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MARK’S GOSPEL…BARTIMEUS – 25

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“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭46‬-‭52‬ NIV

Another of the stories we love, but much packed into it that can elevate our understanding and hone our faith. 

Jesus and His disciples, engulfed by a crowd of excited spectators enjoying the entertainment Jesus provided for them, were on their way out of Jericho. Sitting by the wayside was a “nobody”, a blind beggar with his begging bowl in his hands and his beggar’s cloak around his shoulders…a pitiful picture of poverty and despair. 

No one noticed him or cared about him as they rushed past, bumping and trampling him in their excitement until he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Treating him as nothing but a nuisance, “Shut up,” they kept yelling at him, but he refused to be quiet. There was no way that he was going to lose this opportunity. 

Then the crowd came to a sudden stop. A voice rang out above the hubbub. “Call him!”

The people suddenly changed their tune. “So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

Let’s examine this little scenario. First, the beggar shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” What was he saying? Son of David…he identified Jesus as the anticipated Messiah.

Google explains…

  • “Messianic Title: The title “Son of David” was a well-known reference to the Messiah, who was prophesied to come from King David’s line. 
  • Appeal to Authority: By calling Jesus the “Son of David,” the blind man was acknowledging Jesus’ divine authority and the messianic power to bring healing and salvation.”

Second, “Have mercy on me.”

Mercy, in Hebrew…” chesed” was an appeal to God’s covenant commitment His people. 

“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin…”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭6‬-‭7‬a NIV‬‬

Imagine that! In the face of the unbelief of the religious leaders and the superficial “faith” of the crowd, this despised, nobody, beggar recognised Jesus for who He was and called on Him in faith to do what he believed He would do!

Third, the man stood up, tossing aside his beggar’s cloak, his licence to beg, and pushed through the crowd to Jesus. In this gesture, he was declaring, “ I’m done with begging! I don’t need to beg any more.” So secure was he in the outcome of his faith that he cut loose from his past before it happened.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ response. The interaction between them was simple. Knowing full well the blind man’s need, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to for you?” Such a simple but such a loaded question! The request offered the beggar the opportunity to ask for anything he desired. This was Jesus, Son of David, in front of him, opening a door to the world for him. 

His sight, uppermost in his mind, would mean real life for him. Everything else he desired would follow. So, his answer was simple. “I want sight, Lord! That’s all for now.”

And Jesus said, ”Go!” With a simple affirmation, “Your faith has healed you.” What did Jesus mean? Was faith the means by which he was healed or was his faith the gossamer thread that bound the man to Jesus along which the healing power flowed? Authority…Son of David! Faith…My sight! Done…Go! 

Amid all the foolishness of the religious elite and the common people, this blind beggar understood the truth and acted on it. 

And, in the hullabaloo, Jesus heard his cry!

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – THE SON OF DAVID IS HERE

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THE SON OF DAVID IS HERE

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52

We love to tell our children about blind Bartimaeus. It makes for a good story. But this is actually not a Sunday school story. It has details in it which one could easily miss. Jesus and His disciples were down in Jericho – the rebuilt city which was destroyed in Joshua’s day. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar sitting by the road and hoping for hand-outs. His acute hearing picked up the sounds of an approaching crowd. In the hubbub, he heard a name – Jesus of Nazareth – being spoken over and over again. Bartimaeus realised that the commotion was an excited crowd milling about this man, Jesus, as He left the city for the long climb up to Jerusalem.

Two things connected in Bartimaeus’ brain – “Son of David” and “mercy” (chesed, covenant faithfulness). What did Bartimaeus understand that the disciples had not yet grasped? Was it because of his blindness that he had a better perception of what the Messiah would do? Not many people recognised this aspect of Jesus’ Messiahship, kingship – yes, but merciful Son of David – no. This was an association of Messiah with the character of God – the God of covenant love.

Jesus’ ears and heart connected with the cry, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Did His heart bond with this despised, side-lined, unclean, blind beggar because Bartimaeus recognised who He really was? It was always His joy to show mercy because that is who the Father is and He and the Father are ECHAD.

Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” wasn’t prompted by ignorance. He knew the man was blind. He wanted Bartimaeus to be specific, to verbalise his desire so that the faith channel would not be blocked by doubt or insecurity. Bartimeaus’ request showed Jesus the measure of his confidence in Him, and his understanding of who the Son of David was. He could have asked for new clothes or even a piece of bread but he asked big because he trusted big. To him, the Son of David meant that the one God had promised was here.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHO GETS THE WASHCLOTH?

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WHO GETS THE WASHCLOTH?

“He quoted a proverb: ‘Can a blind man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in a ditch? An apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

“It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbour’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour.'” Luke 6:39-42.

Isn’t it amazing how right we all think we are! The world is full of blind guides who think they can see, and are leading blind people into ditches everywhere.

Jesus warned His hearers to be careful who they followed. The scribes and Pharisees,  the religious “experts” of His day, fitted His description very well – blind guides who thought they were right, so right in fact that they were ready to destroy truth for the sake of their right-ness.

Take, for example, the scientific fraternity that teaches the ridiculous theory of evolution as proven fact when every intricate detail of creation (a word they freely use, yet deny the Creator), screams out the truth that there has to be a Designer. Yet most of the people in the educated world believe they are right!

And where has that got us? Into the ditch of utter moral darkness! To accept evolution as fact and follow its ramifications is to be just like the apes we are supposed to have evolved from, devoid of common sense and reason. It takes a huge leap of faith into a deep, dark void of foolishness to believe that, in spite of the fact that every simple thing humans make needs a design, the whole of creation just “happened” by chance! Really?

How can we be safeguarded from the boffins who insist they are right regardless of the facts? Weigh up the evidence! In the Apostle Paul’s day, the Bereans were applauded for their good sense. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 (NIV).

What does it take to weigh up the evidence and come to an informed conclusion? It takes a humble admission that I don’t know everything, I can’t explain everything but someone else can, and I’ll take the trouble to find out from an authoritative source.

Jesus laid the problem at the door of our innate human pride. We are so blind to our own pitiful ignorance that we dare to sneer at others and offer to wash the spots off their faces when our own are blotched with contempt because we think we know better.

Test your own heart. What lies underneath those judgmental, critical thoughts, even if they are never uttered? “I’m not like that! I don’t do that! I’m better than you! I know more than you do! I’m right and you’re wrong!”

Humility is a great leveller and it opens the door to many things that pride excludes us from – wisdom, knowledge and understanding, friendship, peace and harmony with others, just for a start and, most important of all, God’s grace. “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b (NIV).

There is one source of truth upon which we can stand with great confidence, the Word of God. Truth needs no defence. It needs only to be spoken. It will endure while lies, false teaching, and wrong thinking will all disappear because they have no substance. The Scriptures admonish us to test everything and to hold fast to that which is good.

Are you a fool or do you do that?

THE BOOK OF ACTS – REALLY BLIND BLINDNESS

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REALLY BLIND BLINDNESS 

‘The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God’s Word first-hand from them. But Dr Know-It-All (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English), stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, ‘You bag of wind, you parody of a devil — why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you’ve come up against God Himself, and your game is up. You’re about to go blind — no sunlight for you for a good long stretch.’ He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take him by the hand and show him the way.

“When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.” Acts 13:7-12 (The Message).

What a story! This was a David-and-Goliath scenario in the spiritual realm, not “spiritual warfare” but simply taking the spoils of Jesus’ victory. Paul did not engage in a stand-off with the magician. He passed sentence on a verdict already given by the man himself. Since he was already spiritually blind and trying desperately to keep the governor in the dark, his physical blindness was a fitting sentence for his crime.

God, through His faithful missionaries, was giving Sergius Paulus an opportunity to weigh up the evidence, after hearing what they had to say, and reach his own conclusion about Jesus. This is God’s way. He forces no one to believe. He honours His gift of choice, regardless of which way it goes.

