers like that by healing us spiritually from the inside out and giving us spiritual insight as he moves us out of darkness.
Verse 43 says, “And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God”
When Bart got his sight back, he couldn’t help but break out into praise! He was thrilled beyond words!
Illus. – A few weeks ago, I read in the paper about a man from Madrid, Spain who had been blind for 40 years and just had an operation on his eyes that was successful. For the first time he was able to see 4 of his 9 children and all 22 of his grandchildren! He was also able to gaze at his wife’s face. He liked everything he saw…except for the image in the mirror. Here’s what he said, “I thought I would look better. I look really ugly and old!”
We don’t know if Bart had grandkids or even if he was interested in looking in a mirror, but here’s what happened: He received, then he followed, and then he praised. Let me put it into different terms to help us see how this applies today: Conversion leads to discipleship, which leads to worship, which spills over into evangelism. Bart went from darkness to light, from begging to following, and from crying to praising…and His blessing led to the blessing of others as they too glorified God.
Bart THE BLIND MAN became Bart THE BELIEVER. Brian Bill points out that Bart immediately experienced four things:
-- A change of FOCUS: from darkness to light—that’s conversion.
-- A change of DIRECTION: from sitting to following—that’s discipleship.
-- A change of PURPOSE: from begging to praising—that’s worship.
-- A change of SCOPE: blessed in order to bless others—that’s evangelism.
You see, God wants us to recognize our blindness and put our faith in His Son, Jesus, and ask for mercy so that we can receive a blessing that can be passed on to others.
CONCLUSION
Illus. – I heard about a missionary who was raising support who took a trip to a church to speak alone because his wife and kids were not able to come. He was put into the home of one of the members, and they were insistent that he stay in their spacious master bedroom, which had two closets and a huge bathroom.
During the night, he was suddenly awakened by sirens and a commotion outside. He jumped up, disoriented, forgetting he was in a strange place, and headed to where the door in his home would have been….and smashed right into a wall. He couldn’t remember where the door or the light switch was in this room, so he frantically felt around in total darkness, thinking the house was on fire or something. He finally found a door, opened it and raced through it…right into a closet full of clothes! He felt around some more, still thinking his life was in danger, and went through another door…and fell right into the bathtub! From here, he figured out where the bathroom light was, but it wouldn’t come on, so he was still in total darkness.
Suddenly, he yelled out “Help!”
The owner came a few seconds later and said, “Jim, are you okay?”
“No, I can’t figure out how to get out of my room and the lights are out.”
The owner came in and tried to flip the light switch unsuccessfully, and said, “Our neighbor apparently had a heart attack, and they called the ambulance. Amy and I were next door when we heard you yell, so I came to check on you while she stayed with the family. These darn lights flip out all the time.”
He was so relieved to see the owner! He went to the electrical panel and flipped a switch, and voila!—there was light! In the end, they all got back to bed and the neighbor had not had a heart attack after all and all went was well in the end.
But here’s the thing about when my friend woke up:
1. He was in darkness and he knew it. – Have you come to that realization?
2. He couldn’t get out on my own. – Do you recognize that you are spiritually blind and trapped in a room of your sins, with no way out in your own power?
3. He knew he needed help and he knew the owner could help him (he had belief).
Do you realize that you need spiritual help? Do you believe that Jesus can help you? Do you have faith in Him and in what He can do for you?
4. He knew he had to cry out to get help and he didn’t let embarrassment keep him from crying out.
Are you willing to boldly ask Jesus for the help you so desperately need? Are you ready to go against the crowd, and against your peers in order to find what you’ve been searching for?
5. He experienced the joy of finally being able to thank his friend for “saving” him.
Have you experienced that same kind of joy and are you sharing it with others? Are you praising God with your walk and with your talk so that others are drawn to Jesus? Are you using your blessing to bless others?
Blind Bart seized the moment! Jesus is passing by right now in our lives. Dear friend, this is the moment—If you don’t take it, you’ll miss something extraordinary and your spiritual blindness will continue. Just as the crowds tried to keep Bart from Jesus, so too the crowd in your life are trying to keep you from Him. Don’t listen to them: stand up; be bold; go against the grain; cry out for mercy and healing; boldly express your belief in Jesus by recognizing your blindness so that you can receive a blessing that will spill over to others.
