Choosing Your Spiritual Legacy
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For and Against
For and Against
A few weeks back Yale publicly launched an ambitious, five-year capital campaign to raise $7 billion to help future generations of university faculty, students, and staff tackle the greatest challenges facing humankind. The campaign is the largest and most comprehensive in Yale’s history. It aims to bolster the university’s unique resources to improve the world, strengthen the bonds among members of the Yale community, and bolster Yale’s foundation for the future.
The campaign states, “Improving the human condition requires human intellect and emotion.”
I agree.
Yale has titled its capital campaign “For Humanity”.
The campaign acknowledges that much time can be spent highlighting what a person or group is against, so that Yale wants to make a stake about what it is for.
Yale is declaring, “We are for humanity.”
And I will say, as a member of humanity, to have Yale for me and us can help. I’ll take it.
Also I am reminded of the words the Apostle Paul spoke nearly 2k years ago when he posed the (rhetorical) question:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
There is something about God being “for me” (even when others are against me) that makes all of the difference for my life.
(There are times when God has been for me and I wasn’t for myself. I have come to appreciate His grace and His mercy toward me.)
(Though) I have lived long enough, and known people, and heard voices of a diversity of people to know there are questions that come up.
Two questions come to mind:
People ask
“Is God for me?”
“Are you for me?”
The New King James Version Chapter 10
Blind Bartimaeus is Healed
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 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!”
Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
For and Against: choosing your spiritual legacy
For and Against: choosing your spiritual legacy
(Let’s pray)
Our lives are interconnected.
Our lives are interconnected.
To varying degrees, we impact and influence one another’s life and person.
With varying levels of significance, who I am and how I show up have consequences for the people and things around me.
With varying levels of significance, who you are and how you show up have consequences for the people and things around you.
The internet and Social media teach us how interconnected a campus or the world can be when and if we choose to engage.
If this COVID pandemic taught us nothing else, I suggest it taught us that we are indeed interconnected—locally, in our home, neighborhood, community; in our state; in our various countries; say, across the globe—and this interconnection is multidimensional—personal health, public health, and global health; economically; socially; politically; mentally; emotionally.
Our interconnection doesn’t end with people. It includes nature and the environment at-large.
In the first months of the pandemic, I remember noticing and hearing speak about how the decrease in vehicle traffic, deceased sound (or noise), and nature could be heard louder and clearer. Regions spoke about how smog dissipated, pollution leaving the air.
Not only did the air clear; many attested to the clarity of thought/thinking they now experienced because they were made to, essentially, sit still…fog of the mind dissipated.
Our interconnection doesn’t end with people and the environment.
There is a long standing relationship between people and God, between people and Jesus, between the natural and spiritual (light and darkness).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
(There is a long standing relationship between people and God, between people and Jesus, between the natural and spiritual (light and darkness)).
In our opening text, we read about such interconnection.
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.
A couple of things I recognize from the get go:
Numerous relationships (interpersonal connections) are at play, (near) simultaneously.
Q: what potential relationships do you see?
Jesus - God the Father
Jesus - Disciples
Jesus - Crowd?
Disciples - Crowd
Blind man - Road
Blind man - Crowd
Blind man - Disciples
Blind man - Jesus
Blind man - God
Crowd - Road
Sight - Blindness
Wealth - Poverty?
Jericho - ?
Unnamed dialogue…that reveals reputations and value systems.
Power dynamic
Wealth dynamic. Socioeconomic
Privilege.
Challenges with access.
Each person in our text has multiple connections and with that, perhaps, multiple ways in which the person identifies (ie roles).
Each person in our text has multiple connections and with that, perhaps, multiple ways in which the person identifies (ie roles).
Stepping out of the text, for example, my connections are:
with my wife as her husband;
with my daughter as her father;
with my community as a neighbor;
with my colleagues as their co-worker.
I have these connections, and then I have my perception and understanding of these relationships/connections. ie
how I see myself as a husband;
how I see myself as a father; what is my understanding of myself as “father”;
how I see and understand myself as a neighbor;
what I know and see for myself as a co-worker.
You, similarly, have various connections and ways that you see and understand and navigate those relationships. eg
a friend
a peer student to others in school
a student to your professors
a New Haven resident
a child to your parents
perhaps as a sibling
perhaps as a romantic significant other
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.
Jesus, in our text, has several connections/relationships, and the connections are simultaneously active—with His disciples, the crowd who followed Him, Bartimaeus, God the Father.
Each person connected with Jesus potentially has a different understanding and knowledge of who is Jesus— knowledge and understanding drawn from different life experiences with Jesus; different hearsay or gossip or “legend” that circulates about Jesus; different when considering the historic and prophetic context…the immediate social, political, geographic, cultural context (happening in the moment).
Jesus can be simultaneously be serval things to many different people.
