EYES TO SEE

Dr. Marty Baker / Mark 10:46-52 / October 4, 2009

Good morning, I am Marty Baker and I would like to welcome to The Creek. We are glad that you are here. I would also like to say hello to all those watching by television and on the web. Thanks for tuning in.

Today we are continuing the series, Incredible, with a talk called Eyes to See. I wore glasses for over 20 years of my life and eight years ago, my glasses broke right before I preached one Wednesday night. In frustration I cried out, “God, fix my glasses or heal my eyes.” To my surprise, my eyes were healed that night. I did not believe it and over the next three months I saw three different doctors and they told me that I did not need glasses. I cannot explain it, but here’s what I know, for the last eight years, it has been a blessing to be able to read and drive without glasses.

The Bible is packed with life-changing stories that cannot be explained away with human logic or reasoning. We call them miracles. Many of you, just like me, have seen unexplained occurrences that have taken place in your life. Over the last several weeks, we have been talking about the things that defy logic, those incredible miracles that are featured in the Bible. We have talked about loaves of bread being multiplied, handicapped people walking and today a blind person receiving his sight.

Miracles are those moments that God moves into our lives and brings encouragement and strength for our journey. Over the years, I have come to realize that many of these divine interventions are for that moment. In fact, I have come to realize that many recorded miracles in the Bible were time-stamped. For instance, the multitudes were fed with two fish and five loaves of bread, but later on those same people were hungry again. Lazarus was raised from the dead, but he eventually died again.

Here’s my point. Well, I am in my upper 40s and age is starting to creep in on my eye sight. I am trying to handle it gracefully, but Patty who looks much younger than I do, is not quite as graceful as I am. You see, she does not have an eye problem, but we have discovered that her arms are too short. This discovery is especially true when we are in restaurants and she is trying to read the menu. When you put the two of us together, we give our kids something to laugh. They can laugh all they want to, but their day is coming.

Today’s story comes from the second book of the New Testament, the book of Mark, chapter ten. At this moment, Jesus is winding down his earthly ministry. He is only days away from going to the cross. He and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem by way of Jericho. We pick up the story in Mark 10.

Mark 10:46

⁴⁶Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.

Let’s pause for a moment. Being blind in our day is very bad, but in Jesus’ day it was much worse. In first century Palestine blindness meant that you would be subjected to abject poverty. You would be reduced to begging for a living. You lived at the mercy and the generosity of others. Unless your particular kind of blindness was self-correcting, there was no hope whatsoever for a cure. So, we see Bartimaeus here on the side of the road begging for food or money.

Mark 10:47

⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

There’s no doubt that Bartimaeus had already heard about Jesus and his miracles. The news of Jesus opening blinded eyes, touching deaf ear and making lame people walk had spread through the country side. Now, this man who we assume has been blind since birth is within earshot of Jesus, so he shouted: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me!” When Bartimaeus used the title “Son of David,” he was referring to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. It interesting that Bartimaeus lived in darkness and he could not see anything with his natural eyes, but he had a vision that few of the Jewish people of his day had. He could see that Jesus was more than just a man; more than just another teacher of the Law and more than just a priest. He saw Jesus as the Messiah, so he cried out, “Have mercy on me!”

This unnerved some of the disciples of Jesus. They told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more…

Mark 10:48

⁴⁸Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Bartimaeus was desperate for help. He knew that this was an opportunity that he did not want to pass up. Jesus, the miracle worker, was passing by. As Bartimaeus continued to shout out loud, Jesus stopped.

Mark 10:49-50

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."

⁵⁰Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

Here we see that Bartimaeus responded to the call of Jesus. He jumped up. He made the move. He took the first step. He did what he could do. He did not wait for anyone else. He could not see him, but he ran in the direction of Jesus’ voice.

Some of you are here today and you have said over and over, “I will believe it, when I see it.” I want you to leave room in your heart for the voice of Jesus. You may not see it, but you will sense his promptings. You will hear his voice. Bartimaeus heard Jesus call him and he jumped to his feet and ran towards him. Jesus asked him.

Mark 10:51

⁵¹"What do you want me to do for you?"

