Son Of David, Have Mercy

SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY

Mark 10:46-52 - October 16, 2005 - Pentecost 22

Dear Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:

This morning we are going to look at a miracle that Jesus had performed. It is important to re-mind us of the purpose of Jesus’ miracles. Certainly, as Jesus performed miracles, they were very beneficial to the ones who were given healing. The lame could walk, the deaf could hear, and this morning the blind man could see again. The underlining purpose of every miracle of Jesus was to re-veal to the people who were gathered there that, indeed, he was the very Son of God. Jesus was more than just the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus was more than just a carpenter. Jesus was God’s own Son and had the power to do anything and everything he so desired.

In today’s text when we hear Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." Time and again the Lord Jesus did just that, show mercy. It was part of Jesus’ ministry to show to the world the power of God through his teaching, preaching, and miracles. The physician Luke writes in the book of Acts: "...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and...he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (Acts 10:38). In each miracle we are reminded how God was with Jesus. In each mira-cle we see not only how God was with Jesus, but Jesus was with mankind. In this way Jesus shows his power to us. We always need God’s help. We want to use the words of blind Bartimaeus as our words, our theme this morning:

SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY

I. As believers we cry out for help

II. Jesus provides His divine healing

I. WE CRY OUT FOR HELP

As our text began, we are told: "Then they came to Jericho." Jericho was a city outside and close to Jerusalem. If you read chapter 11 of Mark, you will read about Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Very soon they would enter Jerusalem for the last time for Jesus before he was put to death. Very soon they would come to those high festival of the Passover. Very soon Jesus would face his death on the cross. But then, Jesus also is resurrected. Before Jesus’ death and resurrection is Palm Sunday. Our text takes place before Palm Sunday, so what do we see? "As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Ti-maeus), was sitting by the roadside begging." We see that Jesus was still quite popular. He had a large crowd following him. The disciples were with Jesus. They traveled together. We know that by Good Friday that crowd had dwindled down to only a few. But now Jesus was still at the height of his popularity.

They walked by a man called Bartimaeus. We are told he is blind and a beggar. Sadly, at that time those who were blind ended up as beggars. They had no training for the blind for different jobs. So they were relegated to the side of the road in poverty and begging depending on the mercy of those who passed by. Jesus was passing by and "When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus, but hadn’t seen him as he was blind. Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus’ miracles. He knew even more than that; be-cause as you listen to those words, there are two descriptions given to us. The crowd recognized him as Jesus of Nazareth: the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary and Joseph. But did you notice what Barti-maeus called Jesus? Bartimaeus calls him Jesus, Son of David. Maybe he could not see physically but spiritually he had some divine insight. He recognized in Jesus that he was God’s Son. He recognized in Jesus that he wasn’t just a miracle worker, but that Jesus could also help Bartimaeus as he had helped others. Bartimaeus recognized in Jesus that he came to remove the sins of the world.

What happens? Bartimaeus cries out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." "Many re-buked him and told him to be quiet." They didn’t want this beggar along the side of the road to disturb Jesus. They didn’t want to interrupt their journey into Jericho. They were having a good time in the company of Jesus. When they "told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ’Son of David, have mercy on me!’" Bartimaeus did not give up. He cried out for help again. He said, "Son of David, have mercy on me!’"