There are interconnected thoughts but no consensus. Yet, if there is one idea that is gathering momentum, it is that Jesus is “a life changer.”
Jesus teaches with authority, preaches the Kingdom of God, and heals miraculously. People take notice and are captivated.
Hence, Jesus’ disciples are with Him, crowds/multitudes follow Him, and blind Bartimaeus cries out to Him.
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!”
Q: now how did blind Bartimaeus know it was Jesus nearby?
Luke shares with us that Bartimaeus heard a multitude passing by and asked what it meant and was told Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. (Luke 18:35-38)
Bartimaeus was blind but always looking for opportunity.
People communicated to Bartimaeus that the crowd that was passing by was because “Jesus of Nazareth” was passing by.
In using “Nazareth” to identify Jesus the people attached Jesus to His home town, which was not a spectacular town. (A future disciple would even comment/ask, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”)
In naming Nazareth, perhaps people were referring/speaking to the strangeness of the person Jesus—that someone Who did quite spectacular things would come from a quite unspectacular place.
Bartimaeus saw his proximity to Jesus as his big moment.
Now, Bartimaeus, because he sat by the road begging, regularly takes advantage of many opportunities. But this opportunity Bartimaeus saw differently.
The people said to Bartimaeus that it was “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Bartimaeus, appealing to the most favorable role for Jesus, cried out, “Jesus, Son of David.”
In saying "Son of David” Bartimaeus speaks to the prophetic, messianic, lordship of Jesus. Jesus as King. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be a descendent of David—as in King David, who ruled over, judged, and conquered enemies on behalf of the people of Israel.
Bartimaeus has a hypothesis and is testing a theory, “Jesus, is for me.”
He maybe asks himself, “If Jesus knows I am here will he be for me?”
Bartimaeus reaches for the best possible outcome, but there is a problem.
Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus is blocked by people who don’t think that he should get to Jesus.
Interestingly, the people do not touch Bartimaeus in order to physically silence him; but instead try to intimidate him—get into his psyche—by warning him to be quiet.
What’s the message?
"Bartimaeus, Whoever Jesus is, Jesus is not for you—not in favor of you.”
(Jesus understood: be careful who speaks for you.)
In the case of Jesus, Praise God that Bartimaeus had a different understanding. Bartimaeus believed/thought, “Jesus, is for me.”
Jesus had an opportunity to settle the unspoken debate.
Q: What significance, if any, would this interaction have for Jesus (and the parties involved)?
Q: What significance, if any, would this interaction have for Jesus (and the parties involved)?
One, Jesus’ action would inform the reputation others held for Him.
One, Jesus’ action would inform the reputation others held for Him.
Reputation - the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.
• a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular habit or characteristic.
Two, Jesus’ action would provide a spiritual legacy in the lives of those who saw, heard, and experienced Him.
Two, Jesus’ action would provide a spiritual legacy in the lives of those who saw, heard, and experienced Him.
Legacy - an amount of money or property left to someone in a will.
• a thing handed down by a predecessor.
Legacy, I want to simply say, is what remains (of you) after you have gone on.
Legacy, I want to simply say, is what remains (of you) after you have gone on.
Jesus spoke and acted for Himself. And He addressed the question, “Who are you for?”
Jesus spoke and acted for Himself. And He addressed the question, “Who are you for?”
Jesus’s action spoke loudly.
Jesus said, Bartimaeus, I am for you.
Jesus reinforced the message:
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
He 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Q: So what does it mean when “Jesus is for you”?
Q: So what does it mean when “Jesus is for you”?
Jesus, ultimately, gave Bartimaeus an opportunity to participate more fully in life.
Jesus, ultimately, gave Bartimaeus an opportunity to participate more fully in life.
Jesus consistently aligned Himself/His actions with His mission:
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Jesus extended life to Bartimaeus.
But the people between Jesus and Bartimaeus were first hindrances, blocking Bartimaeus’ access to Jesus. Or so the people thought/intended.
Jesus was for Bartimaeus.
But the people were against Bartimaeus through their actions towards him.
Here is the point: you and I, as “the people…even God’s disciples”, have opportunity (perhaps more regular than one might initially think) to connect people to life and it more abundantly, or to block people from life.
Choose carefully.
Through our actions and words and silences—who we are—we make spiritual deposits and spiritual withdraws in the lives of those who experience us.
There is a path to life and there are numerous examples in scripture of people trying to block the path or clear the path.
In your life are you blocking or helping people to get to Jesus?
What is your spiritual legacy? What is is going to be? Choose it now.
Jesus actively engaged opportunities to clarify who He was for and what He was against. (eg Woman caught in the act of adultery.)
Now, these opportunities reside within you and me.
To His disciples Jesus said.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Surely it will cost us. But it will be worth it.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”