Look up, Get up, and Go up

Look Up, Get up, Go up Text: Mark 10:46-52 Introduction: The healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus is significant in two ways. First it is the final healing that Mark reports and it enters as an interruption into the events of what is called Passion week. Secondly it is a reminder to every believer of the miraculous power of a God, that when we trust Him, all things are possible. Mark sets the scene when Jesus is leaving Jericho on the last leg of His journey to Jerusalem, just fifteen miles away. Passover is approaching and the road is jammed with pilgrims chanting on the way to the Holy City. Alongside the road is another crowd—parade watchers, curiosity seekers, and those who are too poor, sinful, diseased, or handicapped to make the journey to Jerusalem. By now, the size of the crowd following Jesus has enlarged itself into a great multitude. The news of a young rabbi who has challenged the religious establishment of the Jews is on His way to town has created some excitement and there is expectations of triumph whistling through the air. In the midst of all the festivities, a familiar disrupting voice hammers on the ears, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Somebody has told Bartimaeus—Blind man, beggar, and public nuisance—that the passing of Jesus is what’s causing all of the commotion. To avoid an embarrassment for the city of Jericho and a smear on the festival many of the towns’ folk try to silence the voice of the beggar. But the blind man sees something that no one else has seen and cries all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Three things that I would like to share with you today what this blind man, this beggar, this public nuisance had to do in order that he might look up, get up, and go up. I. A call to faith—On Jesus’ instruction, someone tells the blind man that he is being summoned. Whoever carries the message sounds like Jesus Himself, “be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you” (vs 49) A. A serious call to faith requires an act of will as well as a word of hope. Never before has the beggar heard words of encouragement combined with the command “Rise”. B. Don’t let your condition determine your destiny—“He is calling you” tests the level of Bartimaeus’s cognitive skills and not his condition. No one had ever responded to his call except to demand silence. Somehow his refined intuition tells him, as a beggar he has no place to go but up. The risk is minimal. As simple as it seems, the call to look up, get up, and go up defines faith as an act of hope based upon limited information. II. A show of Faith—He abandons his sitting position as a beggar and stands up like a man. Posture always gives clues to self esteem. He throws away the ragged garment that served functionally to catch coins and symbolize his state of being a beggar. A. To complete his show of faith, the blind man comes to Jesus. All of his life he has had to count on other people. III. The Result of Faith—Jesus meets the ready faith of Bartimaeus with an open ended question, “what do you want me to do”(vs 51) Jesus met the needs of the beggar. “go your way your faith has made you well” (vs 52) A. The beggar received his sight instantly. B. The beggar received total healing, for he was spiritually free, physically free, and humanly dignified, he is well and whole. No one could ever look down on him again because Jesus frees him in totality. (vs 52) Closure: All of us have experience difficulties in life. It may not be to the extent of this story but we all have been in some bad situations where it seemed like there was no hope. I stop by today on my way to glory just to let you know to look up get up and get ready to go up because God has something in store just for you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding in all of your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path. Somebody here today might be in the same state I am , in the same state the beggar was, in need of a blessing, well there is good news for you God is waiting to bless you, you just got to look up, get up, and go up Sunday 27, September 11:00 a. m.