Pastor Dan's Message - 10-24-2021 - Mark 10:46-52

 

Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

⁴⁶ Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and His disciples left town, a large crowd followed Him.

A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.

⁴⁷ When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ When Jesus heard him, He stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So, they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, He’s calling you!”

⁵⁰ Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.”

Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

There was a relator who has sold homes for 23 years.

He was helping a couple find their perfect home.

As they got into his vehicle, he said,

“I've discovered only three things matter when you are buying a home and they are:

 

Location, Location, and Location."

 

To prove his point, he drove the couple to see 2 different homes.

 

1)                 The paint was peeling

And the driveway was heaving in spots.

"It may be a handyman's special," he said, "but look at the view."

The house sat in a valley, with ten acres of untouched forest on one side and a nice 8-acre pond towards the back and other side.

 

2)                 Then the group went to see a charming two-story-stone farmhouse with five bedrooms, a big kitchen, and plenty of closets.

 

"Everything's immaculate," the wife exclaimed after a brief tour inside. "In fact, we might buy it if it was located somewhere else and if it had a backyard."

Then she pulled back a curtain to see an interstate highway and a busy airport runway.

 

Location, Location, Location.

 

 

This is a Good Rule

·        When Considering real estate.

 

 

And It is also a

o   Good Rule When We Dive Deeper

§  To Understanding Biblical Truths!

 

 

Anyone who wants to know

·        The deeper Understanding

o   Of a biblical text

You Can Always Benefit

By looking around

Its Own Neighborhood.

 

 

The Key Words for Today Lesson are:

 

Location, Location, Location.

 

 

At first glance,

·        This Story of Jesus

·        And Bartimaeus

o   Just Looks like any of the

§  Healing Stories

·        Of Jesus’.

 

 

But – IS IT?

 

It Is True

·        That It is Talking About

o   A Sightless Beggar –

§  Who Is Begging

·        Alongside the road

·        And then Later –

o   The beggar Regains his vision

§  At the Word of Jesus.

 

Is this Not the Truth?

 

But Did You Know That It Is

THE DEED?!!?

 

This ACT of KINDNESS

·        THIS WORK of Jesus

o   Actually, FULFILLS the PROMISE

§  Of the prophet Isaiah:

 

"The eyes of the blind shall be opened"

(Isaiah 35:5).

 

 

But – What do you think Of the Name - Bartimaeus

 

Isn’t that an Unusual Name?

It Is Even an Unusual Name

Even Within the Days of Jesus.

 

When Matthew and Luke Tell Of this Event, They actually Leave the Beggar Nameless.

 

Strange Names:

Basil                Royal, Kingly                                    Greek

Bear               Strong, Brave                                  German

Bergen           Lives on a Hill Mountain               Scandinavian

Berkeley        Birch Tree – Meadow                   English

Birch              Bright, Shining, A Tree                  English

Bar-timaeus                        

 

BUT - Within the Book of Mark, Mark Identifies the man as being The son of Timaeus,

 

It Literally Means:  "Bar-Timaeus."

 

 

So ‘WHY’ Is there a Difference Between Matthew Luke and Mark?

 

 

Perhaps, the Answer is Found Within Our ‘Key Words’ for Today Lesson:

 

Location, Location, Location.

 

 

 Possibly - Where Mark Grew Up, He may have Known of Bartimaeus.

 

 

And – Within Mark’s Youthful Writing:

 

Can you not almost hear Mark Write:

"You know What –

Old Bart,

The Guy Who sits in the 4^th Pew

You Know - Right by the window?

Let Me Tell the Story

Of HOW he began to see."

 

 

SO – Let Us LOOK Around the ‘Location’ Within Our Scripture for Today!

And What Do YOU SEE?

 

Is It Being Told

·        IMMEDIATELY Before

o   Jesus enters Jerusalem?

Did you know

That This Is The LAST Time

·        Jesus Heals Anyone

o   Within the Gospel of Mark.

 

 

Location, Location, Location.

 

 

And – This May Very Well Be

·        The Only Occasion

o   When the Healing

o   Of Jesus - Truly Turns Out

§  As Jesus Wished It Would have.

 

You See – In All Of The Other Healings

·        By Jesus Christ

o   They Have Always Prompted

§  1) Misinterpretation.

