Salvation Made Simple
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And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Salvation Plain And Simple
Introduction:
There are a number of wonderful scenes that occurred at Jericho.
1. It was at Jericho that the walls fell down as Joshua surrounded the city.
2. It was from the wall of Jericho that the woman let down the scarlet cord.
3. It was in Jericho Zacchæus lived, who climbed up into a tree to see the Lord.
4. Perhaps the most striking of all occurrences around the city, however, is the one which we preach.
Every city has its neglected poor; every city has its group of beggars; but few cities have ever had such a wonderful transformation on the part of one of its blind beggars, as took place in Jericho, in the case of Bartimæus.
We are bringing this before you because the healing of Bartimæus is a beautiful type of the Gospel.
His Condition
And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
This condition of every poor lost sinner.
The fact that he is spoken of as “the son of Timæus,” suggests that his father was a man of recognized prominence.
Bartimæus, evidently, had gone down hill from the social and financial standpoint.
Has not every poor lost sinner fallen?
He has gone down, down, until he has lost almost the semblance of his former self.
2. Bartimæus was blind. Every sinner is blind.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
The sinner has eyes, but he sees not. His understanding is darkened.
His Opportunity
And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
1. The blind man’s extremity proved God’s opportunity.
Had Bartimæus not been blind, had he not been a beggar, he would doubtless have been elsewhere that day.
His need had placed him by the roadside, whither the great crowds pressed their way.
It was when Naaman, the leper, found that there was no healing for him in Syria that he turned toward the Prophet who was in Samaria.
It was when the woman, who had an issue, found no healing with the doctors, that she pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of the garment of the Lord.
It was when the prodigal had spent his all and was feeding the loathsome swine, that he said, “I will arise and go to my father.”
2. What Bartimæus heard.
As Bartimæus sat that day by the wayside and caught the tramp of many feet, far more than usually, passing his way, he wondered what it meant.
Yes, it was the Lord Jesus Who was to pass that way, and Bartimæus heard the good news. Some one must have told him that Christ was the cause of the crowd.
Perhaps some one reminded Bartimæus of some of the miracles that the Lord had wrought,—of how He had turned the water into wine; of how He had fed a multitude with a few loaves and fishes; of how He had healed the leper, raised the dead.
Surely Bartimæus became at once awake to the fact that there was One coming down the way Who was able to meet his greatest need.
His Hindrances
And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
There are always those who stand ready to hinder bother with a poor lost soul.
The God of Heaven and of earth is willing any time to hear and heed the cry of the man who needs His help.
His Earnestness
And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
1. Obstacles will hinder the indifferent, but they only seem to help the truly earnest unto God.
The more the people urged Bartimæus to keep still, the louder did he cry; the more they argued against his getting to the Lord, the stronger his determination grew.
2. Faith overcomes difficulties.
For by thee I have run through a troop:
By my God have I leaped over a wall.
His Appeal
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Did ever sinner offer words more suited to salvation than were these?
Let us stop and notice:
First, The position of the words—“Jesus,” “mercy,” “me.” Second, The words themselves—“Jesus,” “mercy,” “me.”
His Approach to Christ
And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
1. Jesus stood still. It seems to us that in all the Word of God there is nothing quite so beautiful as this.
Who stood still? The Son of God. He by Whom and for Whom all things were made; He Who was about to complete His earthly task and to be exalted to the right hand of authority and power. He stood still.
When did He stand still? He stood still in the moment when the burden of the sins of a poor lost world weighed heavily upon His heart.
Why did He stand still? Because a poor blind beggar cried for Him.
We have read how Joshua commanded and the sun stood still in the valley of Adjalon.
Many said, “Impossible!” It was not half as impossible as this—for Jesus Christ stood still until He could give the blind man his request.
His Healing
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
1. There is the question
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”
Did not the Lord know what the blind man wanted?
Of course, He did, but He is asking to test the blind man’s faith.
He would find out if the blind man is in earnest; if he seeks the Lord and Him alone.
The blind man might have said: “Lord, I am poor.
I am having a very hard task.
I am in a miserable plight.
I want You to help me ease it up a bit.
I want some bread, a better home.
I want some friends.”
But no—when a sinner comes to God he does not come in order that he may have a better time.
2. There is the response
“Lord, that I might receive my sight.”
The answer was definite and positive.
Bartimæus had one thing in view—his sight.
3. There is the pronouncement
“Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.
4. There is the result
“And immediately he received his sight” What joy, what gladness came to the poor blind beggar! He had his sight and he was glad.