JESUS IS PASSING BY
Peter Kuskie,
Mk
Mk 10:46
(a) Then they came to
(b) a
blind man,
(c)Bartimaeus
(that is, the Son of Timaeus),(d)
was sitting by the roadside begging.
(a) Jesus & the
disciples. On their way to
When Jesus shows up He always attracts a following:
¨ Jn
¨ Body of Christ is Jesus on earth – are we attracting a crowd?
¨ 2 Cor
¨ As we as a church & individuals express the life of Jesus through
our walk & talk then people will be attracted.
(b) BLIND MAN:
Blindness in this age was incurable.
No wonder it is used to describe the human condition.
2 Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the
minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the
glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Jn
▬No sense of need = no cry for help = no light given.
▬Without a sense of need we will never get the help we need.
▬Often it is our strengths that are our greatest blindness
(c) BARTIMAUS = “son of unclean, defiled, + infamous,
polluted”
People & life put all sorts of things on
us.
“You’re no good,” “your useless,” “you will
never amount to anything,” “here’s trouble,” “I may as well do it myself”
▬We need to rise up above
them.
▬We need to be careful how
we address ▬each other – even
in jest.
I Chr
4:9 Jabez was more honorable
than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,
saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."
10 Jabez cried out to the God of
Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your
hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
And God granted his request.
(d) was sitting by the roadside begging.
·
Wasn’t going anywhere.
·
Do you ever feel you get
so far then no further?
·
Are we being renewed and
growing daily?
·
Saddest thing is to see
someone who has stopped growing as a person & in the Lord.
·
Hit some obstacle and
allowed discouragement, bitterness, rejection, hurt to cause to go into shell.
·
Jabez
“implored,” which is to ask repeatedly.
·
We so often look for love
in al1 the wrong places and seek help everywhere but from the One who can
really make a difference
·
We minister to the
symptoms rather then dealing with the cause.
Drugs for depression, and feelings of inadequacy.
·
Dependant on the good
will of people.
We are not dependant on hand
outs but hand ups! “Silver & gold have I none but such as
I have give I thee.” Ac 3:6
Mk 10:47
(a) When he heard that it
was Jesus of
(b) "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on
me!"
ü
Comes a day when the eyes
of our understanding are enlightened.
ü
Revelation bursts into
the Spirit.
ü
There is one who can
help.
ü
Seasons of grace. Vine
& branches. Fruit in season.
ü
Must recognise God’s
time. “Knew not the time of their
visitation.” Lk 19:44
ü
Today is the day of
salvation.
Ø
How desperate are
we?
Ø
Do we really want to
change?
Ø
Those things that have
held us back, kept us bound, hindered us from reaching our potential, do we
want them dealt with?
Ø
What do we ask for?
Have we finally reached the end of ourselves & are
we at the point where we know that if Jesus doesn’t do it then it is not going
to happen.
¨
Mercy. ; compassionate
(by word or deed, spec. by divine grace):--have compassion (pity on)
¨
Must remember that God’s
favour is never earned. All our
righteousness is as filthy rags.
¨
I’m not good enough –
true, no one is.
Lam
Mk 10 :48
(a) Many
rebuked him and told him to be quiet,
(b) but he shouted all
the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Don’t expect the support of some around you.
¨
Don’t be disappointed if
they do not embrace your reaching out to God.
¨
Our walks are
individual. We all stand before him
alone.
¨ Pro 29:25 Fear
of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Opposition will either subdue or fire up our desire.
“Obstacles may hinder the indifferent but they quicken the zeal of those who
are earnest.”
·
If he had have listened
to the people we would probably have never read of him & he would have
missed his miracle.
·
How often have you and I
missed out because we listened either to people or the negativity within?
As
¨
They were close to Jesus
but discouraged a genuine seeker.
¨
Jesus said of the
Pharisees – “You are not entering in & you prevent those that would from
doing so.”
¨
Disciples rebuked the
folks who brought children to Jesus.
Mk 10:49
(a) Jesus stopped
(mission) and said, "Call him."
(b) So they called to the
blind man, (c)"Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
·
Praise God! Jesus
stopped! God of universe on his way to a
life & death battle to determine the fate of humanity stopped for one man’s
cry.
·
He responds to us in like
manner.
▬God is calling us.
▬He wants to bring us to a large place
in him.
▬Our need is His concern; our cry
prompts his intervention.
v
We need to be like these
people.
v
We cannot save or heal
but we can point the needy to the one who can.
Tell of Jesus, point to Jesus & lead to Jesus.
v
“be
of good cheer, arise, He is calling you” is the expression of the gospel as it
should be proclaimed to the world.
Mk 10:50
(a) Throwing
his cloak aside,
(b) he jumped to his feet
(c) and came to Jesus.
§
He threw aside his outer garment .
§
The outward man perishes,
inner man is being renewed daily
§
We need to throw aside
the sins that so easily beset us
§
He jumped to his feet
& came to Jesus
§
Response was immediate.
Seize the moment.
Mk 10:51
(a) "What
do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
(b) The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to
see."
ü
Can’t you just hear this
man’s cry. “Rabbi, I want to see”
ü
We need to be specific in
our requests.
ü
Buck shot prayer is
non-specific, undirected prayer. Imagine
going to the shop and saying you don’t know what you want. Chances are you would walk out with nothing.
Mk 10:52
(a)
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you."
(b)
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Faith is the pre-requisite for answered prayer.
Jesus did not say “I have healed you”
·
God deals with us as
individuals….
·
Man born blind told to
wash in the pool of Siloam
·
Man of
·
Results the same = cry
out with open honest seeking heart God will hear & deliver go
What will we do with the blessing of God?
Do we use it for our own ends or do we continue to
follow Jesus?
10
lepers:
Lk 17:12 As he was going into a village, ten
men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice,
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When he saw them, he said, "Go,
show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when
he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself
at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.
Conclusion
What
have we said:
o
Jesus is passing by.
o
Blind = need
o
Bartimaus = negative things put on us effecting the way we see ourselves &
our ability to function
o
Sitting by the roadside =
stunted growth/get so far & no further
o
Begging = looking for
help in the wrong places
o
Those saying be quiet =
discouragement
o
Jesus is calling you =
today is the day of opportunity
o
Throwing cloak, jumping
up = responding in faith to his call
o
Following Jesus = living
as a testimony to His mercy, grace & power.
Bless you,
Peter
