Sermon
#45 Series: Mark
Title: “JESUS STOOD STILL”
Text: Mark 10:46-52
Readings: Office:
Ron Wood Auditorium: Merle
Hart
Subject: The
Healing of Bartimaeus
Date: Sunday Evening - March 22, 1998
Tape # U-58b
Introduction:
I read in the tenth chapter of Joshua how that he by
whom the walls of Jericho fell, commanded the sun to stand still in the midst
of heaven. At the command of a man “the
sun stood still!” We are told, “There
was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the
voice of a man” (Josh. 10:14).
But in our text this
evening, we have a thing even more remarkable than that. Turn with me to Mark
10:46-52. I want to preach to you tonight about a day when “JESUS STOOD STILL”. It
is one thing to cause the sun to stand still; but we have before us a man who
caused the God who made the sun to stand still!
Mark 10:46-52
"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his
disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the highway side begging. (47) And
when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say,
Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy
on me. (48) And many charged him that
he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. (49) And Jesus stood still, and
commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of
good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. (50)
And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. (51) And Jesus answered and said unto
him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I might receive my sight. (52)
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And
immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."
As he was coming up out of
Jericho on his way to Jerusalem to redeem his people, our Lord Jesus heard a
poor, blind beggar crying for mercy. At the sound of his cry, we are told, “Jesus stood still!” What a wonderful,
amazing picture we have before us! Here is the omnipotent God stopped in his
tracks, held fast by the cry of a needy soul for his mercy.
He was on his way to
Jerusalem to accomplish the redemption of his people, to fulfill the will of
God. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could cause him to pause. Nothing could
detour him from his work…
·
Not
Herod!
·
Not
Satan!
·
Not
the Pharisees!
·
Not
His Disciples!
·
Not
even His own Mother - “Wist ye not that I
must be about my Father’s business?”
But one, solitary, helpless
soul, one blind beggar crying for mercy, looking to him for help, believing
him, crying to him, stopped the Son of God in his tracks - “Jesus stood still!”
Surely,
the place whereon we stand tonight is holy ground. Let us put off our shoes of
idle curiosity and theological speculation, and turn aside for a little while
from the trifles of this world to see this great sight. Surely, there are
lessons to be learned here that are of more value than gold.
Proposition: The Son of God will never ignore the cry or refuse the faith of a
sinner seeking mercy.
I.
First, FAITH IS FREQUENTLY
FOUND WHERE IT IS LEAST EXPECTED.
There
were great multitudes who followed the Lord Jesus as he walked along and taught
the people. Some for loaves and some for love - Some out of curiosity and some
out of conviction - Some for greed and some for grace. But there were few, very
few who believed on Christ. Many, many who saw his miracles yet believed him
not. But here is a blind man. A man who never saw any of our Lord’s miracles.
He knew the Master only by hear-say, by the testimony of others. Yet, he
believed him.
What a picture Bartimaeus was of us!
·
His
father, Timaeus (an honor or honorable) was an honorable man, as was
our father, Adam.
·
Bartimaeus
was the blind son of an honorable man.
·
He
was now reduced to abject poverty, begging for bread.
A. Bartimaeus simply heard
other men and women talking about the Savior - “When he heard.” Blessed gossip!
1.
Perhaps
he had heard how the Master had healed a blind man on his way into Jericho (Lk.
18:35-43).
2.
Without
question, he had heard who he is.
·
“Jesus”
·
“Lord”
·
“Son
of David”
3.
He
heard about the Lord’s mighty miracles of mercy.
4.
He
heard that “Jesus passed by.” He
might never pass his way again!
B. Bartimaeus believed the Son
of God.
His
faith puts us to shame! We have books of evidence, libraries of theology,
volumes of biographies, yet, how little there is of this childlike confidence
and faith in Christ. Even among true believers, simple, confident, unhesitating
faith is found where we least expect it.
1.
The
humble soul believes God and walks in peace.
2.
The
learned, well-read theologian is harassed with doubts and questions.
