Scripture: Mark 10:46-52; Psalm 34:1-8, 19-22
Title: Blind Faith!
Summary: Sometimes a story is more than a story. It is true with Bartimaeus story. It is our story as humans created to be a reflection of God's glory and honor. It is our story as seekers. It is our story as followers. It is the story of what Jesus can do in the life of a willing and surrendered person.
Proposition: The Story of Bartimaeus is a multi-dimensional story: It is the Story of the brokenness of humanity, It is the story of courage, faith and perseverance. It is the story of transformation - the opportunity to fulfill one's destiny. It is the story of Radical Discipleship.
The Story of Bartimaeus is the story of the Human Race - 1. Spiritually Blindness, Spiritual Brokenness and Powerless
The Story of Bartimaeus is a Sign Post pointing the way to Transformation. It is a Story of courage, faith and perseverance.
The Story of Bartimaeus is the story of a Sold Out Disciple. It is the Story of a Person Who Is Genuine, Whole and Healed.
INTRO:
Grace and Peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ, our Savior and LORD!
One of my favorite memories growing up in my home church (Beattyville, Kentucky - Church of the Nazarene) was Vacation Bible School. That was one of most precious times of the year for our church. It was a time of the year that we enjoyed wonderful fellowship, amazing teamwork and enjoyed the opportunity to hear these life changing stories. It was a time of the year that senior adults, young adults, teens and children connected to work together, learn together and invest in one another.
For most of my growing up years, our V.B. S. director was a lady by the name of Lucy Hogan. She was an first-rate leader and possessed this amazing gift of storytelling. Each year she would share Bible stories that would touch our hearts and lives in transformative ways. Sometimes those stories would be from the Illustrated Bible Stories1 like "Barney's Barrel" or "Bobby's Lunch". At other times she would use flannel graph stories or just read a story from the Bible and share with us what the LORD had laid on her heart.
I cannot begin to tell you how much those stories meant to my spiritual life as a child. I cannot begin to tell you what it meant to have all those adults helping us create crafts, sharing homemade snacks and cookies and pouring their lives into us. It was like a little piece of heaven would come down each and every VBS season and we would all enjoy this sacred time of becoming one with God and with one another.
Mrs. Lucy's stories were always more than just reciting or reading a story. They were captivating and they were soul transforming. They were these simple stories that spoke to your heart whether you were a child, a teen or an adult.
Sometimes a story is much more than merely a story. Sometimes a story can be the doorway for life changing transformations to take place. Sometimes a story is able to reveal God's call on our lives. Sometimes a story can assist us as we try to fulfill our destiny as genuine human beings created to reflect God's Glory and Honor.
For example, if you have ever read C. S. Lewis' book, The Chronicles of Narnia, you know what I am talking about. It is more than a simple story about four young children going on this amazing mystical and magical adventure. It is the story of creation, the story of sin and salvation. It is a story of God's grace, mercy, forgiveness and love.
If you have had the chance to pick up the little book, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams you know what I mean. And for those more modern business types if you have ever read, Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson, you know what I mean.
There are times that an author is able to take a simple story and while they are sharing truth on one level, they are simultaneously opening up volumes of truth and insight on whole other levels. They have the ability to weave multi-dimensional truths into their rather simple story(ies).
In our Gospel Lesson this morning we see that St. Mark is able to do this very same thing. On the surface, it appears that Bartimaeus' story is merely another miracle story in a list of miracle stories. Many Bible scholars believe that our story is part of a what is called a bookend passage that began with another miracle story about a blind man back in Mark 8:22 - 26. They believe that the whole section from Mark 8:22 to 10:52 forms a literary unit in which Mark is challenging his readers to mature and advance in their faith. Bible scholars have labeled this section of Mark as the "Discipleship" section or "Teachings on the Way to Jerusalem" section.
Therefore our story is much more than a random miracle story as Jesus and His disciples continued on their trip from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi and now down the banks of the Jordan River and through the city of Jericho.
