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TEACHINGS TO VALLEY VIEW COMMUNITY CHURCH

The Good News of Jesus

08/16/2009 - A Visit from Bartimaeus, Mark 10:46-52

Shalom. My name is Bartimaeus. Forgive me for being nervous, but I am ... quite nervous. I'm not used to getting up in front of people to talk. It makes me very uneasy. But I was asked to tell you my story today. And after thinking about it for a long time, I said that I would. I said I would tell my story if it might help someone because I was helped so much.

Bartimaeus is my name. My name means son of Timaeus, which in my country means "son of value, son of worth." I always thought that was a strange name for a blind beggar. And that's what I was, most of my life, a blind, worthless beggar. I had no value. I had no worth.

But today I can see. I can see the sky. I can see the trees. I can see this room. I can see you. But for most of my life I could only see darkness. Blackness. I could only see what a poor, miserable man I was. Why had Jehovah God cursed me with blindness? What did I do to deserve this darkness? Was it for my sin or the sin of my parents? Why God? I asked those questions everyday of my life.

I was born in Jericho and that is where I stayed, in Jericho. I couldn't go anywhere. I couldn't walk anywhere without someone to lead me by the hand. So I sat most of my life, in the dark, on the dusty Jericho road. Day after day I would cry out, "Alms. Alms for the blind. Alms. Alms for the blind." That's how I made my living if you can call it a living. I certainly had no life.

Some of you may have heard of the famous city of Jericho. Joshua had marched around the walls of Jericho with the army of Israel and the walls fell down flat. It was one of the greatest miracles of Jehovah God. And often I wondered if Jehovah God could bring down the walls of Jericho, why couldn't he open my blind eyes? They were the walls that kept me in bondage.

I guess it could have been worse. I could have been born a blind beggar in a little village where there was no money to drop in my cup. But Jericho was a wealthy city. One of the richest cities in all of Judea. A beautiful city well known for its tall palm trees and delicious Jericho fruit. It was a royal city. King Herod had built a palace in Jericho to escape the damp, cold winters in Jerusalem. It was a religious city, too. Many of the priests who served the great Temple at Jerusalem lived in Jericho.

How often I wished I could visit Jerusalem, the city of David, the city where God lived. But it was 18 miles away, a six hour walk up a very steep road. I would never see Jerusalem. I would never see the Temple. I would never make a sacrifice or celebrate a Passover. And because of my condition I would always be called unclean, viewed by everyone as a man under the curse of God.

So I did what all blind men did in my country. I begged. Everyday I sat on the busy Jericho road, spread out my coat, held out my hand, and begged. And God was merciful to me. Each day enough coins were tossed on my coat so I could live another day.

Often I wondered what it must be like to see. I wondered what the world looked like. I wondered what people looked like. I wondered what I looked like. I wondered how different my life would be if only I could see through this darkness.

Some times I thought about the Messiah that God promised to send to his people. I didn't know much about this Messiah. I couldn't read the Torah and I didn't go to synagogue. But I was told that he would do miracles. In the book you call Isaiah, the prophet says that when Messiah comes he will make the lame to leap like a deer and the mute to shout for joy. He will unstop the ears of the deaf and open the eyes of the blind. Open the eyes of the blind. Open the eyes of the blind. If only the Messiah would come and open my eyes.

Once there came a man to our city that I thought might be the Messiah. His name was John. He preached not far from here in the desert of Judea. And he said, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Many people from my city went to hear him preach and they followed him. They followed him to the Jordan River just a few miles away from here. He told them to repent of their sins and to get ready to welcome the kingdom of God. Those who did, he baptized. He put them under the water. Some were calling him John the Baptist. But I thought to myself, "Maybe he's the Messiah?"

I was told that he looked like a strange man. He wore clothes made of camel's hair, thick, rough camel's hair. He had a big, wide leather belt, they said, around his waist. And his food. His food was worse than mine. He ate only locusts and wild honey.

I kept waiting to hear that he did miracles. Then I would know that he was the Messiah of God. If he could make the lame to leap like a deer and the mute to shout for joy. If he could unstop the ears of the deaf and open the eyes of the blind. Then I would know that he was the Messiah and there might be hope that he could someday open my blind eyes.

