Mark 10:46-52
I love this story of blind Bartimaeus.
It comes at a very significant point in Mark’s gospel.
So it is important. It is about how, at the end of all the teaching, someone puts their faith in Jesus, sees, and follows Jesus ‘on the way’. That phrase, ‘on the way’ is how Mark describes being a Christian. The disciples were ‘on the way’ to Jerusalem with Jesus (v32). We are on the way with Jesus, a way that leads to the cross and through the cross to resurrection.
But I love this story for another reason.
It is much easier to relate to Bartimaeus than it is to many other characters in the gospel.
Like us, Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus. We have not seen Jesus (most of us, I know of at least two people who have) because we live today and not then. He had not seen Jesus because he was blind.
Like us he had probably never heard Jesus.
And like us, all he had to go on was what other people said of Jesus: stories or rumours of Jesus – this man who they say speaks of God, acts with the power of God, does the sort of stuff that Messiah, God’s king, will do when Messiah comes and who heals people who are paralysed, deaf or blind.
And now he hears a large crowd, and they tell him that Jesus is passing by through Jericho
He could have dismissed it all.
I suspect that life sitting by the roadside and begging for money can make you quite hard and cynical. He might have thought, ‘It can’t possibly be true. It’s all hype’.
Or he could have thought, I don’t want to make a scene, to draw attention to myself. If nothing happens, if Jesus rejects me, or if I am not healed then I am going to look stupid, and I will be shamed. I will be made to feel very small.
As any football fan will know, it is the hope that kills.
There are those times when Jesus is passing by, times when he is very close. It might be now in church, or as you read this. It might be in a few days time when you suddenly have a longing for God.
Prayer, at its very heart, is us calling out to Jesus, and a throwing ourselves on the mercy of Jesus.
And we call out to him because we want a meeting with him.
We know he is close; we cannot see him, but we want him to see us.
There is a prayer which echoes the prayer of Bartimaeus which, for me, is at the very heart of my spirituality. It is called the Jesus prayer – and we know from writings that it has been used for at least over 1600 years.
‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’.
This is not the time to go into the detail of the prayer. All I say now is that it is incredibly rich and contains virtually everything that is at the heart of our faith. But it is also very simple. It is a calling to Jesus and throwing ourselves on his mercy.
I love this story of blind Bartimaeus.
It comes at a very significant point in Mark’s gospel.
The audio of this talk can be found here
Mark has put this story here as the climax of the first half of the short book that he wrote.
From chapter 11, beginning with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are told of the final few days of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion.
Mark has put this story here as the climax of the first half of the short book that he wrote.
From chapter 11, beginning with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are told of the final few days of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion.
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| Julia Stankova (Bulgarian, 1954–), Christ and Bartimaeus, 2017. |
So it is important. It is about how, at the end of all the teaching, someone puts their faith in Jesus, sees, and follows Jesus ‘on the way’. That phrase, ‘on the way’ is how Mark describes being a Christian. The disciples were ‘on the way’ to Jerusalem with Jesus (v32). We are on the way with Jesus, a way that leads to the cross and through the cross to resurrection.
But I love this story for another reason.
It is much easier to relate to Bartimaeus than it is to many other characters in the gospel.
Like us, Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus. We have not seen Jesus (most of us, I know of at least two people who have) because we live today and not then. He had not seen Jesus because he was blind.
Like us he had probably never heard Jesus.
And like us, all he had to go on was what other people said of Jesus: stories or rumours of Jesus – this man who they say speaks of God, acts with the power of God, does the sort of stuff that Messiah, God’s king, will do when Messiah comes and who heals people who are paralysed, deaf or blind.
And now he hears a large crowd, and they tell him that Jesus is passing by through Jericho
He could have dismissed it all.
I suspect that life sitting by the roadside and begging for money can make you quite hard and cynical. He might have thought, ‘It can’t possibly be true. It’s all hype’.
Or he could have thought, I don’t want to make a scene, to draw attention to myself. If nothing happens, if Jesus rejects me, or if I am not healed then I am going to look stupid, and I will be shamed. I will be made to feel very small.
As any football fan will know, it is the hope that kills.
And he could have closed himself off to the possibility of hope because of the possibility of being let down and humiliated.
But he doesn’t. He calls out to Jesus: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’
The key word there is very simple. It is the name ‘Jesus’. That is the very heart of prayer. We call to a person. We call out the name of Jesus.
Bartimaeus then declares why he is calling to Jesus. He calls him the ‘Son of David’. David was the great king of Israel who had lived 800 or so years earlier. And God had promised to David a descendent who would come and establish the Kingdom of God, who would bring healing, and who would reign for ever.
Bartimaeus very publicly declares that he believes that Jesus is this Son of David.
And then he declares what he wants from Jesus.
Not to get a selfie, or an autograph, not to get his approval or prove himself to Jesus – but because he needs Jesus to show him mercy.
But he doesn’t. He calls out to Jesus: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’
The key word there is very simple. It is the name ‘Jesus’. That is the very heart of prayer. We call to a person. We call out the name of Jesus.
Bartimaeus then declares why he is calling to Jesus. He calls him the ‘Son of David’. David was the great king of Israel who had lived 800 or so years earlier. And God had promised to David a descendent who would come and establish the Kingdom of God, who would bring healing, and who would reign for ever.
Bartimaeus very publicly declares that he believes that Jesus is this Son of David.
And then he declares what he wants from Jesus.
Not to get a selfie, or an autograph, not to get his approval or prove himself to Jesus – but because he needs Jesus to show him mercy.
He cannot see Jesus, but first he wants Jesus to notice him, to see him.
The first thing he asks for is a meeting, an encounter, with Jesus.