This morning, let's allow the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, minds and souls as He reveals all the wonders that this passage holds.
+This trip was Jesus' final trip to the city of Jerusalem and to the Temple. It would be his final time to celebrate Passover with His Disciples.
The disciples and others didn't know it at the time but this time the paschal lamb slain for the sins of the Jews would be radically different. This time Jesus would be the ultimate Paschal Lamb slain for the sins of all mankind. This Passover would be more than just the celebration of an ancient ritual commemorating how God rescued the ancient Israelites to bring them into the Promise Land.
This Passover, Jesus would defeat once and for all the powers of evil on the Cross. Jesus would open the way for humans everywhere to be free from the power and penalty of sin. Jesus would usher in the Age of the Holy Spirit when anyone who called upon the name of Jesus could experience New Birth from above and be filled with God's Holy Spirit.
On His way to accomplish all of this Jesus is once again stopped. And once again Jesus does what Jesus always does; He pauses to meet the needs of those that need Him the most. Only this time in the life of this one man we see the lives of all men. In this story of Bartimaeus we see that all of humanity is represented.
1. The Story of Bartimaeus is a Microcosm of the Story of The Human Race
Notice carefully, all the definitions that are used to describe this man.
Bartimaeus is blind, he is powerless, he is broken and he is an outcast/a vagabond.
Bartimaeus is a perfect picture of the Human Race. At one time he could see. That is what Bible Scholars tell us. The Greek word that is used to describe his condition is a word that speaks of shadows, of a person whose sight has been slowly taken away from them. Think for a moment of someone who has cataracts or who is suffering from macular degeneration. Without some time of intervention they will completely lose their ability to see.
By the time we meet Bartimaeus he is completely blind. He has lost his ability to see the world around him. He now lives in a world of shadows at best and darkness at worst.
This morning, SIN has done that to the human race. At one time in Adam and Eve we could see God, we could see and experience truth and purity. But no longer. Sin has blinded our eyes and darkened our hearts. Like Bartimaeus we no longer can take care of ourselves. We no longer have the power or the position that God gave us as His Highest Creations on His Good Earth.
Listen again the Bartimaeus words in verse 51 - "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." (ESV)
Listen to those words. Hear the Bartimaeus' heartfelt plea.
+Let me recover what I once possessed.
+Let me recover what I have lost.
+Let me once again enjoy the life that I once lived.
+Let me enjoy the ability to see and experience fully the world around me.
+ Let me once again enjoy going to Temple and being with my family and loved ones.
In a real way, Bartimaeus is asking for what all humans have lost.
+We have lost our ability to see.
+We have lost our ability to enjoy the fruits of the life God had designed for us in the Garden.
+We have lost the ability to experience and worship God freely and wholly.
+ We have lost the ability to be at peace with one another.
+We have lost the ability to be at peace with ourselves. Bartimaeus is a perfect example of what it means to be a post-Eden human - blind, broken and a spiritual outcast.
You see, St. Mark reveals to us more than just a picture of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Mark paints for us a picture of everyone who has lived and will live on this side of the Garden of Eden. Humanity in its wretchedness is plagued with a blindness - spiritual, emotional, physical and mental. Humanity in its wretchedness finds itself incapable to truly change and transform. Humanity in its wretchedness lives the life of an outcast, an outcast of Paradise and Holiness. Humanity in its wretchedness is the life of a spiritual vagabond; a life that has no hope and that is ultimately going nowhere.
We humans over the centuries has done our best to put on a good face. We have tried time and time again to build our own little kingdoms doing our dead level best to build a society that is fair and just. We have done our best to create a world that mimics God's Garden of Eden. But the truth is we do not have a clue how to build a lasting community in our own strength. We do not have the ability. We have the will but we like the ability.
In our own strength it is impossible. We gave it all away when we rebelled against God. We gave it all away when we choose to listen to the Devil and sin rather than listen to God and obey His Will.