The magician was a servant of Satan, operating under Satan’s power; force and control. The devil held this man captive by his lies and used him to ensnare others.  While Paul and Barnabas were speaking about Jesus, he tried to distract the governor and stop him from hearing and believing the truth.

This was a clash of two kingdoms and Paul immediately recognised its source. Like David, he was not put off by the size of the enemy. He understood both his authority and his victory and took action in the name of his Master.

This is what Jesus was speaking about when He was with His disciples at Caesarea Philippi. In spite of the terrible things people were doing there in the name of their god, Pan, holding sexual orgies with goats in public to “honour” him, Jesus assured His disciples that not even that would stand in the way of His church. Everything built on lies has no substance and will eventually collapse.

This little stand-off was a parable in action. The sorcerer was spiritually blind but he was trying to force the governor to follow him. Jesus told what the outcome would be. If the blind try to lead the blind, they will both fall into the ditch. Paul simply confirmed his blindness by speaking physical blindness on him. Now he had no option but to rely on someone else to lead him.

Peterson’s interpretation in The Message puts an intriguing slant on the outcome. “He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way.” What a pity he had not recognised his spiritual blindness instead of relying on lies and asked someone to lead him, like the governor was doing. Had he listened to Paul and Barnabas instead of opposing them, they would have taken him by the hand and shown him the Way.

Instead of humbling himself, he was humiliated through his own actions. It takes humility to own one’s blindness and ask for help. One wonders whether he ever saw the light, both physical and spiritual. He would have had plenty of time to think about it, seeing that he was now dependent on others to lead him.

Walk In The Light

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WALK IN THE LIGHT 

“To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out.'” John 9:34 NIV.

Strange isn’t it, to what lengths people will go to prove they are right, only to dig themselves deeper and deeper into their own guilt! No matter what they said or did, it didn’t make the Pharisees right and the healed man wrong! Education, status, position, standing in society or in the church, title or anything does not make lies the truth.

“Jesus heard that they had thrown him out and, when He found him He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is He, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in Him.’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped Him.'” John 9:35-38 NIV.

Two perspectives; two conclusions! The Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Son of Man and ended up by evicting the healed man from the synagogue (vs 22) because he acknowledged that Jesus was from God. On the other hand, Jesus found the man and invited to faith in Him as the Messiah. The man gladly responded, completing the conviction he had that Jesus was from God and entering into the kingdom of God.

In spite of the Pharisees adamant claims, the “in” were “out” and the “out” was “in”!

Not only could he now see but his healing had also given him spiritual “sight” into the unseen realm of faith. The action of the Pharisees only served to intensify their blindness while the healed man had never seen so clearly in his life before.

“Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into the world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:39-41.

Amazing how those Pharisees got the point! They were sharp enough to realise that Jesus was talking to and about them. They had accurately judged and condemned themselves but still refused to acknowledge that they were guilty.

It is this aspect of ownership, rulership and authority of the world that the unbeliever refuses to accept. To accept the truth that God is the Creator of the universe is to acknowledge His ownership and authority over everything, including human beings who do not want to be ruled.

When Adam disobeyed God’s instruction at the beginning, he declared independence and illegitimately snatched the right to make his own rules. However, his action does not cancel God’s authority — it only compounds man’s guilt.

“But to the wicked person God says, ‘What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you…When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will arraign you and set my accusations before you.'” Psalm 50:17, 17; 21 NIV.

The one difference between God’s way and all the ways of false religions is that God has appointed a Judge who will judge the world in righteousness. “For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:31 NIV.

The very ones who refused to recognise Him; who maligned Him and those who believed in Him; who falsely arrested, accused and had Him crucified, will face the blazing light of His glory and give an account of their deeds. He will not need to say a word. They will finally “see” in the light of His truth, every lying word they ever spoke or thought and every wicked deed they perpetrated in the name of God.

Jesus invites us to “walk in the light” now so that we will not need to be ashamed at His coming.