Can You Hear Me Now?
Notes
Transcript
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
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Can you hear me now?
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Not many people are familiar with the name Paul Marcarelli, but from 2002 to 2011, he was one of the most recognizable faces on TV.
He played the “Test Man” character in commercials for Verizon Wireless during that time, wearing a gray Verizon jacket and horn-rimmed glasses.
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Featured in one place after another, he would always ask, “Can you hear me now?”
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Marcarelli, Google search)
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Of all the wants and needs felt by the human race, being heard is one of the most important.
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Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.'
"Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me -- and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." "I'll never forget her answer: 'Then listen slowly.'"
Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 13-14.
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Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?
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As we study our scripture today, we find Jesus on his way to Jerusalem for the final time. Indeed, both Mark and Matthew’s accounts follow this story with the account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry.
Luke, on the other hand, separates those two stories with the account of Zacchaeus in the tree and the Parable of the Minas. Luke’s account of Zacchaeus actually helps to explain some discrepancies in the three gospel accounts.
Mark says Jesus met Bartimaeus as he entered Jericho. Matthew says Jesus met two blind men while he was leaving Jericho. And Luke talks about Jesus meeting a blind man as he entered Jericho.
Bible scholars explain that there were two Jerichos of that time in that area. One was the ancient Jericho that had been rebuilt on top of the Jericho destroyed by God when Joshua and the Israelites entered Canaan. The second was a newer Jericho that Herod the Great built.
So, apparently Jesus had already traveled through old Jericho and was approaching new Jericho when Bartimaeus began calling out to him. Jericho was only fifteen miles away from Jerusalem.
Historians tell us that at this time Jericho was the most trafficked intersection in the world due to the fact that all commerce, travel, and movement of troops between Europe to the north and Africa to the south passed through Jericho. Courson, J. (2003).
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 265). Thomas Nelson.
Factor in this with all of the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Then, consider all those who had been attracted to Jesus because of the speculation that He was the Messiah.
Remember, once they got into Jericho, the crowd was so dense that Zacchaeus had to climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus!
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It must have been one, huge, busy, noisy affair as Jesus and his disciples trudged down the road that day!
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In the middle of all the excitement, the busyness, and the people listening intently as Jesus taught while he walked, suddenly there was an unwelcome sound:
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“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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Can you picture the people’s reactions? At first, not everyone could hear the beggar’s cry. Those who heard him first tried to ignore him as they listened intently to what Jesus was saying.
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Then, as the beggar kept on calling, those who were the more polite of society sought to quietly admonish the beggar.
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“Be quiet, man! Jesus is teaching. We want to hear what he is saying. We don’t have time for you!”
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“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”
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And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. …
The word “rebuke” is a strong term of censure. One commentary suggests…
Jesus’ followers view this blind man’s loud pleas as an intrusion, the way they had viewed the children (10:13). The disciples may have viewed Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem as a royal procession, and it was foolhardy and impudent to interrupt a royal procession.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 10:46–48). InterVarsity Press.
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Bartimaeus’ begging was like that bratty child making a scene at a formal dinner … or that one uncle who always seems to cause a scene at family reunions.
The people tried their best to shut him up.
…But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
(note: strike out the quote after sending to Proclaim)
“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!”
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Recently, we have begun talking about how God has blessed us to be a blessing to others. God blessed Abraham so that Abraham would be a blessing to the whole world.
We are blessed today because Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and like Abraham was made righteous in God’s sight by faith in him, we too are made righteous by our faith in Jesus.
As the Church of God, the chosen, blessed ones of God, we are called to continue extending this blessing to the world.
Last week, we talked about one simple practice by which we can be a blessing to others: Begin with Prayer.
Today, we are looking at a second practice: Listen.
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Our scripture today gives us a vivid example of how many people do not listen and do not want to hear the cries of a world in trouble.
Jesus hears the cry of those who are in need.
As Jesus’ followers, we desire to imitate how he lived, spoke, thought, and acted. As we study this scripture then, we find…
Big Idea: Jesus' example teaches us to listen to those in need.
Big Idea: Jesus' example teaches us to listen to those in need.
How does Jesus’ example teach us to listen to those in need? First, we see by Jesus’ example that listening means to…
1. Stop what you are doing, v. 49.
1. Stop what you are doing, v. 49.
Jesus was not simply taking a walk. He was on a mission - God’s mission. He was going to Jerusalem in order to offer himself as the Perfect Sacrifice for the sins of the world.
He had many things to accomplish between his death and this day he walked through Jericho. He was still preparing his disciples for his death. He would soon enter Jerusalem, proclaimed as the Messiah, the King of the Jews.
