[Here is a more recent sermon on this same text.]
Your Faith Has Made You Well (Mark 10:46-52)
Blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the side of the road. He was there each day as the traffic went by. Since he couldn’t see anything, his other senses were heightened.
He heard the slap of leather sandals on the pavement. He smelled the livestock and touched the sides of the animals as they passed by. He felt the smooth coins people tossed on his gray cloak, which stretched out on the ground.
Bartimaeus was a beggar. Being blind, there was no other way to support himself. Begging was an accepted vocation then. Jericho was a wealthy city. There was money to give away. Bartimaeus lived—literally—by the generosity of others.
We can benefit from generosity ourselves. You’re in a hospital waiting room, and someone you’ve never met before offers you encouragement and says, “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” Doesn’t it make you feel good?
Or you’re standing in the doorway at K-mart, ringing the Salvation Army bell, and someone you know who has no money to spare drops in a ten dollar bill and wishes you a Merry Christmas. This kind of generosity makes the world work. It’s something to keep in mind as the church engages in its stewardship campaign.
Johann Sebastian Bach, the great composer, was poor as a young man. He was orphaned by the age of ten and had to make his way in the world alone.
One day, when Bach was a teenager, he was walking to a city where he would study music. He stopped at an inn, thinking he’d get something to eat, but he realized it was too pricey for him. He didn’t have enough money. So he sat down on the side of the street to rest.
Out of a window above, someone tossed two fish heads. They landed with a thunk next to Bach on the pavement. He was hungry enough to eat anything, so he picked one of them up and brushed it off. Inside the fish head he found a ducat, which was a gold coin. There was one in the other fish head too.
Now Bach had two gold ducats, or about half a year’s salary. Someone was looking out for him. He was able to buy dinner, get a room for the night, and continue his journey the next day.
No one threw fish heads at Bartimaeus. Actually, he probably made a decent living. He was poor, not destitute. And like Bach, the generosity of strangers supported him.
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One day Bartimaeus heard the commotion of a crowd coming by him. You’d have to be in a crowd yourself and close your eyes to get a sense of what it must have been like for him. What is it? What’s going on? He didn’t know.
Then he heard a couple of people say the name… Yeshua… Yeshua. Jesus. The teacher is here… the healer. That was all Bartimaeus needed to know. He needed to act quickly. This is his once in a lifetime opportunity. This is his chance.
So Bartimaeus cries out… literally he screams. “Jesus… have mercy on me!!!!” Over and over he says it… people are trying to shush him, but he says it all the more loudly, “Have mercy on me.”
What he says in the Greek New Testament is eleeson me. Again and again that word, eleeson. If it sounds familiar to you, it’s because it’s still found in the liturgy today. Kyrie eleison… Lord have mercy.
At this point, Jesus does two things: he stands still… and he says in a loud voice, ‘Call him over here.’ He stays in one spot, and he allows Bartimaeus to find him by the sound of his voice.
Bartimaeus tosses off his cloak. He stumbles over to Jesus. Jesus places a hand on his shoulder and asks, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
What do you want me to do for you? It’s the question God asks of us all. Our answers say a lot about what our life is like right now – what our struggles and heartaches are.
Bartimaeus asks something simple. ‘Lord, I want to see.’ I want to be able to see the sky and the trees. I want to see the children playing. I want to see the faces of people speaking to me. I want to see again.
Jesus responds, ‘Your faith has made you well.’ Suddenly Bartimaeus can see. He doesn’t go home and tell his family. He goes on with Jesus, like a kitten following the source of milk.
I love what Jesus says… Your faith has made you well. He doesn’t say, ‘I have made you well.’ He attributes the change to Bartimaeus himself, to his own faith. His faith shouted out to Jesus. His faith threw aside the cloak and let all the coins on it go flying. His faith stumbled over to Jesus. His faith made all the difference.
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I’d like to show you a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is being held prisoner by the Wicked Witch in her castle. Her dog Toto has escaped and goes to warn the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. This happens next:
[show scene, 1:19:15 to 1:21:32]
I love this scene. The Tin Man thinks he has no heart, but he’s crying at the thought of Dorothy in danger. The Lion thinks he has no courage, but he’s saying ‘Let me at ‘em… I’ll tear ‘em apart.’ He’s ready to fight. The Scarecrow thinks he has no brain, but he’s making a plan to save Dorothy.
Do you see it? Each of them has the very thing they claim not to have—a heart, courage, a brain. They already have these things… they just don’t know it yet.
In a similar way, Bartimaeus didn’t realize what he had. He was used to being the one in need, the one asking, the one defined by what he did not have… his sight. He didn’t even realize what a powerful resource he had… his faith.
The presence of Jesus drew the faith out of him, but it was there all along, hidden, latent, waiting to come out. Your faith has made you well.
Now I don’t think faith is a blank check that will get us anything we want. But it is a powerful resource in life—like heart, courage or brains. Faith can lie hidden in us, waiting for the right day and time to come out.