Jesus was saying, “Tell me what you need. What do you want me to do?” Jesus already knew what Bartimaeus needed. He knew that Bartimaeus was living in darkness, but he also knew that Bartimaeus needed to confess it. He needed to say it.

Faith is not faith until you confess it. We have to speak it. Jesus was giving this blind beggar an opportunity to confess his faith. When we speak out in faith, our lives are changed. Bartimaeus was very specific. He knew what he wanted and he prayed a specific prayer.

Mark 10:51

⁵¹"…The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

Possibly all of his life he had lived in darkness. He had never known the beauty of a sunset. He had never seen the wonderful colors of creation. This was his opportunity. He wanted to be changed. He believed that Jesus the Messiah could do what no one else could do. He said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus responded.

Mark 10:52

⁵²"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Bartimaeus put his faith in Jesus and his eyes were opened so that he could see. No longer was he bound to the darkness of his past. No longer was he locked into a cycle of poverty. No longer would he have to rely on others to basic necessities. The darkness lifted and the light came and his life was never the same.

As most of you know, our church works among the poor and the under-resourced in the inner city. What you may not know is that when something stays in our lost and found more than six months, it is given to the poor. Several months ago, Connie Seviertson took a pile of unclaimed glasses with her downtown where she met an older homeless man that could not see well enough to read. She helped him try on the glasses that she had, both men’s and women’s. He found a pair that seemed to work. When she gave him the glasses, he started to cry because he said he hasn’t had glasses to read for a very long time. He said “now I can read again.” The miracle of sight… it changes the way we live.

When Jesus opened the eyes of Bartimaeus, it changed his life. Some of you are saying, “That’s a good story, but it really doesn’t affect me.” There is more to this miracle than meets the eye. There’s a deeper message. It’s a message about spiritual blindness. It’s a message about specific types of prayer. It’s a message of restoration.

So, let’s drill down. What can we take away from this story? What do I want you to do with this message? I want this to be very practical. Here’s the question of the day.

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

I believe that God answers prayer. Jesus offered to help Bartimaeus and today, I believe that he is extending that offer to us.

When Jesus asked that question, Bartimaeus responded with a request or a prayer. I want to you respond to this morning with a prayer. I know that some of you are not comfortable with the thought of praying. Don’t be intimidated. Prayer is simply talking to God. I want you to have a conversation with God. Let it come from your heart. I want to lead you through a few simple prayers.

Over the next few minutes, we are going to open our lives to God. We are going to ask him to help us. We are going to take the step. We are going to respond to his offer. We are going to pray. Here’s the first prayer.

Today, I am going to ask...

Prayer One:

God, open my eyes to who you are and help me to become the person that I was meant to be.

I meet a lot of people who have had an encounter with God through Jesus Christ. They are spiritually blind. I see them stumbling around in darkness. They are looking for fulfillment. They are longing for purpose, but they have not found what they are looking for. Why? Because they are looking in the wrong places.

People who are spiritually blind typically view their desires, their agenda, their needs, their wants as the most important focus of their life. They say, “It’s all about me.”

Life is not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about Him.

Some of you are struggling with emptiness because you feel as though something is missing in your life and you don’t know what it is.

We were created with a spiritual hole in our heart, a void, a longing in our soul. That longing will only be filled when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Jesus wants us to be a part of God’s family. We will never discover true meaning and purpose living outside of the family of God. Living in the family means that we live under his plan, under his authority, under his blessing.

When you step out from under his plan, you will not become the person you were intended to be. You will wander around in darkness never fully understanding your purpose on this earth. So let’s pray: God, open my eyes to who you are and help me to become the person that I was meant to be.

Here’s the next prayer.

2. God, help me to make good decisions so that I will honor you with my life.

Your decisions in this life really matter. You have the ability to choose how you want to live, what you want to do, and where you want to go. But, please understand that your decisions will determine your destiny.

Don’t continue to walk around in darkness. One day you are going to stand before a holy God and you will give an account of how you have lived your life? What are you going to say?

Well, “I am not as bad as the next guy.” That’s not how it works. You are not responsible for the next guy. You are responsible for you. Take responsibility. Turn your life around.

