Grace be with you all (He 13:25). Amen.
I know what it is like not to be able to see well. Some of you are the same. It might be a difficulty with close up or a problem with far away. Or both. So there are glasses and contacts, bifocals and even trifocals. (I think that is as high as the possible number of lenses that can go in one’s frame.)
But actually to be in utter darkness. For almost all of us, it would just be a game of pretend—shutting your eyes completely or shielding them carefully like when playing hide and seek. But you can always open them up again to see once more.
But Bartimaeus was absolutely blind. And yet he could see very clearly. Jesus is a sight for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delivers from trouble. He is the Savior who delights in trust. We read about Jesus’ amazing healing of this man from …
Mark 10:46-52
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, our merciful and mighty Savior,
I am aware that the cliché is “a sight for sore eyes.” You have been on the road for 12 straight hours coming back from a work trip or a road trip. It’s late. You simply want to get out of the car and get into your home. As you turn into the driveway, your house is a “sight for sore eyes”—something that is welcome. But it can also be a person who fits that description—your wife or your mom has a hot meal waiting for you.
Bartimaeus wasn’t simply tired, he was totally sightless. He needed more than a meal; rather a miracle. We could argue, though, that he had better vision with his terrible handicap that those with their natural ability. For that reason,
Jesus Is a Sight for Blind Eyes
1. He is the Savior who delivers from trouble (46-52)
2. He is the Savior who delights in trust (51,52)
1. He is the Savior who delivers from trouble (46-51)
Perhaps there are frequent headaches. Or possibly things are always fuzzy. That is when you make an appointment with an optometrist. A prescription from a doctor takes care of the problem. But Bartimaeus didn’t have a stigmatism to correct. And he had a Savior to call. Jesus is a sight for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delivers from trouble.
The one issue led to the other. Because Bartimaeus was blind, it reduced him to being a beggar. That is how he made his living. And so he took his usual place along the way in Jericho (Mk 10:46). One day was life-changing. Jesus, his disciples, and a considerable group were passing through and passing by. They were headed the last 15 miles up the road to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.
Bartimaeus’ eyes didn’t work. But his ears and vocal chords did. And he made full use of them as the parade of people marched along. When it was clear that Jesus, who had grown up in Nazareth, was among the travelers, “he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mk 10:47). He was loud because he wasn’t going to lose this opportunity.
There was a recognition of Jesus. That is clear in what he calls him.
“Jesus” (Mk 10:47). It is good for us to stop and consider the significance of that name when we cry out to him. He is “Jesus.” He is true God, true man, who came to save us from our sins (Mt 1:21). And that is exactly what he did by keeping the entire law for us and crushing the enemy Satan for us (Ge 3:15).
“Son of David” (Mk 10:47). That is code for the Messiah, the Christ. This was the promised Descendant from David’s line (2 Sa 7:12,13). He would rule a never-ending kingdom (Lk 1:32,33).
There was a request of Jesus. “Have mercy on me!” (Mk 10:47). In other words, “have pity on me.” There was a definite need for divine aid. Bartimaeus went to the right person with the right plea. It sounds similar to the statement of the children of Israel in Jeremiah’s day: “O LORD, save your people” (Je 31:7).
We are no strangers to suffering. It could be a consequence of our own sins like the abuse of alcohol could affect our health or the result of the sins of others like when someone spreads false things against us. And then there is the kind that comes for no apparent reason like the blindness of Bartimaeus. Why?, we wonder. And then Jesus goes by. In struggles, more than in successes, we reach out to him and look up to him. “Have mercy on me.” Our petition is not based on our merit, but his mercy. “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy” (CW p. 15).
Not everyone was excited about the interruption. They had places to go. “Many rebuked him [that is, Bartimaeus] and told him to be quiet” (Mk 10:48). They expressed their disapproval like a mother hushing or shushing her restless child at the kitchen table. (If only it would be as easy as muting your cell phone.) But he exclaimed with persistence. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mk 10:48). (That is where the illustration breaks down. A child shouldn’t carry on at a high volume in defiance while eating.)
It is worth noting Jesus’ reaction. He would not, did not, turn a deaf ear to the desperate appeal. “Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’” (Mk 10:49). He paused because he was not too preoccupied to give himself to one person. The multitude quickly changed their tune: “So they called to the blind man, ‘Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you’” (Mk 10:49).
No one is too insignificant for Jesus even as his suffering, death, and resurrection loom large. He is not too busy to be bothered. That means you too. Be bold in your petitions. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mk 10:47,48). He halts to help.
Bartimaeus wasted no time. “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mk 10:50). And Jesus met his need: “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mk 10:52). His spiritual eyesight also turned into physical eyesight. Bartimaeus could now see where he was going. And that now was to the capital city behind Jesus.
It is interesting that Jesus accepted the title, “Son of David” (Mk 10:47,48). For some, that designation had political overtones. The hope was that the Messiah would drive out the despised Romans—to be an earthly king and a mighty champion. But that was not Jesus’ purpose or plan. Not only did Jesus demonstrate his mercy in curing Bartimaeus’ blindness. He also displayed his power. He gave sight to the blind (Ps 146:8). It was proof that he was the coming One (Mt 11:4,5), a mark of the Messiah. But he was more than a healer; he is the Savior. And now was the time.
That is why Jesus is making this journey to Jerusalem. It would be his last. But there on a cross he would pay for our guilt, defeating the devil and destroying death. “Have mercy on me.” And he does. He takes care of that necessity.
And that is the case for the others. “Have mercy on me.” He may remove it. He may reinforce us. Whatever is the best possible way. Jesus is a sight for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delivers from our trouble.
2. He is the Savior who delights in trust (51,52)
I cannot speak for certain since I am not a doctor, but I suspect that an optometrist is happy when a patient goes from things being blurry to being sharp. Bartimaeus’ day was now different. All because of Jesus. Jesus is a sight for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delights in trust.
Jesus didn’t ask for himself. He knew. It was for Bartimaeus. “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk 10:51). It was an encouragement to be bold for a blessing—to express his faith in Jesus’ capability and willingness to heal. His faith was not misplaced. “Rabbi, I want to see” (Mk 10:51). It was polite as much as personal. And his trust was not misdirected. “‘Go,’” said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you’” (Mk 10:52). It wasn’t because he believed hard enough. Jesus was the cause of his trust and the content of his trust. Faith was on the receiving end.
Our faith in Jesus is as much of a gift as our deliverance through Jesus. He gives us our physical sight and spiritual. Neither one of those do we determine or develop. He gives to us and we get from him—like putting a present in someone’s hands. We were once blind, but now we see (CW 379:1). It was the unknown and unnamed author of Hebrews that fixed our attention on our perfect High Priest who sacrificed himself for us. He reached the goal of rescuing us in obedience to his Father—all the way to the cross (Php 2:8). As a result, “he became the source of eternal salvation” (He 5:9). Jesus is pleased to create faith in us and then praises us in whom he has created it. Jesus is a sight for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delights in our trust.
The eyes in our heads may get weaker with age but the eyes of heart get stronger with Jesus. He is not a sight for sore eyes, but for blind eyes. He is the Savior who delivers from our trouble and delights in our trust. We echo the psalmist: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Ps 126:3). He has had mercy on us. He erases our sin and enlightens our spirit. Thank you for such clarity, Jesus. Amen.
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (He 4:16). Amen.
October 28, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment