What's the Problem?

What is the Problem?

When: Sara and I have been fasting for Sept and Oct.

What: Based on the Daniel fast. We modify it a bit.

Why: We used to do it during Lent but that doesn’t work for us around here. So, we did it during the fall. It coincides w/ Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Jewish New Year and Repentance.

We pray and repent for ourselves, family, Munds Park, and our church.

A weight problem?

It’s part of our regular spiritual disciplines. We get healthy. Spiritually and physically healthy.

We feel better.

Prayer and focus on God’s impact in our lives.

We eat better. More efficient calories.

My body isn’t storing preservatives and processed stuff.

As a result I’ve lost a few pounds.

I’ve learned a lot. I learn about God. I learn about myself.

One of the things I’ve learned is I don’t have a weight problem. I have an eating problem that causes me to gain weight the rest of the year.

If I want to lose weight and maintain this weight I have to accurately identify the problem.

By focusing on the wrong thing, or denying altogether that I have a problem, I can fix the problem.

I can deny and pretend all day that I don’t gain weight throughout the year.

Or, I can mis-identify the problem.

My clothes shrink in the dry air.

I have a weight problem and focus on the scales.

Neither of these will help me solve the problem.

I have to admit I eat too much junk. Processed food.

I don’t have a weight problem, I have a eating problem.

By admitting this and focusing on the real problem I can fix the problem.

Stomach pains?

No diff than dealing w/ stomach pain.

Men: We don’t go to the doctor. We’re never sick.

B/C, if the doc doesn’t tell me I’m sick, then I’m not sick.

Therefore,… don’t go to the doctor.

Denial! Don’t have a problem.

In a weak moment, I go to the doctor and tell her I have pain in my stomach.

Her options:

Do nothing.

Pain meds.

Treat me for an ulcer.

What if it’s cancer?

What if it’s gas?

Treat the wrong problem!

Denying I have a problem or treating the wrong problem not only won’t solve the problem but will create more problems.

What Happened

Hillary Clinton wrote a book, “What Happened”

The first thing critics noticed was the punctuation.

Not a question, a statement.

The book is her statement about why she believes she lost the election.

I have not read the book.

I have read reviews of the book from both sides.

There is a concensus. She didn’t address the problem.

So, if someone reads the book and applies the lessons she wrote about then runs for president they likely won’t win.

B/C, according to the reviews, she doesn’t address the real problem.

We can’t solve a problem, either by denying we have a problem, or by addressing the wrong problem.

This is true whether we’re talking about losing weight, stomach pains, or winning a presidential election.

It is also true spiritually speaking.

Jesus will help those who recognize their need and humbly ask Him for help.

He will not help those who deny their problem, do not recognize their need, therefore see no reason to ask Him for help humbly or otherwise.

How do we know? Miracle #32

Blind Bart.

; ; ;

Mark 10:46–52 NIV

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

Mark is the primary passage.

But first, the Context.

Context

9:14-23

“This kind can only come out by prayer.”

Problem? The disciples tried to do it on their own.

38-41

“Someone was driving demons out in your name but he’s not one of us so we told him to stop.”

Problem? Control issues. Insecurities.

If he’s not against us he’s w/ us whether or not he’s w/ us.

42-50

Don’t cause anyone to stumble. If someone or something causes you to stumble cut it off.

Problem? sin is serious. Treat it that way.

It’s better t/b crippled and walking w/ Jesus than ambulatory and walking away from Jesus.

10:1-12

Divorce is a heart problem.

13-16

Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.

Problem? Adults are too proud to act like a child.

17-31

Harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go thru the eye of a needle.

Problem? Materialism.

35-46

James and John request seats of honor in Heaven.

Problem? Arrogance. They think they are more honorable than they really are.

Each one of these passages illustrates a situation where people have a problem that they don’t recognize.

After the miracle, these parables, stories, and events Jesus encounters Blind Bart.

