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Printer Friendly Version“And they came into Jericho, and as Jesus went out from
Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, the son of Timothy, Bartimaeus,
a blind beggar was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to scream and cry out saying. ‘Son of David,
Have mercy on me.’ Many were embarrassed and maddened by this display
and told him to shut up and be quiet. So in response he piped up even louder,
‘Son of David have mercy on me.’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call
him.’ And THEY sheepishly called out to the blind man saying, ‘Be
of good cheer, be courageous, rise up (commands here). He is calling you.’
Upon hearing this he threw off his cloak. He leapt to his feet and went to
Jesus. And Jesus said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The
blind man said to Him ‘Rabbi (Teacher) let me recover my sight (see
again).’ Jesus said to him, ‘Get up and be off. Your faith has
saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and he followed Him down
the road.” (Brent Peterson’s translation from the Greek)
Have you ever had a security blanket? Probably the most famous
security blanket I can recall is that of Linus, in Charles Shultz’ Peanuts.
Linus Van Pelt (according to Snoopy.com) is credited with inspiring the term
security blanket. Yet even though he also sucks his thumb, he is the intellectual
of the Peanuts’ gang. He baffles his friends with his philosophical
revelations and solutions to problems. Yet he is a paradox, “he can
put life into perspective while sucking his thumb. He knows the true meaning
of Christmas while continuing to believe in the Great Pumpkin” (Snoopy.com).
My wife had a security blanket that she took everywhere. Because she took
it everywhere, it got very worn and dirty. After so much use and so many washes
she said that it slowly disintegrated. My daughter, through what is perhaps
an argument for nature over nurture also has her “blinkie.” It
goes with her most everywhere. Do you have a security blanket? Well I do not
see any here, but perhaps some of them are not so physical anymore but are
emotional. What things or memories do you take with you at all times to bring
you comfort, or to shield the harsh cruel world? Sometimes these security
blankets of emotions and memories we think are keeping us safe, protecting
us from future wounds, but in reality are preventing real healing from coming
to memories of things in our past that have been done to us, or things we
have done to others.
Our passage in Mark describes a poor, average, beggar who desired
healing. But what is most fascinating is he had to risk everything in order
to find it. The question of the day God asks is this: What do you want me
to do for you today?
Jericho is located about five miles west of the Jordan river
and eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was a crowded time. Mark records
that Passover was drawing to a close which would have increased the traffic
flow. Beggars on this road were a common annoyance. Not unlike today, it was
very easy to ignore these persons. They did not have names, just labels. They
were poor, drunk, smelly, crazies. The crowds were so uncomfortable it was
easier just to ignore them than to look them in the face and offer them nothing.
While our text is indeed primarily about the healing God wants to do in our
lives, we must not miss the means of grace extended to these self-absorbed
crowds.
Jesus was on His way out of town, heading toward Jerusalem.
The blind man, Bartimaeus, somehow heard about Jesus and was listening for
Him. A blind man had heard about this Jesus and knew He was the only one who
could bring true life.
For those of us today, supposedly with great needs to give to God, it begs this question. “Do we live expectantly listening for our Master’s voice?” We live in the noisy business of life.
Sometimes we are afraid to stop and listen for our Master’s
voice. And to push one step further, are we so patterned to listening to God’s
voice, that when God speaks we will know we are being engaged by the Holy
One.
When Bartimaeus heard it was Jesus, he began to scream and cry
out. He was not only listening, but when he heard Jesus, he screamed and yelled
with his very being: “Son of David, have mercy on me.” This was
both a plea of confession that Jesus was the Messiah and a plea for compassion.
What is perhaps most striking, and sadly exemplified in our
life, is that crowd’s response. They were embarrassed and maddened by
this display? Why? Why did they care if this worthless blind man made a fool
of himself? Bartimaeus was certainly not an insider and certainly not someone
with whom Jesus should waste His time.
It is also very important to note what name they game him. Two
times they call him “blind man” instead of his name, Son of Timothy.
To them he was not a productive member of society. Clearly, the crowd assumed
his blindness was the result of some sin he or his ancestors were being punished
for. To them, this was his identity, a blind beggar. It illustrates what is
often a less blatant belief, but no less true, in our culture, he was not
really a person, but an annoying embarrassment. But it could also be they
were embarrassed at what such devotion looked like.
You will recall earlier in this chapter Jesus sees the rich
ruler walk away because his wealth was more important than becoming a disciple.
Jesus previously stated the true standard for entrance into the kingdom is
modeled in little children. It is children, who not unlike blind beggars,
were not really considered true persons in their community, whom Jesus engages.