As a result we do not have the innate power to create a world of peace and love. We are powerless to transform our hearts and lives. No matter how much money we throw at the brokenness of our world we are incapable of doing anything more than putting band aids on them. The Human Race in its own power is blind, broken and powerless. We may not like to think about that or to believe it but history shows us all too well that sinful man cannot create a perfect life or a perfect world.
Think about it. How many times over the years we have been on this planet have we tried in our own strength to create a utopian community of oneness only to watch those communities over time come apart at the seams. We have tried our best in our own power to create a Heaven like world only to discover over time our efforts have been reduced to resembling more of a Hellish world.
We are more like Bartimaeus than we realize. Bartimaeus is not just some simple man sitting on the side of the Jericho road seeking help from anyone coming nearby. He is us. He is humanity. He is blind, broken and powerless. He is humanity at its very best and worst.
But the story doesn't end there.
II. Bartimaeus is a Sign Post Pointing the Way to Transformation
Bartimaeus is also the picture of a person who desperately wants to experience a Life transformation. He is the picture of one who understands who is coming down the road in the form of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Bartimaeus believes that Jesus has the love, the grace and the power to bring healing and wholeness into his life. Bartimaeus believes that Jesus possessed the ability to change his destiny.
No one had to convince Bartimaeus that he needed help. Every moment of his life Bartimaeus knew that he needed help. He desperately wanted to once again see the light. He desperately wanted to no longer be a taker but a giver and he was willing to do anything to experience a change in his life.
The crowd, however, was not as ready as Bartimaeus. They wanted him to remain quiet. They wanted him to accept his fate and allow Jesus to bypass him. They believed that Bartimaeus should accept his sufferings, his limitations and allow his hopes and dreams to die. They wanted him to just be quiet and not bother either them or Jesus. They didn't have time to stop for some blind beggar. They may not have realized it but by doing so they were telling him that they wanted him to stay blind, broken and powerless.
They also did not understand Jesus. They did not fully understand his heart, his love and his willingness to help all those around him. They did not see Jesus as Bartimaeus saw Jesus. Where they could only physically see Jesus as a Rabbi, Bartimaeus in his spirit saw Jesus as someone much more.
Some years ago a major spiritual leader started traveling around our world. It was interesting how his trips were viewed and later reported on by the news media. Some thought he was on purely a political mission with a particular political agenda. Others thought he on a personal religious quest intended to start a spiritual revival of sorts. Still others thought he was merely traveling to create a buzz that would enhance his popularity and enable him to sell more books.
Many even thought he would take up the mantle of being a spiritual superstar that some of his predecessors had done. Sadly, they missed the true nature of his visits.
At each point along the way he spoke from the heart of a simple man. Each appearance was carefully orchestrated so that the focus was not on him but on the message of Jesus Christ. Each sermon was Christ centered and focused on the transformative nature of what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus.
Many in the media could not understand why he acted the way he acted. They couldn't understand how he could be so loving, so kind and considerate. They wondered how he could treat each person with dignity and respect. They wondered why he took so much time and care with the average person. They could see physically but not spiritually. They were like the crowd that day that tried to quieten Bartimaeus.
You see, not only did the crowd that day not understand Bartimaeus they also failed to understand Jesus. They actually thought that Jesus would walk by this man without helping him. They actually thought that Jesus would treat Bartimaeus the same way they had treated him - tell him to be quiet, toss a coin or two on his cloak to make themselves feel good or quickly walk past him in hopes he could not hear their footsteps.
However, that was never going to happen. Not only was Jesus not going to do that but as soon as Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was near he started yelling as loud as he could - Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on Me! Louder - Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Still louder - Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Bartimaeus didn't care who heard him or who tried to stop him. He was not going to be stopped from reaching his destiny. Here was his chance and nothing was going to stop him from trying to get Jesus' attention. His eyes may be blind but his ears worked well and his tongue could speak. If Jesus could bring healing into his life, he was going to do his best to get to Jesus. If Jesus could heal him then he was not going to let anything or anyone stop him.
