Jesus and his disciples were passing through the city of Jericho, a beautiful city some fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus was at the height of his popularity, and great crowds greeted him as he came into the city. Although we don’t know for certain, perhaps Jesus spent the day teaching in Jericho, which might explain why the people were so excited about having him visit their city.
But regardless, as Jesus was leaving the city he encountered some desperate people with nowhere else to turn. Let me describe the situation to you. Ancient cities were surrounded by a wall to protect them from attack. At nightfall the gates in the wall would be closed for security. During the day, you could always find beggars just outside these gates. They were the forgotten people, cut off from their family and friends. Their only hope was that a stranger passing through might stop, take pity on them, and give them something to eat or possibly even a few coins. The situation was not unlike our present problem with the homeless living in the streets of our cities. And, like today, the beggars were an embarrassment to most people. They weren’t what residents wanted important visitors like Jesus to see.
Among the beggars that particular day was a blind man called Bartimaeus, which means, simply, the son of Timaeus. Note that: We know his father’s name, but not his. He’s a man with no name--and given his circumstance, no prospects of success. An anonymous beggar on the side of the road. Today we would probably find him at a busy intersection on an interstate with a sign: homeless, need food.
People passed Bartimaeus by without even seeing him. Or they passed by on the other side of the road so they could ignore him. Or they grudgingly tipped him a few coins. And some despised him because he reminded them of how miserly they were with their charity.
We don’t like beggars, do we? They make us feel uncomfortable. We resent their intrusion into our lives. But, you see, there was no place else for Bartimaeus to turn. There were no government programs in Palestine for helping vision-impaired persons to train for productive jobs. There were no white cane or seeing-eye dog programs. Today Bartimaeus could have lived a life of dignity and value even though he was sightless. Thanks to modern technology and educational programs for the blind, many sightless persons are productive members of the community. There were no such opportunities in first century Israel, however. Bartimaeus was on his own trying to cope in a world of perpetual darkness while his neighbors lived in a wonderful world of light.
Please understand that Bartimaeus did not need his vision to have a fulfilling life. There have been many persons whose physical eyes did not function as they should who have lived amazingly whole lives. Outstanding people like Helen Keller and Louis Braille. People like mountain climber and author Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. People like the gospel songwriter Fanny Crosby and a host of noted popular musicians.
But for Bartimaeus it was a spartan existence. He would have preferred that he could work at a real job like people who had their sight. It was lonely and demoralizing sitting by the side of the road day after day begging for alms. The hours passed slowly--much more slowly than if Bartimaeus had a job. And the amount he collected was barely enough to allow him to buy bread for the day. But Bartimaeus never gave up. Somewhere, somehow, he believed there was something better for him.
And suddenly it was here--the opportunity for which he had prayed for so long. There was a tumult of excitement on the road. A local celebrity and his disciples were passing by. A large crowd of curious folk had gathered to see this man called Jesus pass through their town on his way to Jerusalem. The news of his compassion and his healing power had reached beyond Jericho to the outlying area. People wanted to see him and touch him.
When Bartimaeus learned that it was Jesus passing by, he knew that this was his one opportunity to do something about his situation. This was his one opportunity to escape from his life of dependency and despair.
So he began to cry out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” And what happened when he made his cry? Many in the crowd began to rebuke him, that he should hold his peace. Pushy beggar! Why can’t he accept his fate like the rest of us? What right does a blind man have with hopes and dreams?
How often in life when a person tries to make a meaningful change do others try to discourage him? But Bartimaeus cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me.”
And something interesting happened. Jesus stopped. How beautiful are those words in Mark’s Gospel, “Jesus stopped . . . and said, ‘Call him.’” In the midst of the pressing crowd, Jesus was willing to stop and minister to one needy soul. “Call him,” said Jesus.
And someone called to Bartimaeus, and said, “Cheer up. The Master is calling for you.” And Mark tells us, “throwing his cloak aside, Bartimaeus jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.”
This is faith in action! This is enthusiasm! He doesn’t just slink up to Jesus, as would be appropriate for a person regarded by the religious establishment as an outcast and unclean. He jumps up and stands tall before the Messiah. He throws off anything that would stand between him and the Savior. Bartimaeus was disadvantaged, but Bartimaeus was not helpless. He had determination. He was not going to let people tell him to be quiet. When he saw the opportunity for healing, he literally leaped at that opportunity.
Bartimaeus wasn’t like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking, “What must I do to be saved?” then went away sadly when he learned that he would have to choose between his wealth and Jesus. Bartimaeus wasn’t like the man beside the pool of Bethesda, who, when Jesus asked him if he really wanted to be healed, made excuses for his situation.
Bartimaeus wanted to see and he was willing to pay any price to achieve this goal. He was determined. What a difference determination makes in life. Thank God for the Bartimaeuses of this world who will not be denied by their circumstances.
Then Jesus asked him an interesting question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Couldn’t Jesus tell that Bartimaeus was blind? What kind of question was this?
There are two possible explanations for Jesus’ question. Perhaps Bartimaeus’ blindness was not his deepest need. Imagine that he had a child on death’s doorstep. That might have been far more critical to him than his lack of sight. There are hurts that run deeper than a handicapping condition.
