Mark 10 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way
Our lesson series that we are on is called, the Greatest Comeback ever. We are on the road to redemption, the road to crucifixion, the road to resurrection, the road to Easter.
There are many great things that Jesus accomplished in the last two weeks before his crucifixion. There is no way that we could preach every detail or relay every message that he wanted to share in the limited time that we have together.
There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, "Tightrope, I don't believe you can do it, but I'm willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls." Now, Tightrope wrote back, "Sir, although I've never been to America and seen the Falls, I'd love to come." Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls -- blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily. The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, "Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?" "Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it." "No," said Tightrope, "do you really believe I can do it?" "Well of course I do, you just did it." "No, no, no," said Tightrope, "do you believe I can do it?" "Yes," said Mr. Promoter, "I believe you can do it." "Good," said Tightrope, "then you get in the wheel barrow."
The word believe, in Greek means "to live by". This is a nice story...makes you ask, how often do we say that we believe Christ can do it, but refuse to get in the wheelbarrow?
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the last time. He knew he had a time crunch, he knew his friend Lazarus was in the tomb, he knew that he was going towards his own death. He was surrounded by a multitude of followers, there were people everywhere that needed something from him, that wanted something from him. I the midst of the roar of the crowd, a certain blind man sat by the roadway begging.
When he heard that it was Jesus.
He didn’t see Jesus, he didn’t feel Jesus, he hadn’t heard the voice of Jesus for himself, but when someone told him that it was Jesus. He couldn’t stay quiet, he couldn’t keep begging, instead he began to yell out, Jesus though son of David, have mercy on me!
Isn’t it amazing, Bartimaeus didn’t yell out, give me my sight. He didn’t yell out, give me some alms. He didn’t ask for food or assistance; he asked for mercy.
People were rebuking him; they were telling him to stay quiet. They may have told him that Jesus didn’t have time for a blind beggar. But when Jesus heard him,
Man, I could stop here and preach a message, when Jesus hears you. When you’ve been calling out and you think that he’s not listening. When you’re seeking mercy but the crowd stand between you and God. When Jesus hears you! But that’s not my message today.
When Jesus heard him, he told the people tell him to come to me. When these people who had been telling him to be quiet, when these people who were telling him Jesus doesn’t have time for you, heard that Jesus wanted him, they changed their tune. Let me tell you, the naysayers in your life, the people who have been talking down to you and about you, here that Jesus wants you, their words are going to change. Scripture says that when they told this blind man that Jesus wanted him, he through off his coat and ran to meet Jesus. Throwing off his coat was no small ordeal. His cloak was important, Bible scholars believe blind Bartimaeus may have spread his cloak in front of him as a kind of catch all for any coins that were tossed to him. If that were the case, then his cloak was a tool of his trade. Without his cloak, he would have difficulties collecting the alms that were given to him.
But when Bartimaeus heard that Jesus wanted him, he said I’m not going to need this no more. I’m not going to be a beggar anymore; I’m not going to be blind no more.
He ran up to Jesus and Jesus asked what do you want from me? He tells Jesus he wants his sight. When I read this, I thought to myself, wasn’t he just asking for mercy? Why has his prayer changed? But his first prayer didn’t change, it had been answered. He had been yelling for Jesus to have mercy on him, and Jesus heard him and called him over.
Some of you are still praying the wrong prayer. You’re still asking for mercy when mercy has already been extended. You’re still trying to get his attention when you’re standing in his presence. Bartimaeus acted in faith and realized if he heard me, if he’s extended mercy, then giving me my sight is no big deal.
Scripture goes on to tell us that Bartimaeus received his sight. And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight That should have been the end of the story. Bartimaeus had received his sight and Jesus sent him away. But it’s not. When Bartimaeus received, he didn’t go his way. He didn’t return home to tell his family that he had been healed. He didn’t run to the temple to tell the high priest what Jesus had done for him. He didn’t go back and share his testimony with the other beggars telling them what he did for me, he can do for you, the scripture says Bartimaeus followed him on the way.
Jesus might have been done with Bartimaeus, but Bartimaeus wasn’t done with Jesus.
In Mark 8 Jesus had healed a blind man, and when the man received his sight, he went home.
In Matthew 12 Jesus healed a blind man, and he is never heard of again.
On this same trip to Jerusalem 10 lepers are healed, and 9 runs to the temple to show the priest, the 10 was made whole and went home.
We can go through miracle after miracle that Jesus performed, the woman with the issue of blood, raising of the dead. None are recorded the same way as Bartimaeus, because when he was healed, he didn’t go show anyone, he didn’t run home or to the church. He followed.