§  2) Disobedience.

§  3) Hard-Hearted Opposition.

 

1)                 Misinterpreted –

Mark 1:21-28

“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

The people were amazed at His teaching because He taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,

“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

 

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly.

“Come out of him!”

The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this?

A new teaching—and with authority!

He even gives orders to impure spirits, and they obey Him.”

News about Him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

 

 

2)                 They Disobey Jesus Request –

Mark 1:44-45,

“Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:

“See that you don’t tell this to anyone.

But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

 

Instead, he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.

As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.

Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

 

 

2^nd Example of They Disobey Jesus Request

Mark 7:36-37

“Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.

But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.

People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said.

“He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

 

 

3)                 (three Examples) They Miss the Point –

Mark 3:1-6

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.

Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

 

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

But they remained silent.

 

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man,

“Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

 

 

#3 Continues of them Missing the Point.

Mark 2:10-12-17

“So, I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

 

And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers.

 

They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming,

“We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

 

 

Then once again in Mark 8:9-17

“For Jesus had already said to the spirit,

“Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

Then Jesus demanded,

“What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.”

Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

 

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.

 

“Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

 

So, Jesus gave them permission.

The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran.

People rushed out to see what had happened.

 

A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons.

He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were

ALL AFRAID.

 

Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.

And the crowd began pleading with Jesus To Go Away And To Leave Them Alone.”

All of these people Experienced Either:

1)                 A Hero Worshiping

2)                 Or An Absolute – Total - FEAR

 

Yet How Did Bartimaeus React?

 

Didn’t he followed Jesus

"On the Way,"

0r “On the Road to Jerusalem”

 

Jesus' Healing Ministry

·        Was Completed In

o   A man Who Was

§  Nothing More than

·        A Beggar

But Now

The Once Beggar had Become One of Christ’s Disciples.

 

 

Did you know that this is

·        The 2^nd  Occasion

o   Within the Gospel of Mark

§  When Jesus Healed

§  Someone Who Could Not See.

 

 

In Chapter Eight,

We found a Man at Bethsaida Who Needed extra help In having his sight restored.

Mark 8:22-26

“When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village.

Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, He laid His Hands on him and asked,

“Can you see anything now?”

 

The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

 

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened.

His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

 

Jesus sent him away, saying,

“Don’t go back into the village

on your way home.”

 

 

 

2 Times Of Healing Sight –

·        BUT Today’s Healing Was So Different!

 

 

Did This Time Go So Much – Smoother?

 

 

BUT WHY?

 

 

In Our Gospel for today,

Mark says the Blind Beggar

o   Leapt Up

o   And Came

§  Stumbling – Unable to See –

·        Crossing The Road.

It may Help IF We Take Note Of the VALUE Of His Cloak!

 

 

It was Not Only his BLANKET

o   But Also, It is His means for panhandling.

 

Their Cloaks Are ALWAYS

o   Spread Out Before Them

 

It Is the Garment

·        That Not only Caught the Money,

§  But it Also Was Their Way

·        Of Gathering Up the Coins.

But - Did You Catch – the Difference Here Within the Stories?

 

Bartimaeus Threw Off the Cloak

·        And He Sprang Up,

o   In Faith

§  Ready to be Healed.

He Engaged God!

He Stood Up in Full Faith!

He gave Up His Old Life By Literally Throwing it away

AS He Prepared Himself For His Newfound Life!

 

 

Acting in 100% In Full Faith!

 

 

How do You Respond When you Hear Jesus Asking You:

"What do you want Me to do for you?"

 

 

Think About this! What do You Ask for? And How do You Respond?

 

 

Do you see the difference between:

 

The 1^st Healing of the Blind Person

Found In Mark - Chapter 8

 

And The 2^nd Healing of Bartimaeus found

Found In Mark – Chapter 10.

 

 

As we talked Last Week,

·        And it is ALL THROUGH

o   The Gospel of Mark

 

 

The disciples of Jesus

·        Just Keep Come-Down-with

o   This Severe Case of

‘I-JUST-DON’T-GET-IT’ flu!