So I asked everyone who heard him, "Does he do miracles? Does he make people walk and speak and hear and see? Does he?" But everyone said, "No. He does no miracles. Not one." And I thought to myself, "Then he can't be the Messiah." And my hopes were dashed. I would be a blind, poor beggar all of my life.

Then I heard someone say that he didn't claim to be the Messiah. Instead, John was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. He said, I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

After me there will come one who is more powerful than I. Maybe he would be the Messiah who would have the power to make blind men see. Everyday I sat by the Jericho road and begged, begged to hear more about this one who was to come. Would he come soon? Would he come in my lifetime? Would he come to Jericho?

I heard that one of those baptized by John was a man named, Jesus. He was a carpenter from the town of Nazareth. A good carpenter I was told. But after he was baptized he put down his tools and began to preach. Like John he preached, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

But unlike John, he did miracles! Some said that he turned water into wine at wedding in Cana. Others heard that he made lepers clean and lame men walk. Some one told me that he even cast out a legion of demons. "But did he open the eyes of the blind?" I asked. "Did he open the eyes of the blind?"

Months went by and it seemed like every week there was a new story about this Jesus. Something he said. Something he did. Something he taught. The word on the street was that he was a good man. A man sent by God. Perhaps even the Messiah of Israel.

But the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the priests, were growing to hate him. They hated him for breaking their rules. They hated him for gaining a following. They hated him for criticizing them. They couldn't control him like they controlled everybody else. So they wanted to destroy him. But I hoped and prayed that they wouldn't destroy him before he came to my city.

Then one day I heard the news I had been longing for. I heard that he had healed a blind man. A blind beggar in the city of Jerusalem. Someone said he was blind from birth just like me. Jesus saw him on the side of the road and stopped. He must have thought that he was going to give him money, but instead he gave him sight. I heard that he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. Then he told him to wash it off in the pool of Siloam. And when he did he washed the blindness right out of his eyes and he could see!

All I could think of were those words of Isaiah the prophet, when Messiah comes he will make the lame to leap like a deer and the mute to shout for joy. He will unstop the ears of the deaf and open the eyes of the blind. And I started to pray, "Oh Jehovah God, please send your Messiah, the Son of David, to my city. Please send him down the Jericho road so that he could put mud on my eyes and make me see."

Passover was coming and that was always a good season for my business, the best time of the year for beggars. The streets of Jericho were crowded with people getting ready to climb the mountains to Jerusalem. Their money bags were full of coins to buy their sacrifices at the Temple and to give alms to the poor. That was the religious duty of my people. So I got up early and made sure that I had a good seat by the road.

On this day the crowd seemed extra large. There was lots of noise and pushing and shoving. And I had to scream to be heard, "Alms. Alms for the blind. Alms. Alms for the blind." And when I did the coins starting dropping and I could tell it was going to be a good day.

Then I heard someone in the crowd say the name "Jesus." Then I heard another say, "Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming." I thought to myself, "No. Could it be? Could it be Jesus the Son of David? Has Jehovah God finally heard my prayer? What's happening?" I yelled. "What's going on?"

"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

I trembled with excitement and I thought, "Could this be it? Could this be my chance? The only chance I may ever get to meet Jesus?" So I started to shout with all the breath that was in me. "Jesus. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

But the more I cried the more the crowd yelled, "Be quiet! Shut up! He doesn't want to be bothered by you, you beggar!" They thought I wanted his alms. But I didn't want his money, I wanted my sight. I wanted to see. I wanted him to heal me, like he healed that blind beggar in Jerusalem.

So I didn't listen to them. Instead I shouted even louder, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, have mercy on me!" But he didn't stop. He kept walking right past me. "Stop Jesus, please stop!"

Just when I thought I had missed my chance, my only chance to meet Jesus someone called out to me and said, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." So I threw my coat aside, jumped to my feet, and was led right to Jesus. Everyone stopped and a hush came over the crowd and Jesus said, "What do you want me to do for you?" I'll never forget those words, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Rabbi, Lord. I want to see."

I was waiting for him to spit on the ground and make some mud to put on my eyes. But instead he just reached out and touched me and said, "Go your faith has healed you. Your faith has healed you."