II. Secondly, IF
WE HOPE FOR MERCY, WE MUST AVAIL OURSELVES OF EVERY MEANS OF GOOD TO OUR SOULS.
I know that God is sovereign. I know that
salvation is of the Lord. I know that every chosen, redeemed sinner shall be
saved. I am fully aware of these facts. You are too. Yet, I know that every man
is responsible for his own soul. I know that we are responsible to use the means
of grace God gives us. When this blind man heard that “Jesus passed by,” he was found “sitting
by the highway side” crying for mercy.
What wisdom he displayed! He took up a
hopeful position “by the highway side”. There
he would be likely to hear any good news that may be spread. There he was most
likely to meet with and be seen by the compassionate. Though he was blind, he
were not deaf. And he used what he had for good.
A. Do not forsake the house of God (Heb. 10:25).
B. Do not forsake the reading of Holy Scripture (2 Tim. 3:15).
C. Do not forsake private prayer.
These
are God’s ordained means of grace. To despise them is to despise his grace. To
neglect them is to neglect his grace. To use them is to be in the path of mercy
(Matt. 18:20).
III. Thirdly, we learn once more,
by the example of this blind man, that - AS
“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERETH
VIOLENCE,” SO “THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY
FORCE” (v. 48).
Mark 10:48
"And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried
the more a great deal, Thou son of
David, have mercy on me."
Those
very people who should have encouraged his faith greatly discouraged him. I can
almost hear them.
·
“You’re
too poor.”
·
“You’re
being too loud.”
·
“Don’t
be so zealous.”
·
“You’re
too early.”
·
“You’re
too late.”
·
“You’ve
gone too far.”
·
“You’re
too blind.”
·
“You’re
too poor.”
·
“You’re
too dirty.”
I
see four things here that exemplify what true prayer is. I do not claim to know
much about prayer. But I am certain that these four things will always be found
wherever true prayer is found:
A. Faith - “Lord, thou Son of David.”
B. Humility - “Have mercy on me.”
C. Importunity
·
Luke
11
·
Genesis
32:26 - “I will not let Thee go, except
Thou bless me!”
D. Perseverance - Bartimaeus needed mercy. He knew that Christ could give him the mercy
he needed. He knew that he might never get this opportunity again.
Consequently, the opposition he met with was hardly noticed by him.
IV. Fourthly, HOW
THE SON OF GOD LOVES NEEDY SINNERS!
Our
Savior’s love for this poor, needy soul is to be seen in everything he did for
him.
Mark 10:49
"And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they
call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth
thee."
A. The Lord Jesus graciously blinded his eyes for a season.
B. The Son of God sent someone to tell this man about his greatness and
grace.
C. The Lord Jesus Christ passed his way in mercy, love and grace.
D. “Jesus stood still!” He heard the man’s prayer!
E. He commanded him to be called.
F. Then he called him! What a call! What a cause for comfort! “Be
of good comfort…He calleth thee!”
G. He spoke a word of grace to him. What a word of grace! Grace poured from his lips!
·
What
do you want?
·
It
is done.
·
Your
faith has made you whole!
G. He went to Jerusalem to redeem him!
V. Lastly, FAITH ALWAYS GETS WHAT IT SEEKS - MERCY!
A.
Look what this man did when
the Savior called him.
1.
He
rose.
2.
He
cast off his garment.
3.
He
came to Jesus.
B.
Look what happened to him
when he came to Christ. “Immediately he received his
sight.”
C.
Look what Bartimaeus did
when the Master told him to go his way. “He followed
Jesus in the way.”
1.
Christ,
who is THE WAY, became his way.
2.
He
followed Christ in the way…
·
Of
His Doctrine.
·
Of
His Worship.
·
Of
His Ordinances.
·
Of
His Example.
·
Of
His Faith.
Application:
May
God be pleased now, for Christ’s sake to give sight to you who are yet blind,
to give faith to you who yet believe not, and give grace to us all, that we may
like Bartimaeus follow Jesus in the way, for the honor of his name.
AMEN.