The Cry That Stopped God

THE CRY THAT STOPPED GOD

Mk. 10:46-52

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A woman doctor gave birth to a girl, and began to dream of what she might become when she grew up.

2. Three years later, she had driven the girl to her daycare, and accidentally set her stethoscope on the seat next to the girl. To her amazement, her little girl picked it up and put the earbuds in her ears.

3. It was one of those déjà vu moments; she had the strong impression her daughter might follow in her footsteps in the medical profession. She watched, spellbound, to see what other indications of destiny might present themselves.

4. Then the girl held up the bottom “bell” to her mouth and said: "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?"

B. TEXT

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

PLAY VIDEO (drop address into address bar and click on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_00PM3bdCME

C. JESUS WAS PASSING BY

1. There comes a time in every life when Jesus passes by, and enters the parameters of our lives.

2. How we respond to Jesus will make an eternity of difference.

3. "What was going on in Jesus’ mind that day?"

a. “It was a hot, dusty day on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.”

b. Only days before his death (verse 33).

c. Constantly aware of the crowd’s noise.

D. THESIS

1. Approximately 70% of our perception is by sight.

2. Blind people compensate with their other senses.

a. Blind Bart felt the wind blowing;

b. He heard the patter of footsteps and talk of the travelers;

c. He smelled the wagons loaded with dates/olives and the rustic smell of oxen.

3. But this blind man can teach us something: We find in this passage that he uttered "A Cry that Stopped God” Himself!

4. So we’re going to study him and see what was so special about his prayer that it stopped God.

I. THE ODDS WERE AGAINST HIM

This man already had three strikes against him;

A. HIS NAME

1. Bartimaeus = "Son of the Unclean"/defiled. The O.T. designation of “unclean” was used of lepers or those with a bodily issue. The defiled places they went and things they touched and were forbidden many places. His father was evidently a person that long had a defilement.

2. Would you like that on your mailbox? If his father was called "unclean," and the son was blind – if ever God seem to be against someone, it was him!

B. A BEGGAR

1. He was so poor that he just made it from one meal to the next. His clothing was little more than rags.

2. He was exposed to the weather -- heat, cold, rain, clammy, etc.

3. He probably did not have the opportunity to bathe very often. He was a pitiful sight.

C. A “BLIND” BEGGAR

1. But -- He knew he was blind! (That's better than many!)

2. The First Step to change -- is to recognize your need.

3. He knew -- "there is no remedy for my situation except divine intervention."

4. "Bart" must have heard of the Man who healed the blind -- Jesus. Isaiah 35:5 foretold that the Messiah would

do this. There are at least six recorded cases of Jesus healing the blind before this.

5. Bartimaeus heard the crowd; Bartimaeus heard Jesus was passing by -- he realized CRYING OUT WAS HIS ONLY HOPE! Only Jesus could save him; He's also our only hope too.

II. FIRST CRY: PROB. FROM HEAD

A. FIRST FEEBLE EFFORT

1. Sometimes we cry to God from our heads and not our hearts. We prayer many “surface” prayers.

2. When a nine-year-old was asked if his two-year-old brother had started to talk yet, he replied, "Why should he talk? He gets everything he wants by hollering!"

3. There are a lot of "children" in our grown-up society today who seem to get "everything they want by hollering."