Mark: A Fellowship of beggars [Mark 10:46-52]

Mark: A Fellowship of Beggars []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

Martin Luther is known as the great reformer. His 95 theses [topics for debate] which he nailed to the church door in Wittenberg, October 1517, is one of the most significant Christian documents in history. Luther simply wanted to debate the practice that was going on in the Roman church in his day, the granting of indulgences (allowing people to pay money to receive forgiveness for their sins instead of doing penance), but his list of 95 topics of debate was soon published and distributed across Europe. The debate in Wittenberg never took place, but these 95 Theses have surely made their impact on Christianity as many believe this particular document to be the spark that gave birth to the Protestant Reformation. And we praise God for that movement!

Luther’s, the great reformer, stature has increased over time not only by his works but by amazing stories that surround the man, for example. Found on his deathbed, written in German and Latin, was the declaration that represented the man’s life: “We are beggars: that is true.” As influential as this man was, he saw himself as a poor beggar at the feet of a holy God.

Martin’s statement inspired others of like mind as well, it was D.T Niles who said, “evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he can find a piece of bread.” Not a sweet roll and a cup of coffee, but a bit of the staff of life bread!

We, the church of Jesus Christ, [the elect, saved, redeemed, born again] we are a fellowship of beggars! Receiving and offering love, support, and hope. Committed Christians acknowledge their dependence upon God and their interdependence on one another. As believer, we are always in the bread line, if not receiving, then giving.

In our text today we see Jesus and his disciples, along with a great multitude around the city of Jericho heading to Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day there were two cities of Jericho, the old city and the new city built by Herod, which one they’re at is hard to say. But nonetheless, this is the last major city before Jerusalem. This event is also the last of the healing miracles recorded in Mark from Jesus as well. Here Jesus encounters the blind beggar Bartimaeus. Unique to this healing is the use of the blind man’s name, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus. This is the only time Mark records someone’s name that Jesus heals, in fact it is very very uncommon in any of the gospel’s to have the name of one healed by Jesus. Many believe this man was known because he became a disciple of Jesus, which I agree with.

I want to point something out about this story that’s crucial for us this morning…there is more than one blind beggar in this story. Those of you that are really sharp with your bible trivia will say, “I know that, in it says there were two blind men at Jericho.” Yes and that is correct there were two blind men, though Mark only focuses on the one. But that’s not what I’m referring to, there are more than two blind beggars in this story…to get what I’m talking about you have to go back in your bibles a few pages in Mark.

Turn with me a few pages back to , after the feeding of the 4,000, a great miracle, Jesus and his disciples were traveling and he tells them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, but the disciples thought he was referring to actual bread, because they didn’t have anything to eat with them. In verse 17-18 Jesus says, “do you still not see, is your heart still hardened? Having eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear?” Jesus has been teaching them about God’s provision and they just don’t get it…right after that in verse 22-26, we see Jesus heal a blind man in stages. At first the man sees but it’s fuzzy then his sight is restored fully. Jesus heals in this way as a living illustration of the disciples, they see but not fully later they will see fully.

after Peter makes the great profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus tells them about his death and Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus rebukes Peter ‘get behind me satan, you don’t have the things of God in mind.”

, after Peter, James, and John go with Jesus to the mount of transfiguration the best thing Peter has to offer after this remarkable event is... let’s make a tent or a retreat center here and stay…while Jesus and the three are gone

, The disciples encounter a demon possessed boy they couldn’t heal, Jesus comes to the rescue, they ask, why couldn’t we do it…the answer was they got confident in themselves and were not relying on God.

, Jesus tells his disciples again about his passion and they didn’t understand and they didn’t ask either, Peter got rebuked last time he opened his mouth about this so they just sit there blind.

, they were traveling and disputing among themselves, Jesus says what yall talking about, they kept silent because they were discussing who was the greatest among them??? These guys.

, John is speaking here, they witnessed someone casting out demon’s in Jesus name and they told him to stop because he wasn’t with them…Jesus said don’t stop them.

, people were bringing children to Jesus and the disciples rebuked them, they say “Jesus doesn’t have time for little kids” but Jesus said do not hinder them!

after the encounter with the rich young ruler, who went away sad from Jesus, the disciples ask “who then can be saved?” They thought he was the perfect candidate for discipleship

, what we had last week with James and John, they asked Jesus this ridiculous question, “we want you to do for us whatever we want.” They wanted to sit in the seats of honor. Jesus corrects them with his teaching about service and encapsulated that teaching with...

