What the Blind Man Saw
Summer 2018 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 55 viewsWe are all blinded to who Jesus is until by God's grace He stops and asks, "what do you want me to do for you?"
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Jesus is moving steadily toward Jerusalem. He has informed His disciples that soon He will suffer and be put to death, then resurrected three days later.
They do not understand!
He is heading south from Galilee and Perea and he will cross the Jordan river. At this particular time of year, the Jordan is swollen from the rains and so Jesus and His disciples will be ferried across on some sort of rope barge that is used to get people and livestock across.
There are many people on the road with Jesus and His disciples, since many are making their way up to Jerusalem for Passover.
This route was the most common route taken and it went right through the city of Jericho and from Jericho, the walk to Jerusalem was about six hours.
What we are about to read, will be Jesus’ last miracle before the resurrection and it will be one of four final pre-cross salvations.
The first is Bartimaeus whom we will see in just a moment, the second will be Zacchaeus and finally while on the cross the centurion and the thief.
Passage:
Passage:
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. 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!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 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.” 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.
Message:
Message:
Bartimaeus was cursed by God! At least that is what the prevailing theology of the day taught.
Remember earlier in Jesus’ ministry? His disciples asking about a blind man; “Lord who sinned, this man or his parents?”
Those who lost their sight or who were born blind were under a curse from God. Someone had sinned was the supposition and so no one cared much whether Bartimaeus was there or not.
He was just another cursed blind beggar.
But he had likely heard about this man Jesus.
People talk, and he heard them at times talking about Jesus of Nazareth.
This was a main thoroughfare leading to Jerusalem. He had heard about cripples who now walked, he had heard about lepers now cleansed and healed and he had heard about blind men who could now see.
And there seems to be a hint of hopeful anticipation in this man’s cry, listen to what he says when he hears that Jesus is passing his way.
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!”
He is shouting, not simply raising his voice, there is an excitement that for the first time and opportunity that he hasn’t had is now here.
He shouts, “Jesus, Son of David;” this man already believed that Jesus was the Messiah and he uses a Messianic phrase reserved for the Messiah, “Son of David.”
Both Matthew and Luke provide the genealogy of Jesus from Joseph his earthly father and from Mary his true mother and both are tied directly to the line of David.
What did the blind man see? He first saw that Jesus was indeed the long awaited Messiah and he wasn’t ashamed to say it.
And then he says that which most quickly catches God’s attention, “have mercy on me!”
He is asking Jesus for undeserved favor.
The blind man also saw that the only one who could lift God’s curse is Jesus.
He believes he is cursed, the way he asks, indicates that he thinks he is cursed; and maybe he was, maybe there was sin in his life and because of sin he is now blind.
We aren’t told why he is blind, but he is and he knows this is my last hope.
I want to ask Bartimaeus this one day in heaven, but I believe that as he heard the stories of Jesus and he considered all that he had learned about the messiah as a boy in Israel, I believe he had already decided, “if Jesus ever comes my way, I’m going to ask Him for His favor.”
What did the blind man see? He saw with his heart that Jesus was the messiah and that Jesus was the only one who could grant him mercy.
Take note he wasn’t shouting before this, he wasn’t calling out for mercy before this, it is on this occasion when Jesus is moving into His last week before the crucifixion that when Jesus came his way, this time he will ask for something impossible.
Remove God’s curse from my life, please!
Verse 48 tells the story of what people thought of this blind beggar, they rebuked him, they threatened him!
“Leave Jesus alone, he doesn’t want anything to do with you! Be quiet or else . . .”
And he cried out, he shouted out more and more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Do you want to stop heaven? If you want God to pause all that He is doing, then with all your heart cry out, shout out, unashamed and without hesitation, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”
And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
He jumps up and gets to Jesus as quickly as possible. When you’ve been in darkness for a long time, and there is hope that it might end, you jump at the chance and that is exactly what Bartimaeus does.
I cannot begin to imagine physical blindness. I do remember years ago visiting a cave in Tennessee, the name of which I cannot now remember. Once the tour group got inside the guide turned off the light switch. It was so completely dark that you could almost feel it. I remember looking around in all directions but my eyes were totally useless. Then he threw the floodlights back on again. I suppose those brief moments of total darkness were the closest I ever came to understanding what it means to be blind.
And Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”
I want to say to all of us here today, “we have not because we have not asked.”
Not everything we ask will be give to us. Go back just a few verses in this same chapter. James and John have asked Jesus to allow them to sit on His left and right hand, when He has come into His kingdom.
Jesus answered them with these words,
but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
Sometimes, what we ask for is not what Jesus can give us. But we won’t know until we ask.
And Bartimaeus will ask!
And Bartimaeus said to Jesus, Lord, Master, My Teacher, Rabboni or Rabbi,
Before he ever recieved his physical sight, he saw what few ever will, that Jesus is Lord, Master, Teacher and to confess Him as such is to be saved.
He asks for sight but Jesus gives him so much more.
“Go your way, your faith has made you well.”
The word that Mark will use in this brief story is the same word used across the New Testament for saved.
It means to deliver, to save
It is translated, ““made well” “made whole” and “saved.””
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Jesus brings about spiritual healing as well as physical healing.
Here Jesus brings about spiritual healing as well as physical healing.
Here Jesus brings about spiritual healing as well as physical healing.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
And Bartimaeus followed Jesus in the way.
Mark is the only Gospel writer who provided us with Bartimaeus’ name. This story is recorded in Matthew and in Luke as well. But Mark is the only one who tells us who he is.
Why?
There seems to be some evidence that Bartimaeus was part of the 120 in the upper room at Pentecost. When Jesus changed him, he didn’t go back to his old life of sin and judgment, he followed Jesus not only up into Jerusalem but after the crucifixion and the resurrection as well.
What did the blind man see? Before his eyes were opened,
Why?
He saw Jesus, the long awaited Messiah.
He saw Jesus was the only one who could grant him mercy.
He saw that he was cursed separated from God.
And then He saw Jesus
He believed before he saw and when he saw, he followed.
Today, you and I believe and we follow and one day we will see just like Bartimaeus.
He believed before he saw and when he saw, he followed. Today, you and I believe and we follow and one day we will see just like Bartimaeus, the Jesus we called out to for mercy.