Before that, as he walked through Jericho, he would have the opportunity to eat with Lazarus and bring him back to God.
Surely as Jesus walked that road, his mind was busy with teaching the people and all sorts of things. Suddenly, he heard the cries - a little faint at first, but now blaring out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”
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What does it truly mean to LISTEN to a world in need?
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The pilgrims were focused on completing their journey and enjoying Passover. The crowds thronging Jesus were focused on hearing him teach and simply enjoying the spectacle of this man so many believed to be the Messiah.
The disciples were listening to Jesus teach. They were handling crowd control. They were preparing for conflict in Jerusalem.
Nobody wanted to be interrupted by a blind beggar. Nobody had time for him.
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Except Jesus.
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Above the roar of the crowd, Jesus heard his voice.
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And he stopped.
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Real listening begins when we are willing to be interrupted.
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Do you find it easy and convenient to be interrupted?
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Too often, we must admit that we get so focused … focused on work, focused on social media, focused on the big game, focused on getting groceries from the store - that we can block everything out.
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Personalities and temperaments differ. Some may be more single-focused than others. But even for those who take a slower pace, real listening takes effort.
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Compassion means making space for another person’s need.
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So… we must become more aware of our surroundings and our world. Can we hear people crying out? Can we see people in need?
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When someone cries out - verbally or silenty - we should slow down. We need to put down our phone, look up, and give them our full attention.
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It took place in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the early 90’s. A nurse had been watching a newborn for several hours. Suddenly, the baby turned dark blue.
The medical team called for a doctor and a radiologist and prepared to intervene, immediately assuming that the baby’s lungs had collapsed.
But the nurse was convinced that it was a heart problem. As soon as she saw the baby’s color, she suspected there was an air pocket around the baby’s heart that was stopping it from beating.
She screamed to her colleagues, “It’s the heart!” But they pointed to the heart monitor that showed the baby’s heart was beating normally.
She insisted, pushing their hands away and ordering them to be quiet as she placed a stethoscope on the child’s chest.
She stopped the swirl of activity and actually listened to the heart of this child.
Not a sound. The heart was not beating.
A neonatal surgeon entered the room. The radiologist, who had just received the test results, confirmed the nurse’s diagnostic. The surgeon performed a procedure that slowly released the air pocket. The baby was safe.
Later, the team understood why the monitor had misled them: it was measuring the electrical activity commanding the heartbeats, and this had not stopped: the heart was simply unable to respond to it because of the air pocket pressure.
It’s a dramatic illustration, but one we can all learn from. How often do we get caught up in the swirl and activity of all the noise and commotion that surrounds us, and fail to listen to the hearts of the people around us?
(BLESS Sermon series)
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How does Jesus’ example teach us to listen to those in need? Secondly, we should…
2. Seek to understand, v. 51.
2. Seek to understand, v. 51.
… as Jesus sought to understand the blind man.
And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
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In some ways, Jesus’ question seems silly.
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Seriously.
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Wasn’t it obvious that the blind man wanted to be able to see again?
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Then again, what did the blind man hope Jesus could give him? Did he want an extra-big donation for his begging cup? Did he want tips on how to beg better?
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The previous verse is fascinating. Mark relates that when the blind beggar heard Jesus calling for him to come…
And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
This cloak would have been his outer coat, the garment that people used for sleeping. It would have been the garment on which people tossed coins.
Bartimaeus left his security and all his efforts to live on his own behind. He jumped up and ran to Jesus. What a candidate for salvation!
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Still, Jesus did not assume what Bartimaeus needed. He asked and listened.
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The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said.
One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother this morning."
The guests responded with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir." It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard.
Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I'm sure she had it coming."
Source Unknown.
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Listening well means truly paying attention, seeking to understand who they are, where they are coming from, and what they are feeling.
Listening means asking questions that invite others to share their hearts, not just their surface problems.
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As we seek to share the blessings God has showered upon us with the world, we should also seek to understand the needs of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and community.
In his book Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren writes:
While most unbelievers aren’t looking for truth, they are looking for relief. This gives us the opportunity to interest them in truth. I’ve found that when I teach a truth that relieves their pain or solves their problem, unbelievers say, “Thanks! What else is true in that book?” Sharing biblical principles that meet a need creates a hunger for more truth.
Very few of the people who came to Jesus were looking for truth; they were looking for relief. So Jesus would meet their felt need, whether it was leprosy, blindness or a bent back. After their felt needs were met, they were always anxious to know the truth about this man who had helped them with a problem they couldn’t solve.
pp. 226-227.
In the same way, before we offer advice or solutions - even answers from God’s Word, we should seek to understand. Listening is a ministry of presence and empathy.