 

 

Jesus asked James and John, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

 

 

This Comes AFTER Jesus Described The Horror of His Death

 

 

But Jesus asked them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

And They Answered Jesus

·        We know you are Gonna Die

o   A Terrible Death

§  But Before - that happens,

§  Can You Grant us this One Wish?

 

Allow one of us to sit at Your Right Hand – In the Seats of Honor

And the other on Your Left. In the Other Seat of Honor.

 

 

And Catch This:

And Jesus asked Bartimaeus this same question:

 

"What do you want me to do for you?"

 

And Bartimaeus replied, "Let me see again."

 

 

In all of the Scripture,

·        There Is - No - Greater - Distinction

o   Between People

o   Then the One which Lies here

§  Within Those 2 Answers.

Allow me to say that once again,

 

 

Jesus Came With

·        The Power of the Kingdom

And He says, "What can I do for you?"

 

The Response from James and John were:

·        Asking the Lord

o   To Help Them to Get Ahead,

o   To Sit In a Prestigious Place,

§  To Move Them

·        To A Better Neighborhood.

Location - Location - Location

 

 

You Know –

As Appealing as That-May-Be

It Is One Request

Which Jesus Can-Not Grant.

 

(Mark 10:45)

He Said:

"It's not my business."

"The Son of Man

came not to be served,

but to serve,

and to give His Life as a ransom for many"

But Bartimaeus’ request was different.

 

He asked - "Allow me to see again."

 

 

This is a task which

·        Jesus Can Perform.

 

 

He can make it possible For people to see.

 

But – There is another Side To this question.

The Question Really Becomes:

·        Do You Want –

·        Or - Do You Not Want

o   To See

 

Allow me to ask-

 

Is It Better for us IF We Leave our Eyes Closed!!!???

 

SEE – The Thing Is

·        With Greater Vision

o   Comes Greater Responsibility.

I want to read

·        2 job openings for a minister/pastor

o   To relocate to a new church.

 

1)                 We're a large congregation with a lot to offer.

·        Our beautiful sanctuary has Tiffany windows which inspire us in worship God.

·        A large endowment enables us to maintain a full program.

·        Our commitment to the elderly recently prompted us to install a new elevator.

·        Many of our members are influential within our city; they include business leaders, professional people, and even a former state governor.

·        Our last pastor was a published poet. And we are looking for another polished preacher to inspire us to high ideals and move us to laughter and tears.

·        Salary and benefits package are generous, and negotiable for the right candidate.

 

 

Now here is the 2^nd Job Discription:

2)                 We are an aging congregation in a troubled city.

·        There have been recent shootings in our neighborhood, probably drug related.

·        For the past decade, our church has served as a reuniting force in our city.

·        We minister to the poor, the illiterate, and the aging, as well as to a group home across the street.

·        One of our greatest needs is to bridge the gap between wealthy members who commute to worship and the neighborhood where our building is located.

·        Our last pastor was instrumental in beginning a chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and we desire a new minister with similar energy, imagination, and interest in urban ministry.

·        Ministers of courage are invited to apply.

 

 

So, What do you think?

·        What Are the Differences Between

o   These 2 Job Postings?

 

Would it surprise you

·        To learn that BOTH OF THESE

o   Potential JOB Advertisements

§  Are For the same church?

 

 

The difference between the ads

·        Lives within What People Claim to See.

 

 

Is the church of Jesus Christ

·        Called to sit at the high places

o   In stained glass glory?

 

·        Or is it Our Business

o   To stay on the Road

§  On Our Way To the Cross?

 

 

The Truth Is - People See Only

·        What They Want to See.

 

 

The Gospel of Mark

·        Provides Plenty of Evidence

o   To Confirm of this Truth.

 

 

But Even

·        With all of Jesus' Incredible Deeds

o   His Own Disciples

§  Never See that Within Him!

 

 

They Fail to See Jesus as One Who Serves!

           

Matthew 16:13-18

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

¹³ When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ “Well, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

¹⁵ Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.”

What does this tell you?

 

Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration

² Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, ³ and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. ⁴ Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶ He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” 

⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

9-14, Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

9-30, Jesus Again Predicts His Death

9-33, The Greatest in the Kingdom

³³ After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”

³⁴ But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

 

9-38, Using the Name of Jesus

³⁸ John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

 

³⁹ “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.