The religious people of the day had been comparing Jesus to Beelzebub or Satan, but Bartimaeus, this blind beggar saw what the religious couldn’t see. He trusted his vision when he had no sight.
Even before Bartimaeus had personal contact with Jesus, he believed Him to be the Messiah. “Son of David” is the term Matthew used in his gospel to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah (Matthew 1:1). This title is a reference to the Messianic promise in Isaiah 9:6-7. The Messiah would be a descendant of David whose kingdom would last forever.
The last blind guy that Jesus had healed in Matthw 12 came with the Pharisees who were questioning Jesus’ authority and had aligned Him with Beelzebub (Matthew 12:23-24). Yet here was blind Bartimaeus bellowing out the truth for anyone who would listen.
Though people tried to get him to be quiet, Bartimaeus was completely focused on Jesus. His cries got the attention of Christ who asked for him to be brought. When Bartimaeus realized that Jesus had stopped to talk to him, he threw off his cloak and went to Jesus.
Let me break this down for you in language that may be easier to understand.
SOME OF YOU NEED TO GET RID OF YOUR BEGGARS CLOAK.
You need to leave your past thrown on the side of the road like Bartimaeus did. You haven’t been able to put on the coat of salvation, of healing, of blessings, because you can’t leave what you’ve been clinging to on the side of the road.
Some of you want to keep it on. Others want to role it up and keep it in a special place, you lie to yourself and say you what to keep it as a remembrance but the truth is your not sure that what Jesus does is permanent. You’re not sure that when he takes something away, it stays gone. I’m not blind right now, I’m not in sin right now, I’m not sick right now, you’re stuck in the phrase right now, when you should be using the phrase no more.
I was blind.
I’m not anymore, I’m never going to be again, and I’ve made sure of that because I’ve gotten rid of my blind beggars coat.
SOME OF YOU NEED TO QUIT LISTENING TO THOSE AROUND YOU
There was a crowd, a multitude between Bartimaeus and Jesus. They were telling him Jesus is too busy; he doesn’t have time for you. Even if he did how are you going to get to him. With every negative word, I’d like to imagine that Bartimaeus called out just a little bit louder, Jesus though son of David, have mercy on me! He can’t hear you Bartimaeus, then let me try a little bit louder. He can’t see you Bartimaeus, that’s ok, cause I can’t see him either.
In Mark 9 a woman with an issue of blood had spent all she had going to doctors, and she was still unwell, she knew if she could get to Jesus she could be healed, but there was a multitude around him, the crowd was too thick. She determined if I can’t walk up to him, I’ll get on my hands and knees and crawl between these peoples feet to get to him. When she got to him, Jesus asked “Who touched me?”, the disciples thought that this was a ridiculous question. Afterall, he was in a crowd. Everybody was touching him. In fact, the word that describes the crowd really means that Jesus was being suffocated.
As he walked, he could hardly breathe because they were pressing so close to him. How then did he discern this particular touch?
The word touch in this passage comes from the root word hapto which means to fasten to or to cling to. When Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” he was not referring to the act of someone putting their hand on him. In fact, the story did not even say she touched Jesus. She only touched his clothes. Yet Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”
What Jesus really asked was “Who clung to me with their whole being in unwavering faith?” You see, this woman was in a desperate situation. And this was her absolute last option and opportunity to escape her situation. So of course she clung to God in faith.
Many people in the crowd put their hands on Jesus but this woman was the only one who truly touched Jesus. Her faith was so powerful that it reached God more deeply than anyone else in that crowd.
It doesn’t matter if it’s words of encouragement or discouragement, when you need something from God, stay focused on getting his attention.
DON’T LEAVE JESUS
I don’t care about how many people you tell about what he did for you, your testimony has no power without him.
Go and tell them, oh don’t worry I’m going to tell everyone about what Jesus has done for me, but Jesus, you’re coming with me.
I’m not going to leave Jesus at the alter where he forgave me. I’m not going to leave him in the hospital room where he healed me. I’m not going to leave him at the restaurant where he restored my marriage. I’m not going to leave him on the street where he restored my sight.
You can go to heaven with scoliosis. You can go to heaven divorced. You can go to heaven ugly, but you can’t go without Jesus.
Bartimaeus might have thought, when I was blind, I was worried about where my next meal was going to come from. When I was blind, I was worried about where I was going to sleep. When I was blind, I was worried about knowing what direction I was going to go. BUT I’M NOT BLIND ANYMORE! I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to eat, because what Jesus eats, is what I’m going to eat. I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to go, because where Jesus goes, I’m going to go.
Theres an old song that says, I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in.
I once was blind, but I had an encounter with Jesus.
