Hey friends, here we are. Another week, another
episode of the Semi -Seminarian on this week.
We have another bonus episode, a devotional that
comes from our dinner church that we have on
Thursday nights. Tonight we look at the story
of Blind Bartimaeus, which shows us that we have
to focus on the things we do have and forget
about the things that we don't have if we're
to live the best life that God intends for us.
This message will be as impactful for you as
it was for me, and I hope that you will enjoy.
So while we're finishing up our cake here, I'm
going to go ahead and do our little devotional.
Tonight is one of my... One of my favorite Bible
stories, it's found in the Gospel of Mark, the
first Gospel account that's written, in Gospel
account of Mark, chapter 10. It's a story of
a guy alongside the road by the name of Blind
Bartimaeus. And the thing I think is so captivating
about this story is the fact that it represents
an individual who's kind of been pushed aside
by the rest of folks and just kind of left there
along the side of the road many, many different
times. And perhaps you might find yourself feeling
maybe like there have been times when opportunity
has passed you by. Some relationships have moved
on without you. Or perhaps you feel like, you
know what, I'm damaged goods. I'm not good enough.
And so I'm just going to stay here and sit. and
watch people go by as they do great things. Today,
though, out of God's Word and through His truth,
what you're going to find is that you are actually
exactly where you need to be to do something
very special that God is going to do through
you. So in this study of blind Bartimaeus tonight,
chapter 10, We're going to focus on this guy
who again talks to Jesus and Jesus stops along
the side of the road to help him. Now that doesn't
seem to happen much in our world today. We typically
just don't stop for folks on the side of the
road like hitchhikers. We just don't pick up
people like that necessarily anymore. Maybe it's
obviously out of safety, but perhaps we're just
busy. and we don't like the interruptions to
our routine. In fact, the story that we're going
to look at here in the Gospel according to Mark,
you could almost say is a type of interruption.
An interruption in what, you might say? Well,
let me give you a little bit of context of where
the story is situated within the Gospel account.
Jesus was leaving Jericho. That's how our account
begins tonight. Jesus was leaving the city of
Jericho, and He was headed to Jerusalem. The
reason that he was headed to Jerusalem in this
part of our story at this time, which was the
Passover, was celebration of the Passover feast.
This would be his last Passover meal. Subsequently,
it's known in the scripture as the Last Supper.
And it would be the last meal he would have before
his friends, before he was betrayed by one of
his own, Judas. Later arrested, falsely accused,
beaten, and ultimately crucified. So, in our
story, as they head down the road, he and his
disciples, that's where he's headed. So you might
say, contextually in our story here, that Jesus
would be at the pinnacle of his ministry. He
would be at the maximum where he was in his mission,
where he was going. But God, for just a moment
here, redirects one of Jesus' steps. And we're
going to see that redirection play out here in
our story. Then they came to Jericho as Jesus
and his disciples. Together with a large crowd
were leaving the city. A blind man, Bartimaeus,
which means the son of Timaeus, was sitting by
the roadside begging when he, being Bartimaeus,
heard. Now, why is that important? Because understanding,
of course, Bartimaeus was blind. He couldn't
see, but he could hear. You see, Sometimes we
focus so much on our don't haves. I don't have
this or that. Or I can't or don't do this or
that. Or I just wish I had and one day maybe.
Well, what is it that you do have? You see, because
Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he sure enough could
hear, and when he did, Bartimaeus took what he
had and he acted. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy
on me. Don't focus so much on what you don't
have and forget what it is that you have. The
Apostle Paul writes in the 12th chapter of Romans,
you all have gifts. He says, some of you, your
gift is prophesying. Then prophesy in accordance
to your faith. If it's serving, then serve. If
it's teaching, teach. If it's encouraging, well,
then give encouragement. If it's giving, Give
generously, he says. If it is to lead, then do
it diligently. If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
The fact of the matter of what Paul is writing
is that we all, each and every one of us, have
gifts. You have do's. I do have. I do have this.
Don't worry about the don'ts. Because the beauty
of being on the team as it were, the body of
Christ, is that we all have different gifts and
different talents, different resources that God
will choose to utilize and work together to form
this tapestry of beautiful work of God's people
doing His job, doing His work to bring Him glory.
So, what do you have? Look at who you are and
what God's done in your life, how He's used your
story, and what's happened. You have eyes to
see, but you're not the sum total of some past
fracture, some break that you had, some imperfection
that's in your past. That's not what defines
you now. You're someone special. You could even
say a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to
do good works. Great things that God has prepared
in advance for you to do. Don't focus so much
on what you don't have and forget what you do
have. Verse 48. Many people rebuked him and told
Bartimaeus, Be quiet! But he shouted all the
more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And isn't
it true in life? When you start to take a step
in that direction, many times you'll find the
discouragers, the haters, they always say, Haters
going to hate. Understand, Jesus is in transition
here. Jesus is in transit. He's traveling. He
is not stopping. Bartimaeus, I'm going to hang
out. It's not like Jesus says, I'm going to hang
out here so I can take some time to figure you
out. Jesus is saying, Bartimaeus, I'm not going
anywhere. I don't even care about going to Jerusalem.