How does Jesus’ example teach us to listen to those in need? Thirdly, we should…
3. Serve with compassion, v. 52.
3. Serve with compassion, v. 52.
And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
What did this blind man desire? He wanted to be able to see!
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So Jesus pronounced healing upon the man - and the man was healed.
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But Jesus pronounced more than healing. Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well.”
The Greek word translated here is sozo. This word is used 54 times in the Gospels. Fourteen times, it refers to deliverance from disease or demon possession.
Twenty times, this word means to rescue from impending peril or instant death. And, the other twenty times this word refers to spiritual salvation.
One commentary states:
As Jesus did with the woman with the hemorrhage, he pronounced that Bartimaeus’s faith had healed him. The word seso, meaning “healed,” carries the connotation of “saved.” Brooks notes, “Mark probably intended a double meaning. The man was healed physically and saved spiritually. The latter is implied by the fact that he began to follow Jesus. The statement certainly means that Bartimaeus joined with the other pilgrims in accompanying Jesus on the road to Jerusalem … but again it is likely that Mark intended a double reference. ‘Following Jesus on the way’ is a technical term for discipleship. That Bartimaeus’s name was remembered and recorded probably means that he did become a disciple” (Brooks, Mark, p. 174).
Cooper, R. L. (2000). Mark (Vol. 2, p. 173). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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We have been looking at Baritmaeus’ story for ways that we can imitate Jesus’ example of listening to those in need.
At this point in the story, we might balk at making any comparison. Jesus surely can heal people of any disease, deformity, or even demon possession. But few of us would be confident to proclaim healing over anyone.
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Yet our scripture indicates that Jesus did not merely heal the man, but through this encounter, Bartimaeus became a follower of Jesus. He became a Christian!
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If we are unable to proclaim healing, we are surely incapable of saving someone from sin!
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But that’s God’s domain!
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Miracles of healing are accomplished by God’s power, just as people are redeemed of sin and born again by the power of the Spirit!
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We cannot heal anyone by our own power nor can we give them faith to believe. But we can serve with compassion.
Jesus did not merely hear the blind’s man need. He helped him. His listening led to loving action.
True listening moves us toward service. When we understand someone's need, we become God's hands of help and hope.
After listening to our friends, our co-workers, our community, we should then ask, "How can I serve or encourage this person?" Even small acts of kindess can point others to Christ.
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There is a story told by Michael Frost that illustrates this in a really powerful way. Frost is an author and church leader who has spent much of his career helping people discover how to live for Jesus.
He tells a story about this missionary group who went to India to serve the poor in a remote village. The group showed up with all sorts of supplies and programs, and skilled workers ready to transform that village to a place of health and vitality.
And they went to the people living in what was really a slum, and said “We could build a medical clinic to help take care of the hurting and sick, we could build a school to provide education so the next generation can work their way out of poverty. We could build a church so you could gather on the weekends and learn about God. So what do you want us to do for you?”
Sounds a lot like the question that Jesus asked. And the people of the village said, “We need a mailbox. The missionaries said, “A mailbox? We can give you a school or a church building and all’s you want your own mailbox?”
And the people said, “Yes, what we really need most is a mailbox.”
See in India, if you live in a slum, you do not have a mailbox, which means you don’t have a zip code, which means that you do not exist on a map.
Even if you are a community of 10 or 20 thousand people, if you don’t have a zip code, you’re not recognized as existing for anything, including social services from the government.
The people did not want a school, medical clinic, or church first. They wanted to be put on a map. They wanted to have an identity.
They wanted to become a recognized part of their own country.
The missionaries would not have known this unless they listened. And it was no small task. It took the missionaries two years to work through the bureaucracy to get this village registered with a zip code and a mailbox; but once they did, the village began to be changed.
Big Idea: Jesus' example teaches us to listen to those in need.
Big Idea: Jesus' example teaches us to listen to those in need.
As we observe Jesus’ example of listening to people in need, we find three principles from this stop that we should adopt as we seek to be a blessing to our world:
1. Stop what you are doing, v. 49.
2. Seek to understand, v. 51.
3. Serve with compassion, v. 52.
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Can you hear me now?
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In 2016, five years after John Marcarelli was last featured in a Verizon commercial, he surprised the advertising world by appearing in a commercial for Sprint, Verizon’s competitor.
Then, early this year, 2025, Marcarelli returned to Verizon in a campaign focusing on satellite-powered connectivity.
He is featured alongside Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin asks, “Can you text me now?” from space. Maracarelli answers, “That’s my line.”
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Can you hear me now? Are we truly listening so we can be a blessing to our world?
