A Lesson from a blind man. (A) Outline

A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She asked, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?”There was a short pause, and then, from the back of the room Little Johnny spoke up and said…“Sin.”

What a cute joke but it serves as a reminder of our fallen condition as sinners and our desperate need for Salvation.

Our text is the eyewitness account of Jesus’ final healing miracle, The healing of Blind Bartimaeus. Here was a man who was physically blind yet he could see the spiritual things much clearer than many of us today.

CPS: Today I want us to learn a lesson from Blind Bartimaeus, who cried out to Jesus for mercy, then came to Jesus in faith, and continued with Jesus in discipleship.

I. Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for Mercy. 46-48

A. His Condition

Bartimaeus is the quintessential picture of sin living in darkness and lacking the ability to do anything about it.

Blind

(Likewise we are spiritually blind). Romans 3:11, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 4:18

2. Beggar

(Likewise we lack the ability to do anything about our condition) Eph. 2:1, 8-9.

B. His Savior

What He had heard

(The healings that had taken place)

2. What He came to understand

(only the Messiah could do these things.) Is. 35:5. Son of David is a Messianic Title.

C. His Cry

Mercy is the Greek verb eleeō which means to show compassion towards the wretched.

ILL: I read about a lady who went to a photographer one day and had her picture made. When he showed her the proofs, she was very unhappy and she said, “Well, I don’t like that! Those proofs don’t do me justice.” He said, Ma’am, what you need is not justice. What you need is Mercy!

Likewise, Bartimaeus’ condition and our condition as well is that we stand in need of mercy. Mercy is the polar opposite of justice. Justice is what we deserve but mercy keeps us from what we deserve, a sinners hell! And Jesus is the source of mercy who loves us with so great a love that He want’s to extend mercy to us. Eph. 2:4, Titus 3:5.

II. Bartimaeus came to Jesus in faith. 49-51a

A. When called He abandoned everything.

*His cloak.... “Casting away” is the Greek verb apoballō it means to throw away

ILL: There was a little boy who got his hand stuck in a very old and very expensive vase. His parents tried and tried to get the child’s hand out but they couldn’t. Finally they had to break the vase and when they did, they found his little hand balled up in a fist. His parents got irate and scorned him for not opening his hand and allowing it to pass through the opening. Then the little boy said with tears rolling down his face “but I would have lost my penny.” He opened his fist and inside his hand was a shinny new penny that he did not want to let go of.

B. When Called He came in faith

C. He got saved

“Made the whole” is the Greek verb sōzō, it means to deliver into divine salvation! It is in the perfect tense which means he was made whole and stayed whole. John 3:16, 10:28.

III. Bartimaeus continued with Jesus in discipleship. 51b

What a miracle! To see again! Luke 18:43.

ILL: For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn’t see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. He found it overwhelming. “I never would have dreamed that yellow is so…yellow,” he exclaimed. “I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can’t believe red. I can see the shape of the moon—and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is.”

To regain sight is wonderful but how much more wonderful is salvation! It is a personal relationship with God. Of all the healings in Mark, only here are we told “and He began following Him.” What an example for us today.

Con. Learn the lesson from Bartimaeus today! Cry out to “Jesus, Lord have mercy on me.” Come to Him in faith when He calls because He may not come your way again. Continue with Him on the road of life praising Him and glorifying him all your days!