His encounter w/ Bartimeaus provides an opportunity for Him show the disciples and us the importance of admitting and identifying the problem then humbly asking Him for help.

The Expression of Faith

Mark 10:46–47 NIV

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!”

Mark 10:47 NIV

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Context resolution

3 passages w/ some differences

man, leaving Jericho

men, leaving Jericho

man, arriving in Jericho

There have been 3 sites where Jericho has been located.

The OT site where the walls fell down.

The NT site just south.

Modern day Jericho west, near the Jordon R.

Likely, 2 blind beggars, but Mark and Luke focus on one of them: Bartimeaus.

Were they leaving or arriving? Yes. Leaving the O.T. site and arriving at the N.T. site.

No conflict, questions resolved.

So, here they are, in a Jewish region, at the eve of Passion Week as Jesus nears Jerusalem, a Jewish beggar shouts out to Jesus.

Blind Bart makes a request

Charity cases usually sat at the city gate.

The residents would have done what they could then tire of the same beggars making the same requests.

The beggars would be hopeful for charitable travelers.

New ppl to ask.

Just like the homeless at the intersections of Interstate onramps in Flagstaff.

Obviously, he couldn’t see, so when he heard that the large crowd walking by included Jesus, he shouted out loud.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Not only did he hear that Jesus was in the crowd, he had also heard that Jesus claimed t/b the Messiah, had given other blind men their site, fulfilling , so by now he believed in Jesus as his Messiah in indicated so in his request.

“Son of David” is a clear reference to the prophecied Messiah who would be the rightful heir to David’s throne over God’s kingdom.

Bart bel’d that Jesus was the Person to save and had the power to heal him.

What a blessing to be in a place where the Messiah may be looking for an opportunity to fulfill again.

How ironic that, once again, a blind man saw Jesus for Who He is when the sited were blind to the truth.

The request: Have mercy. He knew he didn’t deserve anything from Jesus but was hopeful.

And, he was persistent.

He had to be. The disciples still hadn’t caught the compassion germ yet.

The Extinguishment of Faith

Mark 10:48a NIV

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

So, here’s a guy like so many others who was an outcast, expressing faith in Jesus, crying out to Jesus for compassion.

The disciples tell him to “shut up.”

Faith or not, don’t bother Jesus.

What this could do to a poor, suffering, man, young in his faith in the Messiah.

This could blow his faith out.

If that’s the response of the ppl who follow Jesus I want no part of them.

In their defense, Jesus would have been hounded by people requesting miracles all the time. It would have been a constant thing.

So, some of their job was crowd control, ushering people into and out of Jesus’ way.

This guy, they quickly evaluated, and determined on their own that he was not one the Jesus would want to see.

They were wrong.

It’s a good thing he was as persistent as he was.

The Extension of Faith

Mark 10:48 NIV

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Bart turned it up a notch. They tried to quiet him and he just made more noise.

He was not going to sit down and shut up. He was not going to let anything or anyone get in the way of his audience w/ Jesus.

Irony: Those who should have known, who could see, were pushing Jesus away.

Here’s a guy, who couldn’t see, who was not letting anyone push him away from seeing Jesus.

If he had no faith, or if his faith was weak, he would have easily given up.

He would have been used to have been abused and cast aside.

He wouldn’t have fought this.

But, he had a strong faith.

He bel’d strongly in the power of Jesus to heal him and the person of Jesus to save him and in the grace and mercy of Jesus to do it for an undeserving beggar.

So, he cranked it up and got Jesus’ attention.

If only we would all pray w/ such persistence how much more might we accomplish for the kingdom and in our own lives?

The Effects of Faith

Mark 10:49–52 NIV

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.

:

Jesus stopped.

He spoke to the crowd.

Education 101. If you don’t care if your students learn the lesson to it yourself. But, if you want them to learn it, then let them do it.

“Call him.” Bring him to me.

Compassion. Lead ppl to Jesus don’t push them away.