Too many people say, “I’ve got time. I will get in church later on. I will connect with God when I get a little older. I believe that there is a God, but I am not ready to go there yet.”

Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Today is the day to encounter Jesus. Your life is a mist. You are here one day and gone the next. Don’t waste your life.

Most of you feel as though your lives are very much in front of you. They may not be. You may have already lived most of your life. But if God wills, many of you have several decades to live on the earth before you die and give an account of what you did with your life.

What are you going to do with your life?

When I was a kid, we use to sing a song at church that had these words: “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

What are you doing with your life? Are you going to work your whole life just to turn 65 just so you can go fishing, golfing, play bingo and shuffleboard? Is that what life is about? You work and work and work so that you can retire? There is more to life than looking forward to retirement.

You were created to make a difference. You were created to do good works. Make the right choice. Honor the Lord with your life. Allow Him to shine His light through you.

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

You were created to honor God with your life. You were created to do good things. It’s not the good works that will save you. Jesus saves you in order that you may be an influence for Him in this world. Doing good works begins with making the right choices.

So, let’s pray: God, help me to make good decisions so that I will honor you with my life.

Prayer Three:

God, give me a sense of balance so that I can finish the race strong.

A lot of people take a step towards God, but they never grow in their faith. This is a prayer about our priorities. I don’t want you to be tossed about from here to there. I want to see you rooted and grounded in your faith. God has a plan for you and He wants to live a balanced life.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33

³² So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Where do we find the balance? We find a balance when we get our priorities in line. You know: God first, Family second and so forth.

Some of us are blind to the fact that our schedules are leading us into darkness. It’s time to refocus on the things that are important.

Look at your relationship with God. How are you doing? Are you investing time in your maturing your faith? Are you in a small group? If you are in college, your group meets at my house tonight. Be there. Are you serving? Are you giving?

There is a reason that one of the Ten Commandments states: Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. That verse reminds us to recalibrate our lives every week. We must put God first.

Look at your relationship with your family. Are you carving out time for them? It’s more than staying busy. Some folks feel that if they keep their kids busy, everything will be okay. This is not about activities only. Your kids need you more than they need the activities that you provide. Your wife needs you more than she needs your pay check.

Living a balanced life will mean that you learn to say, “no” to certain things and learn to say “yes” to other.

Matthew 6:33

³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Our prayer today is: God give me a sense of balance so that I can finish the race strong.

Jesus asked Bartimaeus: What do you want me to do? Bartimaeus said, “I don’t want to live in darkness anymore. I want to see.”

Prayer Four:

God, give me freedom from my past so I can embrace my new life.

We started this talk with the story of Bartimaeus. When Jesus called him, he jumped up, threw cloak down and ran towards Jesus. The cloak was an outer garment that he used as a coat, as blanket and even as a tent when it rained. It was his best friend, his protector and his home. When Jesus called him, he threw is down. In some ways, Bartimaeus was saying was leaving his past behind and embracing a new future. He was not going to allow, his past to define his future. He was free.

Several months ago, I received this note.

Before I met Mark, I had been unsuccessfully married 3 times (yes 3 times). I married an alcoholic the first time, an atheist the second and an alcoholic/drug addict the third time and never in any of these marriages did I include God. It wasn't until I was suffering miserable, laying on the family room floor crying did I realize that I needed "some God" in my life.

I went to work and mentioned this to a friend who just about forced me to go church. I was so disparate for something, a change, healing, peace, etc. that I went the following Sunday. I wasn't in the church for 10 minutes when I knew that that was where I was supposed to be. It was the first time in my life that I had ever felt the presence of God.

It was there that my life began to change as I learned what it was to truly be a Christian. It was there that I gave my life to Christ and was baptized.

I made a commitment to myself that I wasn't going to be involved in another relationship without God. From the very beginning, I told him that I wasn't going to be involved with anyone again who didn't "do God". He told me he was willing. God was working on Mark and he started to change. Within a year of being married, he devoted his life to Christ and was baptized at Steven Creek.

My life has been forever changed for the better since I decided to let God into my life.

Patricia found freedom in the presence of the Lord. She was in darkness. She was blind, but now she can see.