Perhaps, though, there is another explanation for Jesus’ question. Jesus knew it is important for people to clarify in their own minds what they really want in life. Remember how he asked the lame man beside the pool of Bethesda if he wanted to be healed. The rest of the story indicates that the lame man probably preferred the comfort of his lameness to the burden posed by freedom and responsibility. Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to be certain this was what he really wanted. Jesus wanted him to articulate his need and express his faith. Bartimaeus’ reply was simple. There was no hesitation, no bashfulness. “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately, Mark tells us, Bartimaeus received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Bartimaeus became a follower of Jesus Christ. How could he do anything else? All his life Bartimaeus had been blind and finally this man Jesus had set him free of this tremendous disadvantage.
I believe something happened to Bartimaeus that day, don’t you? I believe the scales not only fell away from his eyes; I believe they fell away from his heart. For not only did his healing represent a victory over a physical problem, but his healing said to Bartimaeus, “You really matter. You’re a person of worth. The incarnate God cares about you.”
I don’t believe that this determined man was ever again the same. I doubt if he ever let anyone put him down again. I doubt if he ever gave in to discouragement again. Why? Because he knew he mattered. His healing was proof of that.
We see three powerful forces in the story of the healing of this man with no name. We see, first of all, the power of determination. Bartimaeus was determined to get Jesus’ attention. He was determined to be healed.
Determination is a powerful force in human life. Determination so often in life is the defining factor that separates winners from losers. When a person simply refuses to be defeated by whatever circumstances he or she has to overcome, something almost magical happens. Doors open; mountains are climbed.
Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. Born prematurely, doctors did not expect Wilma to survive. She did, but at the age of four, she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, leaving her left leg paralyzed. She learned to walk with the aid of a metal brace.
When Wilma was nine-years-old, she removed the leg brace and began walking without it. By age 13, she developed a rhythmic walk. That same year, she decided to begin running. She entered her first race and came in last. For the next three years, Wilma came in dead last in every race she entered. But she kept on running, and one day she won. Eventually, the little girl who was not supposed to live, and then who was not supposed to be able to walk, ran in the biggest races of them all. Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in track in Rome’s 1960 Olympic Games. (1)
It is always easier to give up than to endure. It’s always easier to blame others than to take responsibility for one’s life. There’s power in determination. Every person who has ever made any significant contribution to society is a witness to that.
Secondly, in the story of the man with no name, we see the power of Jesus’ love. From this passage, we are introduced to a Jesus who is concerned about the needs of even the most dejected and rejected in society. This man whom he summoned into his presence was a beggar--one scorned by society. The religious sect considered this man a sinner because they viewed his blindness as a curse brought on either by his sin or that of his parents.
It is perhaps why they tried to silence him. They did not see him as significant enough to call upon Jesus. They would have seen his noise as a nuisance or maybe as an attempt to beg some coins from Jesus. But Jesus heard him and sent to call him. In doing this, Jesus was signaling the worth and value and significance of this blind beggar. He was saying to a scornful and judgmental crowd, “This man is worthy of my attention.” He validated this man’s humanity. There is healing in such love.
This is an assurance to you and me today that no matter where we are from or where we find ourselves, God sees us as valuable and will hear our call. It is also instructive to us about how we view others. Nobody is beyond his grace.
Singer Andre Crouch penned a song years ago that captured this idea powerfully. He wrote the song “The Blood” in which he said, “It reaches to the highest mountain and flows to the lowest valley.” The grace of God reaches every human being, everywhere, in every circumstance. That is the Jesus Bartimaeus came to know--a Jesus who valued him enough to stop and to listen to his need--a Jesus who was more than a miracle worker--a Jesus who cared for him as his dearest friend.
Back in 1901, Frank E. Graeff was going through some difficult times--he was despondent, he had doubts, he was in physical pain. He turned to the Bible for comfort and found these wonderful words in I Peter 5:7: “He cares for you.” After meditating on that truth, Graeff wrote a song titled, “Does Jesus Care?” The first verse asks:
“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
and the way grows weary and long?”
Then the chorus of the song shouts an answer:
“Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.” (2)
Jesus cared for Bartimaeus and that made all the difference in the world.
We see the power of determination. We see the power of Jesus’ love.
Finally, we see the power of Bartimaeus’ faith in Jesus. “Go,” said Jesus to Bartimaeus, “your faith has healed you.”
This is a refrain that is echoed several times in the Gospels: “Your faith has healed you. You faith has made you well.”
Sir Harry Lauder was a Scottish music hall and vaudeville singer and comedian in the first half of the twentieth century who was highly popular throughout the English speaking world--both before, during and after World War I.
During World War I Lauder worked tirelessly to organize and recruit performers for shows given to troops serving abroad. Unfortunately, his own son, Captain J. C. Lauder, was killed in combat shortly before New Year 1917.
Despite his son’s death Harry Lauder continued to publicly rally support for the war. He once explained his ability to carry on after his son’s death to a friend. He said, “When a man comes to a thing like this, there are just three ways out of it--there is drink, there is despair, and there is God. By [God’s] grace, the last is for me.” (3)
Some of you know what he was talking about. It is so easy to give in to despair and depression. Quite often the only thing that keeps us going is our faith in God.
So it was for the man with no name, known only as the son of Timaeus. He refused to give into despair. Instead he called out to Jesus and he was healed. What good news that is for us, regardless of who we may be or regardless of our circumstances. Jesus cares. Trust him. Turn your burdens over to him and carry on in the knowledge that the day will come when you, too, will experience victory in Jesus.
1. Contributed. Source: Sermonnotes.com.
2. Cited by Tony Grant, http://yarpc.tripod.com/avgjoe.htm.
3. Contributed. Source unknown.