, The son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

OK so they got it now right? Heading toward Jerusalem, to be great is to serve, to be first is to be servant of all, Jesus came to give his life as a ransom. OK we got it…how’s the servant of all thing working for them??? when the blind beggar cried out to Jesus they told him to shut up! We on official Jesus business and he doesn’t have time for the likes of you. Are you ready to agree with me that there is more than one blind beggar in this story…it’s full of blind beggars. In fact, the blind man in this story is the least blind of them all!

I bring all that up not to belittle the disciples but to proof a point, we are all blind beggars relying on a merciful God. The crowds no longer saw blind Bartimaeus, in fact they saw him as a nuisance, be quiet, we’re hear with Jesus, we’re hear on Jesus business, he doesn’t have time for the likes of a blind beggar who’s always here begging??? You see the blindness of the people toward the will of Jesus? Are we much better?

How many people in need do we just look right past? How often have we been a hindrance for people to come to Jesus because it’s just an inconvenience? It’s a inconvenience to get involved in someone’s life. Invite someone to church? I have to get to know them, I might have to sit with them, I don’t want to do that, I might have to go pick them up, I might have to take them out for lunch…before you know it, it’s like I’m a slave to that person…no that’s much to inconvenient. If I do get involved with someone it certainly will not be someone like this blind beggar, maybe someone more like a rich young ruler??? If we take a good long look inward we might find, we’re not so different from this multitude. We may be just as blind as the crowds.

The blind beggars need [, ]

...is obvious, he’s blind, he’s a beggar, the blind beggar sat and begged[46]...the crowds were insensitive to this man’s needs…after all he was a taker not a contributor, he’s always there begging…just shut up will you, we’re about Jesus business.

But Jesus responds to the blind beggars need with compassion [v.49]. The crowd didn’t care, no one cared, but Jesus did. Notice verse 49, “Jesus stood still” Jesus stopped! Don’t miss this! I love this, in the middle of this great crowd, the noise, the excitement, probably hundreds if not thousands of people moving with Jesus and Jesus stops…Why we stopping? the disciples probably thought, we don’t have time to stop. Compassion for the man’s need stopped Jesus, the only thing that ever stopped Jesus was the needs of helpless and hopeless people.

In our world today for most of us our schedules dictate our lives…we are busy…but we should never, never, never be so busy that we cannot stop and help someone, the disciples are taught the art of stopping…we need that lesson desperately today.

The man’s physical blindness also parallel’s with those who are spiritually blind and lost as well. We shouldn’t just stop for those who have physical needs but we should also stop and have compassion on those who do not know Jesus because, You and I were helpless, hopeless, blind, beggars until Jesus stopped and saved for us.

Jesus responds to the blind beggars need with attention [v.49] while the crowds are just as blind as the blind man, they don’t pay attention to him, his need, his condition…they are just a hindrance from him coming to Jesus. How can you be a follower of Jesus and be a hindrance to people coming to Jesus? You can and it’s easier than you may think. Those in the crowds were a hindrance to this man because they didn’t see him, they didn’t see his need, they didn’t pay attention to the man’s condition. How easy it is to look right past people who are in desperate need for Jesus. Whether they are poor, like this man, whether they are well to do and have no relationship with Jesus. We are all blind beggars, spiritually speaking, if we don’t pay attention to people’s needs we can be a hindrance.

What I love most about this story is Jesus’ attention to one man in the midst of a great multitude. It’s easy to get caught up in the masses and miss the one who needs help. This is a very practical and achievable principal here...pray for one at a time, evangelize one at a time, feed one at a time, clothe one at a time, disciple one at a time, love one at a time. There is always one who needs your help…do you see that one? Do you pay attention to that one? I recall my uncle Danny tell me several years ago he was going to change the world one person at a time…and he certainly influenced more than one in his life.