It could be the crowd was embarrassed at what real devotion looked like. This
beggar who showed such unrestrained devotion and emotion to God bothered the
crowd and made them uncomfortable. It is interesting Jesus did say how hard
it was for the rich to enter the kingdom. It is not that riches alone are
evil, but they so easily can possess, consume, and make us comfortable while
infecting us with blindness. We think all of our needs are really being met,
hence our desperation and need of Jesus can be restrained and civil.
The crowd’s response leads us quickly to confession as
the Church. “Lord may we never hinder those who are seeking healing
from you.” The Church is not a museum or social club, but a hospital.
We must not categorize, stereotype, or hinder those who are sick from receiving
the healing. God is fashioning here a community of reconciliation and healing.
Bart did not let others who identified him by his dysfunction
dictate his tenacity to meet his Lord. While the crowd’s response was
disturbing, Jesus’ use of them is comically redemptive. Jesus hears
Bart’s plea. Now Jesus could have called out to him directly, but instead
he had the same crowd who had told him to be quiet and shut up, pass on the
good news. “Take heart, get up, he is calling you.” The crowd
served as ministers of evangelism to the one they had attempted to de-humanize
and marginalize.
Bartimaeus responded in faith to the crowd’s plea. Like
the children’s song “Spring up O Well,” Bart sprang to his
feet. But notice, he sprang, still blind, and threw off his cloak.
It is very easy to pass over such simple actions and get to the encounter
with Jesus. But think about it, he was still blind, and in throwing off his
cloak, he threw off his source of warmth, protection, and maybe his only possession.
He threw off that which he also used to gather and collect his money in small
pockets sown in all over the cloak. This cloak was his ultimate security blanket.
Still blind he responds in faith to Jesus. This is the courage and faith that
is demanded if we really want to find healing.
Then perhaps we see Jesus at a low point of discernment. He
asks perhaps what is the dumbest question in the New Testament. “What
do you want me to do for you?” I think this is the question Jesus is
asking in all three stories in this chapter: the rich young ruler, James and
John, and blind Bartimaeus. This question underlies the importance of getting
our deepest desires straight and aligning our will with God. James and John
did not, Bartimaeus did. Bart wanted the right thing and he wanted it right
away. He desired to see. He sought a change in his identity. He no longer
desired to be defined by his dysfunction. His response to the call of Christ
was to leap amidst his dysfunction and come.
The rich young ruler was also blind and had a dysfunction. His
wealth was the source of his blindness. Dysfunctions do not always appear
as illness, disease, or heartaches. Some dysfunctions appear as signs of prosperity,
affluence, and success. But this is precisely the question God is asking you
today. “What do you want me to do for you?” The question remains,
“Can we handle God’s response to our plea for full health and
salvation?”
Jesus responds, “Go, your faith has saved you.”
But the story is not over. The last verse perhaps is the climax of this entire
story. Bart followed Him down the road.
Let us compare the conclusions of those encounters with Jesus:
the blind man versus the rich young ruler. Bart begins to follow Jesus along
the road. Such behavior reverses the image of the rich man who would not follow
Jesus. This is the truth, we are healed and saved in order to follow. Do not
forget where Bart would follow Jesus, right into Jerusalem where Jesus had
just announced His impending death.
The text is an invitation to come to Jesus and therefore to
see; to see so we might follow Jesus. By giving your hurts, pains, and abuses
to Jesus the primary purpose is not only a lifting of a burden, but primarily
to enable us to go and follow Jesus. The eager persistence of Bartimaeus is
testimony to the power of Jesus to restore (make well, save) those who know
they are blind. This story is a witness to Jesus Christ and a call to follow
Him: a miracle and a call to discipleship.
What do you want the Lord to do for you today? What are your
deepest desires? What is your darkest pain? Some of us like the rich young
ruler and the crowd are sometimes even unable to see our own blindness. But
for many, our dysfunctions and emotional scars are very real and always smacking
us in the face.
Christ is calling for you to take heart, rise, and come to Him.
Throw off your cloak--that which has become your source of security and protection
amidst your pain. Jesus is calling out to each one of us, “What do you
want Me to for you?
The rich young ruler sought obedience while living selfishly
comfortable, which kept him from discipleship. James and John sought the disease
of self-exaltation. Blind Bartimaeus sought to see and follow the Lord.
What do you want Me to do for You? Jesus has an agenda in asking
us this question. Christ desires that we ask Him to remove anything keeping
us from seeing and following Him.