And when others tried to stop him, he simply cried louder. When others tried to dissuade him, he just made more of a commotion. He needed help. He recognized it. He reached out. He wanted Jesus and was willing to do anything to get his attention.
Bartimaeus shows us the way for us to be healed of our sins, our shortcomings, our afflictions and our damaged emotions. Bartimaeus shows us the way for us to be healed from our blindness and from our inability to change. Bartimaeus shows us that when we want something from God bad enough we shouldn't let anyone get in our way. We have to have a deaf ear to those who want to stop us from receiving God's anointing, blessings and miracles.
We cannot allow the world, our families and at times even our Christian fellowship from stopping us from receiving a blessing from the LORD. If it takes us going to the altar every Sunday to get our miracle then we must decide that we are going to wear a path down in the concrete. If it takes us spending all day waiting on Jesus then that is what we do. Whatever it takes for us to connect with Jesus we do it - plain and simple.
Notice what happens because Bartimaeus is determined to be heard. Notice what happens because Bartimaeus would not be quiet and go away.
+Jesus recognizes Bartimaeus
+Jesus reaches out to Bartimaeus
+Jesus receives Bartimaeus
+Jesus heals Bartimaeus
+Bartimaeus experience a Life Transformation
All of us need to always remember - Jesus is always ready to recognize us and our needs. Jesus is always reaching out to us, way before we reach out to Him. Jesus is always willing to receive us even before we are ready to receive Him. Sometimes we just need to be desperate like Bartimaeus that we will stop at nothing to be with Jesus and to receive His divine touch in our lives.
III. Bartimaeus Provides for Us the Picture of Radical Discipleship
One could say that Bartimaeus is the poster child for Radical Discipleship.
Notice what happens when Bartimaeus is called to come to Jesus.
+He throws away his cloak
This is far more than a mere wardrobe change. In that one action Bartimaeus proclaims his faith, takes hold of a miracle and declares that he is ready to receive a life transformation.
For years Bartimaeus had used that cloak as a symbol of his life and of himself. It had provided him both comfort to sit on the ground and had served as a catch all for any coins that someone may throw his direction. That cloak symbolized his life of blindness, brokenness and poverty. That cloak symbolized a life of him becoming a taker rather than a giver.
There are some questions concerning the meaning and symbolism of Bartimaeus' name. We know that it means son of Timaeus. What we are not sure is what is the meaning behind the name Timaeus. Some have said that alluded that it was to refer to being a person of honor - Timaeus was a person who like time was valuable. Others have stated that it means that a person named Timaeus is one who uses his time wisely - who invests his time in such a way as to bring value to his life and to the lives of others.
If that last part is in fact what Timaeus means then Bartimaeus must have suffered greatly when he became blind. Bartimaeus - Son of Timaeus would mean that he was to be a man who was more of a giver than a taker. A man who knew how to use his time to help himself and others realize their God given destiny. And yet, here he is having to sit on a cloak and beg for money. He couldn't do very much for himself much less for others. His own helpless condition spoke against the name of his father and of himself. His name became a burden.
But now Bartimaeus has the faith that he can throw all of that away. He wants nothing to do with being blind, broken and powerless. He no longer wants to be a taker. Instead, he wants to see, to be whole and to have the power of Christ in his life. He wants to be a follower and a giver. He wants to be a person who brings worth to his own life and to others. He wants to be a man who lives up to the name of his father and himself. He wants to be the person that the Good God of Creation created him to be.
+His faith is the key that opened the Door for God's Blessings
Bartimaeus' faith was like a key opening the door to God's blessing, anointing and miracle. His faith resulted in his vision being restored.
If you want to know the importance of faith reread this story and then reread it again. Listen again to Jesus' words in verse 52 - "Go, your faith has made you well."