The blind beggars faith []

The blind beggar cried out to Jesus for mercy [v.47-48]. It’s one thing to hear, it’s another thing to listen…some of us are not good at either one. Some of us may be good at hearing but not listening…our Lord is good at both. The blind beggar cries out to Jesus for mercy. This is something, obviously this man has heard of Jesus fame and now he has the opportunity to exercise his faith in Jesus…and his cry is for mercy. He cries Son of David, this is a great title that is not used often in reference to Jesus, this is a sign of the man’s faith, Jesus the one who sits on the throne of David. God promised David that his throne would be an everlasting one…that promised fulfilled in Jesus…this is a remarkable title this man uses. Son of David

He cries for mercy. Many it says told him to be quiet, so what’s he do? He covers himself up and gives up??? No it says he cried even more! Let me just insert something. You will never know Jesus as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity. You’ll never call out to a savior, until you know you have sin from which to be saved. You’ll never call out to ask to see, until you’re made aware of your blindness. And we by nature are so blind, that we cannot see how blind we are until God makes it possible for us to see that were blind. Then when we see that we’re blind then we will call for the sight we long for. Some may have a marginal interest in Jesus, but not be aware of how spiritually blind they are and that we are simply beggars before God. This man knows his state and he cries out for mercy…have you cried out to God for mercy? Do you lean on the mercy and grace of God?

This blind beggar, when called by Jesus, ran to Jesus [v.49-51] Notice verse 49, the same people who were telling the man to shut up, now by Jesus order, is telling the man, hey Jesus is calling to you. That’s tough for those who were rebuking the man, they’re like shut up Jesus doesn’t have time for someone like you, oh what’s that Jesus? you want him to come to you…oh OK, hey Jesus will see you now. Can you imagine the man’s jubilation? The man had been crying out to Jesus and Jesus heard his cries, and called out to him…come to me. Friends…Jesus still hears our cries, Jesus still calls men and women to come to him…how do we respond? I hope...

Like this blind beggar, notice verse 50, he threw aside his garment, got up and came [ran, jumping] to Jesus. Observation that stood out to me, Mark notes he threw aside his garment or outer cloak. It was most likely the only valued possession the man owned and he threw it aside to come to Jesus…remember the rich young ruler…he would get rid of anything to come to Jesus…who’s really the poor blind beggar? This is a great word for us…throw away anything that could stand between you and Jesus. He didn’t hold on to it, or fold it up nice and neat so to come back to it…he cast it aside to follow Jesus…that’s responding to Jesus in faith. Have you responded to Jesus this way? Is there something you’re still holding onto that is hindering your relationship with Jesus??? Cast it aside!

Jesus responded to the man’s faith with the will and the power to act [v.51-52]

The blind beggars deliverance []

I want us to take note of three things about the blind beggars deliverance that are directly connected to our own deliverance.

The call of Jesus [v.49]. The call for deliverance of the blind beggar came directly by the Word of Jesus. , say “faith comes by hearing the word of God.” I recall my own conversion, being in church my whole life, hearing God’s word preached and taught, then at one moment opened up to me like never before…by grace you have been save through faith, not of yourself it is a gift of God! It was the very call and word of Jesus that penetrated this hard heart of stone, and made this blind beggar see. I can easily identify with Bartimaeus. Today if you hear the word of God do not harden your heart…come to Jesus.

The question [v.51]. The deliverance of the blind man was in the power of Jesus. Jesus asked the same question he asked James and John, “what do you want me to do for you” obviously Jesus knew what the man needed, but the man did as well… “i want to see.” He knew his condition and this blind beggar knew the One with the power to make him see stood before him…he asks the right thing…have you asked Jesus for sight? If you have it’s because God has made you aware of your blindness and your need... ask Jesus…give me sight…open my eyes.

The cure [v.52] i.e. the object of faith Jesus, was complete and immediate. Jesus is the cure. Jesus said, “go your way your faith has made you well.” When Jesus refers to the man’s faith he is not saying the man earned anything. Grace is the divine hand that extends healing. Faith is the human hand that reaches out and receives it. The cure comes from the object of our faith, Jesus. These notions of keep the faith or just have faith are empty nonsense…Bartimaeus didn’t have an empty faith…he had a directed faith to the One and only One who could heal. The object Bartimaeus’ faith was Jesus the only One who can save!

Jesus saves completely and immediately! Just like Bartimaeus we were blind until Jesus gave us sight. Like Bartimaeus we were poor until Jesus saved us as our ransom. We brought to Jesus nothing but our weakness and need, and He by His grace and power stopped and called us to Himself. Praise God Jesus had time for you and for me!

Nothing has changed…Jesus still stops for anyone who calls out his name, Jesus still saves those who, in faith, look to Jesus for rescue. Jesus loves this fellowship of beggars.