10:01, Discussion about Divorce and Marriage

10:13, Jesus Blesses the Children

10:17, The Rich Man

10:32, Jesus Again Predicts His Death

10:35, Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

(James and John)

10:46, Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

 

 

Jesus makes

·        The Deaf to Hear,

·        The Speechless to Sing,

·        And the Lame to Dance.

 

But the Vision of the 12, And Maybe Our Own

·        Are Clouded by

o   The Expectations of their Own

o   Their Own Advancement to Honor

o   And of Assumptions

§  About Their Own Success.

 

 

 

They Can’t Even See

Down the Road that they are on.

 

They Seem To Be

And Remain - Clue-Less

 

But they are not alone!

·        Even The crowds Surrounding Jesus,

o   They Also Did Not See

§  Where He was Headed.

 

But What about Bartimaeus?

 

When He Heard Jesus Was Coming,

·        He cried out, "Son of David, have mercy on me.

 

 

But – What Did The Crowd Do?

 

They Insisted "Bartimaeus, would remain quiet!"

 

BUT – WHY – ‘Be Quiet!!!’

 

 

Let Us Look at the Positive Side First!

 

 

Could it be because

·        The phrase "Son of David"

o   Could put Jesus in Danger.

 

 

You See – That Was the People's Way

·        To Refer to the Messiah.

 

 

And IF the beggar kept shouting

·        For the Son of David,

o   The Roman legions

§  Could Take Notice.

 

 

The Religious Officials

·        Would Raise Their Eyebrows

o   Within Curiosity.

The Zealots would

·        Sharpen their Swords.

 

 

The Poor and Oppressed

·        Would Gain

o   Brightened Hope.

There is No Wonder

·        Why there were So Many

o   Who "Ordered the begger to be quiet."

 

 

The irony of all of this is-

·        Even in Bartimaeus Blindness,

o   It was He who Clearly Saw

§  Jesus as the Messiah,

§  The Promised Son of David,

§  The One Who Came

·        To Turn this World

·        Upside Down.

"What do you want Me to do for you?"

 

 

"Give Me Eyes to See," said the beggar.

 

 

Just as the disciples

·        Who Would Walk-Into

·        As Well As Out-of-their-Faith,

o   The Truth within Seeing the World

§  As it Really Is

 

 

To Peel Away the False Truths

·        And to Truly Face the World

o   As It Really Is –

§  In Its Brokenness,

§  To Remain Clear-Eyed,

·        We as the disciples found out,

o   It is A Constant Struggle!

 

 

The World Can And Does Distort Our Vision so Easily.

 

Just as the People who

·        Wear the Same pair of Eyeglasses

o   For so many Years.

 

 

Their vision may have Grown out of focus Even Without Them Knowing Of It.

 

 

That is until such a day, They just can’t see Any More.

Has this Happened to You!

Have You begun to Sit Back

And Enjoy

o   Your own Importance!

 

 

·        Or Maybe You Just

o   Want to Protect Yourself

§  From the Criticism!

 

 

·        Or Maybe You Start Believing that

o   We have Now Arrived!

§  We have Seen it all!

§  And we Know it all!

Is Your Journey Now Already Over!

 

 

Whatever the case is.

Our vision for LIFE

·        Can Grow

o   To A Point

§  Where It Becomes

·        So Familiar to Us

That We Get COMFORTAVBLE!

 

And That is when

·        We Begin to Live

o   A Life Which Has

§  So Many Kinds

§  Of Distorted Truths

·        Within it!

 

 

And this even Includes:

·        Our Comfort Within

o   Us Compromising

§  God’s Own Truth!

 

 

 

 

·        And we Defend

o   Our Old Opinions

§  To Almost Our Dying Breath

§  And Reject Any and ALL

·        Newness of God.

 

 

So – Are You Ready?

 

 

The Good-News

Comes Today

In A Request,

"Teacher, let me see again."

 

Lord – We have toss aside

·        All of our Pointless Attempts

o   For Security and Status,

§  And We Are Ready

§  To Follow You

 

And We are Ready to BECOME WHAT YOU WANT US TO BE.

 

 

Yes Lord, It Is in The Location, Location, Location.

 

 

We Pray This

Within Our Faith

As We Rest in You.

 

Amen