If someone is asking, stop what you’re doing and introduce them to Him.

“Cheer up” they said.

A phrase used 6x in Mark and once in Acts. Each time it’s based on what Jesus will do.

lit. Be of good courage. Be encouraged, Jesus wants to see you.

Courage comes from the presence of Jesus. The courage to face tough circumstances comes b/c Jesus is about to change your circumstances!

Bart jumped up, threw off his cloak. Full of energy and hope.

He’s used to being led around, but he know Jesus is about to do something for him.

There’s new life in his bones, a pep in his step, an eagerness to move into the presence of Jesus, b/c there’s about t/b light brought into his darkness.

Jesus is calling you!

When he got to Jesus, He asked Bart, “What do you want?”

I want to see.

Jesus’ response to his faith was not just to give him what he wanted, he gave him what he needed, too.

“Your faith has healed you.”

The Greek root of the word ‘healed’ also means ‘saved’ or ‘delivered’.

Bart was saved by faith, delivered from the bondage of his sin and the bondage of his blindness.

His physical blindness was taken away as was his spiritual blindness b/c he believed in Jesus.

There were other words Jesus could have used if he had only given him his sight back.

Which would have been possible.

Last week Jesus cleansed 10 lepers.

9 of them never believed in him, only 1.

An unbelieving blind beggar could have been illustration enough for those around.

But, Bart was a believer.

Here in a Jewish region, surrounded by those who should have seen Jesus for Who He is.

It was a blind man who saw Jesus as the Son of David there to give mercy which is rec’d by faith.

Israel wanted salvation, but they wanted it from a general who would take vengeance on the oppressive Roman gov’t.

They thought, b/c they kept the law and the traditions that their sin was covered.

They believed they didn’t need Jesus for what He said He came for.

Jesus came to deal w/ our sin as the Lamb of God.

The were in complete denial.

They totally misdiagnosed their problem

They could not admit what they needed from God and humbly ask Jesus for it.

They thought they had a weight problem. But they had an eating problem.

They thought they had a little gas problem. But they had cancer and were dying.

We cannot deny the problems we have or solve it by addressing the wrong problem.

Jesus came to give us what we need no matter what we think. And, the only way to receive it is by faithfully, persistently, and humbly asking Him for help.

Applications

Persistence

Be persistent in your pursuit of Jesus.

We can boldly, confidently, yet humbly approach Jesus.

Sometimes He answers right away. And, sometimes He waits.

And, when He waits He might be developing something in you.

You may want it, just not bad enough, yet.

Be persistent in your prayer and pursuit of Jesus.

Courage

Courage comes in the presence of Jesus.

When you persistently pursue Him and He calls into His presence you will find the courage you need to face tough circumstances.

Don’t try to face things on your own. Jesus is right here.

Cry out loud to Him.

W/ every response from Jesus comes the courage to follow through.

He will tell you what to do, show you, give you the strength and the courage to do it.

If you’re afraid, then you’re too far away.

You will find courage in His presence.

The Problem

Have the courage to face and admit the real problems you have.

The HS will make it clear if you ask.

Denial is more than a river in Egypt and you can drown in both.

By denying your problem or blaming others you’ll never find the solution your desperate for.

Don’t make problems us where there is none. Don’t take responsibility for something you’re not responsible for.

Again, the HS will help you.

You need to know what you need so you can ask for the right thing.

Bart was an illustration for us and anyone who is paying attention that if you know you can’t see and you humbly ask Jesus then He will show you what you’ve never seen before.

We can’t solve a problem, either by denying we have a problem, or by addressing the wrong problem.

This is true whether we’re talking about losing weight, stomach pains, or winning a presidential election.

Jesus will not help those who deny their problem, do not recognize their need, therefore see no reason to ask Him for help humbly or otherwise.

It is also true spiritually speaking.

He will help those who recognize their need and humbly, even persistently, ask Him for help.