Jesus rewarded this man's faith. It may have not been Abraham faith or Moses faith but it was faith. Jesus tells us that we only need a grain of faith to see great miracles and wonders. We need to step out on faith. We need to believe that God wants the best for us. We need to get rid of those ideas and thoughts that God is only out to cause us suffering, to take things away from us and to make our lives miserable.
The only one who wants to cause us suffering, to take things away from us and to make our lives miserable is Satan himself. He is a liar. He is a killer and he is a dream killer.
God is a God of dreams and visions. God is a God who loves to give us gifts, graces and mercies. God is a God who wants us to live an abundant life. All too often our lack of faith, our mistrust or our selfishness causes us to miss the best that God has for us.
Bartimaeus wanted his sight back. Not just for himself but so he could worship again but to be able to take care of his family and friends again. He wanted his sight back so he could see Jesus and follow Jesus.
+Bartimaeus was sold out - radically sold out.
Go back and read verse 47 - when Bartimaeus cried out Jesus - Son of David - it was quite a statement.
Saying the name Jesus of course just meant he was speaking of Jesus, the man from Nazareth. He was talking about the carpenter turned rabbi, the son of Mary and the cousin of John the Baptist. But when he cried out "SON OF DAVID" that was something else. That had great theological and political undertones.
Bartimaeus was telling everyone who could hear that Jesus was more than a rabbi. He was yelling out to the top of his lungs that Jesus was the very Son of David - the man who had been chosen to be King of Israel. Bartimaeus was saying that Jesus was the Messiah - the Chosen One - the very Son of the Living God.
This was radical. This was explosive. If the Pharisees heard him say those words then they would have excommunicated him from the Temple even before he could be declared healed and allowed back in the Temple. If the Romans heard him say that Jesus was a king then he could be tried and crucified for treason. There was only one king and his name was Caesar.
This was no small matter. The words that Bartimaeus was bold enough to shout out were words that Heaven heard and rejoiced. Here was a blind man who could see better and more clearer than most of the people who had listened and seen Jesus for years. Here was a man who was unashamed to call out and call Jesus - His King, His Savior and His Lord.
This man was sold out. He was sold out before his healing and he was sold out after his healing.
History and tradition does not tell us exactly what happened to Bartimaeus.
There is a little hint however in Mark's final words in verse 52. Mark ends his story of Bartimaeus by telling us that this man followed Jesus "on the way". It was only after the Resurrection that the followers of Jesus were said to follow THE WAY. "THE WAY" was one of the ways that people talk about the life of Early Christians. By using those words, Mark lets us know that Bartimaeus was a lifelong disciple of Jesus. The healing that started in his life here continued on throughout the rest of his life.
What a wonderful story and what a challenging story. What a story that has been used by the Holy Spirit.
+Do we realize that God is interested in us today?
It doesn't matter who we are, what we have done or our present condition. God loves us and is interested in every part of our lives. Our brokenness does not cause him to walk away from us. Instead, it causes Jesus to come alongside of us if we reach out for Him.
+Do we realize the importance of not letting others stop us from asking Jesus for the things that we need or even want?
We cannot allow the disbelief of others stop us from asking Jesus to meet our needs. We cannot allow the intimidation of the crowd to stop us from receiving an anointing, a blessing and a miracle. We cannot let the world, our friends, family and even our own misgivings to cause us to miss God's blessings.
+Do we realize that our faith can move mountains?
We may not have a lot but what we do can do the job. We have to put our faith into walking mode - into talking mode . We can't let our faith be bottled up - we must release our faith and watch what God can do in and through all of us today.
+Do we want to go from being takers to givers?
Our world has a lot of takers. It needs some givers. We need to reach out and be givers of hope, compassion and love to those around us as brothers and sisters in Christ and to a world that so desperately needs us.
+Do we want to experience a life transformation? Do we want to throw away our cloaks of the past and reach out for a new life/adventure in Christ? Are we willing to be radically sold out to Jesus and to Jesus Alone?!
Closing hymn- open altar -
1 https://childrensbibleclub.com/collections/the-living-stories-series/products/living-stories-set-of-22-books
