2006-10-01 Communion Dedication – Baldwin Christian Church 

Mark 10:46-52 

46 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.

47 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.

48 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. 

The voices were coming from all around Bartimaeus, a barrage saying, “Hush”, but that didn’t stop his prayer.  He didn’t get discouraged when people around him took an attitude like, “Keep quiet!  Can’t you see (oops) we’re trying to be holy here?”  Bartimaeus didn’t quit; he knew that all he really needed was mercy from Jesus, so that was his repeated cry. 

49 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. 

In irony there is a lesson to be learned; Jesus could have yelled out to Bartimaeus, but He gave that job to the discouragers.  After all, who is the more blind, the noisy, disruptive one calling on Jesus for mercy, or the ones telling him to hush?  Hopefully, many eyes will open this day. 

50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 

That’s what faith does!  He didn’t need to hear it directly from the mouth of Jesus.  He heard other voices saying that Jesus was calling, and he sprang up, throwing away his beggar’s clothes.  The word used for “rose” is different than the one the discourager used in verse 49.  Here it is the same word used to describe a resurrection. 

Its not hard to picture these folks telling Bart to “shush”, and then, having to eat their pride, saying in a ho-hum way like Eeyore the donkey, “Cheer up, get up, he’s calling you”.  Even so, Bartimaeus believed, and he practically leapt up, and out of his coat, trying to get to Jesus. 

51 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. 

In this simple prayer, Bartimaeus honors Jesus by calling Him “Lord”.  Then, by using the word “might”, he is acknowledging the fact that whether or not he has his sight, Jesus is still his Master.  That is faith!  Are you willing to pray that way to Him today?  Are you willing to count everything else worthless when compared with the excellent, priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord?  (Philippians 3:8) 

52 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. 

Isaiah 51:7-8 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.  For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Moths cannot eat the garments that Jesus gives you.  People gave Bart a hard time, and they will give you a hard time, even those who follow Jesus.

Bart’s faith kept him crying out to Jesus, even when surrounded by many discouragers.  When the call came, faith sprang into action, instead of just sitting there in his old clothes.  Faith gave him this persistence, this courage, but it was this same faith that humbly asked Jesus for mercy.  Faith and action made Bartimaeus whole.  In the gift of faith, his prayer was answered, but what did he do after that?  Jesus told him to go his way, so he had a choice to make, and he followed Jesus.  Where was Jesus going right then?  He went to Jerusalem, to sacrifice His life, that we might see and be saved.