Do you think you have no faith? Then think again. You have more than you know, more than enough. Whatever crisis you are facing, whatever castle is holding you captive, whatever heartache is plaguing you—know that you have the faith it takes to face it, endure and overcome.
When you don’t expect it, the presence of Jesus will come, draw your faith out of hiding and bring you wholeness you have not known before. Then you too will hear those words, ‘Your faith—your faith—has made you well.’
I really enjoyed this. Thank you.
Thanks… I had fun preaching it.
Hi Chris, I am the composer of the worship chorus “As the Deer.” I thought it would be fun to type in asthedeer.com and see where it would take me. I enjoyed reading from your website. Both my parents were born and raised in Michigan. God bless, Marty Nystrom
Thanks, Marty. You made my day! We love your song and sing it in church often.
Thanks, i enjoyed reading that sermon about Bartimaeus. i love that story. Keep on preaching the word just like that, you really got my attention.
God Bless You
Thanks. Peace to you.
I really Enjoyed the Message .
I really Impressed by blind Bartimaeus and he has open also my faith eyes.
I hope all whose are reading this one or listen about Bartimaeus, they all will change their life and open their faith eyes.
Yours in Him,
PATRAS ANWAR (Pakistan)
patres_anwer@hotmail.com
Thank you. I hope so too. Peace to you.
Chris,
I am part of a prison ministry and teach and share on Sunday’s. I bring a mesage on a regular basis and had spoke on Bartimaeus in the past. I was thinking about sharing that story again and did a search on him and came across your site and your insights, and with your permission I will share some of those when I speak again. Thank you for what you are doing.
Ron
Feel free to share, Ron, as you see fit. Peace to you.
wow, this truly is a wonderful teaching. the part where the blind man threw away his coat which probably had all his days earnings, has showed me his great faith because he knew whatever Jesus had to offer would be worth more than the alms he had received. and when he yelled louder for Jesus even when the crowd hushed me has taught me persistence in the face of opposition. had he succumbed to the crowd’s rebuke and stopped yelling for Christ, i doubt he would have caught got the Lord’s attention and received his healing.
God bless you
Thanks, and the Lord bless you as well.
GOD bless you its so sad that sometimes we sit lke blind beggars forgeting that there is a saviour who waits upon us to call him to our situations thank you for the message am really blessed sister jollen cheda
Chris,
The story of Blind Bartimeaus gives me hope – he is one of my mentors. I couldn’t understand how the tradegy of his life & what he wanted would draw such reaction from the crowd around him ["shut up!"].
I have been divorced for over 3 years and I long for my wife back, our family whole. I was negligent and I don’t need justice – but mercy too. Church people & friends consoled for a while but it’s the same feeling regarding your request eventually – “shut up and move on with your life . . .” Your family, love, eye sight, a broken heart . . . it’s all the same need for a miracle.
When I’m at my lowest I remember that like Bartimeaus – Jesus has never told me to shut up about my request.
KC
We all need more mercy than justice, Kenneth. I hope the story of Bartimaeus continues to give you hope.
This is a beautiful story …of faith in the one true God…he was blind but he had spiritual sight…he had a purpose and no one was going to stop him…he knew Jesus was the answer…and people in life will try to derail your salvation but you have to see the big picture…Jesus is that picture. People will try to silence you…and when your break throug is about to happen ..all of a sudden they are compassionate…when Jesus called him..they knew that this man would never be the same…they said to him ..the same unmerciful crowd ..be of good comfor…His breakthrough was about to happen and they knew it. Jesus called him and right away he threw off the spiritual bondage…rid himself of his pass…how many of us christians has heard the call of Jesus but still continue in our sinful ways…He threw off the garment and embrace his future…Christ Jesus…His blind faith in Jesus made his whole…praise God
Carlene,
Thanks – two things in your comment:
1. “Your faith has made you well . . .” Usually its Jesus faith working in us – but Jesus said, “Bartimeaus, your faith made you well . . .” Neat when we hold on to God too.
2. Like you pointed out – the very people who tried to silence Bartimeaus – became converted to what God was doing in the end.
I could only hope that members of my family, who see my journey as hopless, could come to Christ as a result.
KC
cecelia dias this story is a blessing to my soul god is wonderful no one can take is place Bartimeaus did have issues likes some of us today no money could open is eyes no one could stop him from cry out to god because he know what he need he take off the stuff that will hold him back for he know it could not replace what the great god is going to do for him jesus ask him what wilt thou that i should do unto thee question was ask the blind man said that i might receive my sight jesus tell him go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole immediately he received his sight this story is telling some one how great jesus is jesus can take care of all our problem god bless
Thanks. My eyes are open now. Be blessed.
Very nice thought .
Great,this is a good msg by all stanard.thanks
Thanks, Isaac. Peace to you.
I enjoy reading this sermon. Please email more to me
May GOD bless and keep you,
Lorraine
Thanks, I never thought the Wizards of OZ can be related to the Bible, then I thought its legendary too. You have open my eye with this sermon, expand my knowledge, you drew a connection out of me.
What an awesome sermon!!!! Keep up with the good work of God,you really caught up my attention.
Rayson.
Thanks!