There are those times when Jesus is passing by, times when he is very close. It might be now in church, or as you read this. It might be in a few days time when you suddenly have a longing for God.
Prayer, at its very heart, is us calling out to Jesus, and a throwing ourselves on the mercy of Jesus.
And we call out to him because we want a meeting with him.
We know he is close; we cannot see him, but we want him to see us.
There is a prayer which echoes the prayer of Bartimaeus which, for me, is at the very heart of my spirituality. It is called the Jesus prayer – and we know from writings that it has been used for at least over 1600 years.
‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’.
This is not the time to go into the detail of the prayer. All I say now is that it is incredibly rich and contains virtually everything that is at the heart of our faith. But it is also very simple. It is a calling to Jesus and throwing ourselves on his mercy.
We join in with Bartimaeus and we call out to Jesus. I can’t see you, but I am asking you to see me.
The crowd try to shut him down. Some order him to be quiet. Jesus is important. Why would he bother with someone like you? Or maybe Jesus is teaching, and they want to hear what he is saying.
But he persists. Indeed, he shouts louder.
We give up so easily!
But he persists. Indeed, he shouts louder.
We give up so easily!
Maybe it is the cynicism, maybe it is the fear of disappointment. Maybe it is others who put us off – even Christians, people who claim to follow Jesus. The vicar didn’t come and visit; I wasn’t appreciated; They didn’t treat me as I deserve or expect to be treated; the sermons are too long! They were rude to me. I didn’t understand.
Bartimaeus persists because he is desperate.
Matthew tells us of a non-Jewish woman who came to Jesus. She prays a very similar prayer to Bartimaeus. “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). The disciples actively try to keep her away from Jesus, but she persists. She comes to Jesus, and he is silent, but she persists. When he does answer her, he replies with a real put down, describing her as a dog. But she persists.
Why? Because, like Bartimaeus, she was desperate. She throws herself on Jesus' mercy. She wanted Jesus to see her.
And Jesus does see Bartimaeus. He hears Bartimaeus, and calls him to come to him.
Notice how Bartimaeus throws off his cloak. That was a foolish thing for a blind man to do if Jesus was not going to heal him.
Bartimaeus persists because he is desperate.
Matthew tells us of a non-Jewish woman who came to Jesus. She prays a very similar prayer to Bartimaeus. “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). The disciples actively try to keep her away from Jesus, but she persists. She comes to Jesus, and he is silent, but she persists. When he does answer her, he replies with a real put down, describing her as a dog. But she persists.
Why? Because, like Bartimaeus, she was desperate. She throws herself on Jesus' mercy. She wanted Jesus to see her.
And Jesus does see Bartimaeus. He hears Bartimaeus, and calls him to come to him.
Notice how Bartimaeus throws off his cloak. That was a foolish thing for a blind man to do if Jesus was not going to heal him.
Perhaps I’m reading too much into this, but cloaks do seem to have a significance in Mark’s gospel. He tells us of the young man, some people say it might be him, whose robe is seized when Jesus is arrested, and he runs away naked.
Perhaps it is a picture that as Bartimaeus throws off the cloak, it is a symbol that he is throwing off the old way of life. Or perhaps it is an expression of his faith in Jesus. He is already so convinced that Jesus will heal him that he knows he will no longer need it.
They bring him to Jesus.
And Jesus speaks those incredibly precious words: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
I wonder how we would answer if, when we encounter Jesus, when in our prayer, stripped of our robe, he asks us, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
That is the time to be very real with him. ‘My teacher, heal my daughter, heal me; forgive me, heal my crippling sense of inadequacy, or fear of what others say, or pride that is always wanting to justify itself; give me a friend; restore my relationship with my husband, wife, child; help me pay off the debt; show me where I should be; give me a reason for living; protect me in this crisis; give me peace; help me to know what I should be asking for’.
Jesus does give sight to the blind man.
I do not know how he will answer you. That will be between him and you. What I do know is that – if you are real with him - when you look back to that encounter, maybe in many years time, maybe even from the perspective of heaven, you will see how he answered your prayer in a way that was far more wonderful than you could possibly imagine at the time.
Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus. He had probably never heard Jesus. But in faith he calls out to Jesus. And he has an encounter with Jesus. He does see Jesus and he does hear Jesus. And for Bartimaeus the encounter is the beginning of a new life. He has left his begging cloak and he follows Jesus on the way through the cross to the resurrection.
It is impossible to have a real encounter, to meet with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and not to be changed.
They bring him to Jesus.
And Jesus speaks those incredibly precious words: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
I wonder how we would answer if, when we encounter Jesus, when in our prayer, stripped of our robe, he asks us, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
That is the time to be very real with him. ‘My teacher, heal my daughter, heal me; forgive me, heal my crippling sense of inadequacy, or fear of what others say, or pride that is always wanting to justify itself; give me a friend; restore my relationship with my husband, wife, child; help me pay off the debt; show me where I should be; give me a reason for living; protect me in this crisis; give me peace; help me to know what I should be asking for’.
Jesus does give sight to the blind man.
I do not know how he will answer you. That will be between him and you. What I do know is that – if you are real with him - when you look back to that encounter, maybe in many years time, maybe even from the perspective of heaven, you will see how he answered your prayer in a way that was far more wonderful than you could possibly imagine at the time.
Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus. He had probably never heard Jesus. But in faith he calls out to Jesus. And he has an encounter with Jesus. He does see Jesus and he does hear Jesus. And for Bartimaeus the encounter is the beginning of a new life. He has left his begging cloak and he follows Jesus on the way through the cross to the resurrection.
It is impossible to have a real encounter, to meet with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and not to be changed.
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