Mark 10:46 Discipleship Requirements

Into

I think I saw Eric Stonestreet this week. I was not sure it was him.

Got me thinking.... How well do I recognize Jesus?

I want to tell you a story about someone who recognized Jesus without every seeing Him. And in this story we will learn 4 requirements of discipleship.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 10:46

The Jericho of New Testament times, built by Herod the Great as the site for his winter palace, was about 5 miles west of the Jordan River, 1 mile south of the Old Testament city (Josh. 6; 2 Kings 2:4–5, 15–18), and 18 miles northeast of Jerusalem.

Discipleship requires spiritual perception.

While Bartimaeus was physically blind but not spiritually blind.

He recognized Jesus as the Son of David something the disciples and others have struggled to do.

He not only had perception about who Jesus was but he had spiritual perception about who he was. He was. He knew he needed mercy.

2. Discipleship requires persistence.

Verse 47 “he was crying out all the more.”

Luke 18:1–8 CSB

Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up. “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect people. And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them? I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

3. Discipleship requires a willingness to abandon aspects of your former life.

The rich young man only a few days earlier could not abandon the necessary things need for him to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Bartimaeus gave up all that he had which was not much but it was still his everything. He threw it off!

ἀποβάλλω used 3 times in NT can mean: throw away, lose, leave.

Same word as in Romans 13:12

Romans 13:12 CSB

The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

4. Discipleship requires the right response to God’s calling.

Look at how many times the word called is used here. 3 times in verse 49

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 10:49–52a

Rabbi” (Rhabbouni) is an emphatic, personal form meaning, “My Lord, my Master” (cf. John 20:16).

Jesus asked Bartimaeus the same question He asked James and John. “What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus the last character healed in Mark 10 but not the least because his replay to Jesus’ question expresses his pure motive to enter into discipleship.

Unlike the Pharisees who wanted to outsmart Jesus and trap him in 10:2

or the rich man who wanted to inherent eternal life without any change to his earthly life.

or James and John His own disciples who wanted to be the top officials in the kingdom bureaucracy.

Bartimaeus was a beggar but he did not ask for money… He asked to see so that he could follow Jesus.

And as he followed Jesus it was all up hill both literally and figuratively. Jerusalem is up hill from Jericho.

When God asks you this same question how will you respond?

This is the most important question that God asks us but it is the one to which we most frequently give the wrong answers.

Even in Marks gospel people frequently get this question wrong.

Harod ask his dancing step-daughter for anything she wants back in chapter 6 and she answers that she wants the head of John the Baptist.

towards the end of Mark in chapter 15 ask the crowds what they want and they answer Barabbas and crucify him.

Our answers like theirs will reveal a lot about us. whether we want death of life or whether we want Jesus to heal blindness or do our bidding and fulfill our desires.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 10:52b

Bartimaeus pictured discipleship clearly. He recognized his inability, trusted Jesus as the One to give him God’s gracious mercy, and when he could “see” clearly he began to follow Jesus.

This story is so important for all of us Christian who live in the post apostolic era. This man is like all of us. He had to recognize Jesus before He could see Him.

You need to recognize Jesus before you see Him too. If you don’t recognize Him before He comes back it is too late.

Seeing Jesus is wonderful. Recognizing Jesus before that is life changing.

One of the ways we know that Bartimaeus could see is that He was able to follow.

Every Christian believes in Jesus. If you don’t believer in Jesus you are not a christian. In fact sometime we call Christians believers.

Every Christian believes in Jesus but Disciples are different not only do they believe they also recognize and follow.

If seeing is believing than discipleship is following.

actually you could say that believing is seeing (bc he believed before he could see) and discipleship is following.