He pulled his hands away and I could see. I could see! And the first thing I saw was the face of Jesus. And he had a big smile on his face. I had never seen a face, anyone's face, until I saw Jesus' face. And it was full of such joy and compassion. I came out of my darkness and was face to face with the light of the world.

I started laughing and crying and leaping and praising Jehovah God for hearing my prayer, for sending his Messiah, for healing me. And when the people saw it they began to praise God with me. The same ones who had told me to shut up! They began to shout and to dance and to cheer.

So I left my coat and my coins and I followed Jesus. I followed Jesus all the way up to Jerusalem that day. And then I followed him all the rest of my life.

I finally understood the meaning of my name, Bartimaeus, "son of value, son of worth." In the eyes of everybody I had been a worthless blind beggar. But in the eyes of God I had value. Value enough for Jesus to heal me. Value enough for Jesus to die for me. For you see that's what happened when we arrived in Jerusalem.

Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples. But that would be his last Passover. The next day he was arrested by the Sanhedrin and sentenced by the Romans to die. I was in the crowd the day he dragged his cross through the streets of Jerusalem to the hill called Golgotha, the place of the skull. I watched as they drove the nails through his feet and his hands. The same hands that only a few days before had reached out and touched my blind eyes. And now my eyes were blind again, this time with tears. Why would Jehovah God let the Messiah be hung up on a cross to die?

I didn't understand it all then. But I understand it now. Jesus died on that cross for me and for you. We are all so valuable in his eyes that he would die in our place for our sin so that we might have God's forgiveness simply by believing in him. Have you believed in him? Remember what he said to me, Your faith has healed you.

I never dreamed that my story would be recorded forever in the Holy Scriptures. But it is, not only once, but three times, in the gospels you call Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For some reason God wants everybody to know about my story.

Some have said that my story has taught them never to give up. I let nothing or no one stop me from seeing Jesus. I was determined to meet the one person, the only person, that I knew could heal me, even when everyone else was telling me to stop, to back off, to stay away. I didn't listen to their voices. Instead, I pursued him. And I'm so glad that I did. Are there voices that are telling you not to pursue Jesus? Are there voices that are distracting you, that are discouraging you? Don't listen to them. Instead, keep seeking him with all your might.

Others have said that my story has caused them to respond to the call of Jesus right away. It's so easy to tell Jesus to wait until we have done this or finished that before we follow him. But when he called me I jumped to my feet right away and obeyed him. I knew that he might never call me again. This could be my only chance to follow Jesus and I didn't want to miss it. Are you ready to respond to his call? Maybe today he finally wants you to believe in him? Maybe today he's calling you to change something in your life? To make something right? You'll know what it is. He'll make it clear. And when he does, obey. Follow him right away because he is Lord.

Still others have said that my story reminds them that all of us are blind in some way. Maybe not physically blind, but we all have something in our lives that we wish was different. Some wound that needs to be healed. Some sin that needs to be forgiven. Some bondage that needs to be broken. Some purpose that needs to be restored. Remember what Jesus asked me? He asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

That's the question he's asking each one of you this morning. What do you want me to do for you? Jesus wants to forgive you, he wants to heal you, he wants to help you. But he wants you to humble yourself enough to ask for his help. Are you asking for his help today?

I didn't know it then, but I know it now. When Jesus came through Jericho that day he was a man on a mission. He had set his face towards Jerusalem determined to do God's will knowing that it meant the agony of Gethsemane and the pain of Golgotha. The cross was just a few days away and he had enormous issues on his mind.

Yet despite all that was on his mind, he took time to hear the cries of a blind beggar on the side of the road. And he didn't just hear those cries. He responded. On his way to Jerusalem to defeat the powers of evil, he stopped. For me.

When you think that Jesus is just too busy for you, that Jesus doesn't have time for you, that you are not worthy of his attention, think of me and remember that if the Lord of heaven and earth had time for a blind beggar, then he has time for you. For like me, Bartimaeus, you too are sons and daughters of great value and worth to God. We are all Bartimaeus or Batimeaus to Jesus.

Well, I know my time is up. I must be going. It's been a pleasure to share my story with you today. I hope it has helped you and that you too will get up and follow Jesus. Shalom my friends.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Valley View Community Church, feel free to contact us at info@valleyviewseek.org or call 610.631.2707.