Hey everybody, let's just take a break. Because
we're all going to wait on Bartimaeus here. That's
not how this story happens. He was moving towards
Jerusalem, and Bartimaeus seized an opportunity.
And there are opportunities that pass you by,
that come by you, and it's time not to worry
about what you don't have, but to seize the moment
that God has set in front of you that will happen
this week, that might even happen today. And
you'll seize that opportunity and you will say,
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Don't
worry about what you don't have. Look at what
you do have. It's simple, right? Choose to look
at your life in a different way. Choose to do
something different, right? Because if you always
do what you've always done, you're always going
to have what you've always had, right? You've
got to do something different. Einstein is the
one that said, listen, right? The definition
of insanity is doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting a different result.
So when is the best time to start doing something
different? Well, today. Today is a great time
to seize what God has put in front of you. Stop
it with all of the don'ts. Like, I don't have
any excuses. It's time to stop the excuse making
and start making memories. Start making opportunities.
Start trudging forward in what God's called you
to do. So moving along in our story here, verse
49. Jesus stopped and said, call him. So they
called the blind man. Cheer up, they say. On
your feet, he's calling you. Throwing his cloak
aside, he jumped to his feet and he came to Jesus.
And isn't that interesting how Jesus sometimes
can use what you might have seen as distractions,
as the discouragement, to actually be your encouragement
to bring you closer to Jesus. So they lead him
up to Jesus. And understand in the context, I
love the fact that you don't have to have sight
to be seen. You see, Jesus saw Bartimaeus. Because
Bartimaeus heard, and he didn't get caught up
in the fact that he couldn't see. He found out,
this is Jesus going by. And I've heard about
Him. I've heard that He's healed blind folks
before. And I'm blind, and I want to see. And
so Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. I don't
care that the crowd is yelling at me to shut
up and to stop talking. I'm going to talk all
the more because this is my opportunity and I
will not let it pass by this time. And he continued
to yell all the more. You don't have to have
sight to be seen. Jesus sees Bartimaeus, calls
to him, and I love this, verse 51, Jesus asked
Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you?
The blind man says, Rabbi, I want to see. Here's
the thing. When we look at that, that seems like
a really obvious question. There's a blind guy
in front of you. He probably wants to see. And
like, what would I do? What would you do? Put
yourself there. Think about this for a moment.
If God incarnate, that means in the flesh. in
the flesh, was in front of you and asked you
the question, what do you want me to do for you?
What would you say? You see, Bartimaeus said,
Rabbi, I want to see. That word in Greek, Rabboni,
he was saying Jesus, the son of David, early
on. And that was kind of that messianic. Jewish
messianic title that was given to Jesus. But
this time, when he speaks to Jesus and he's close
to Jesus and he's in the presence of Jesus, this
time is different because this word is very,
very different. The word Rabboni, it's only uttered
one other time in the gospel account by anyone.
And it was Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb when
she saw Christ. And she said, Rabboni, my master,
my Lord. When Bartimaeus says this, it's personal.
It's, my master, my Lord, I want to see. And
maybe, maybe perhaps Bartimaeus, even in his
blind sight, could see better than many of us
today. Rabboni, my master. When you understand
who you are in Christ and what you can be, you
operate and you function differently. You find
a sense of value that comes from someplace else.
My master, Jesus says to Bartimaeus, go. Your
faith has healed you. And immediately he receives
his sight. I mean, could you imagine standing
there whenever that occurred? And then Bartimaeus
followed Jesus along the road, it says. And perhaps
for someone here today, that's what's going to
happen. You're going to receive your sight. Not
physically, more importantly, spiritually. You
don't have to have sight to be seen. And when
you're seen by Jesus, you'll never be the same
again. Go your faith. Rabboni, my master, has
made you well. You are created in Christ Jesus
to do good works. You are not the sum total of
your past mistakes. Jesus forgives our sin and
creates in us something new, something special,
a masterpiece, a work of art. Maybe not what
you thought you were going to be, but actually
something better. Better than new, scripture
says. In him created to do good works which he
has prepared in advance for you to do. May we
find that our value is in who God says that we
are, not in what other people say about us. And
in that we will operate and we will live a life
of abundance in God who has called and created
us to be. Well, there you have it, the story
of blind Bartimaeus. I hope that you were able
to take something from the wisdom of God's word
in this message. Hey, I want to remind you that
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come back. We've got another installment next
week on our study of the gospel according to
Matthew. So until then, friend, I want you to
be blessed and be a blessing.