Sunday's Message - In the Story

As disciples of Jesus, we've been called to follow him by claiming his example and learning from his teachings. From June to October, we're going to focus on the Gospel of Mark so that we might better understand how we might follow our Savior and live as his community. 

During the following twenty Sundays, the message will apply following passages:

June 6, 2021 - Mark 3:20-35

June 13, 2021 - Mark 4:26-34

June 20, 2021 - Mark 4:35-41

June 27, 2021 - Mark 5:21-43

July 4, 2021 - Mark 6:1-13

July 11, 2021 - Mark 6:14-29

July 18, 2021 - Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

July 25, 2021 - Mark 7:14-23

August 1, 2021 - Mark 7:24-37

August 8, 2021 - Mark 8:27-38

August 15, 2021 - Mark 9:30-37

August 22, 2021 - Mark 9:38-50

August 29, 2021 - Mark 10:2-16

September 5, 2021 - Mark 10:17-31

September 12, 2021 - Mark 10:35-45

September 19, 2021 - Mark 10:46-52

September 26, 2021 - Mark 12:28-34

October 3, 2021 - Mark 12:38-44

October 10, 2021 - Mark 13:1-8

October 17, 2021 - Mark 13:24-26, 32-36

On Sunday, September 19, 2021, we looked at Mark 10:46-52. The passage, the message and the podcast is below:

Mark 10:46-52 [Contemporary English Version]

Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”

They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.

Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”

Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”

Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

In the Story

You know, I think our perspective changes when we put ourselves into a story. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. Before I came up here, I was working in two little biddy churches in the Ohio Valley. And in one of them, I led a Bible study every Thursday afternoon. Now back in April, we did a 4-part series focused on Easter, and specifically, on how the story of the resurrection is a little bit different in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because each of the four evangelists viewed it in a slightly different way. And to illustrate how that can happen, in the very first meeting, we did this little exercise. You see, I shared with them the following story:

A mother was baking a cake and needed some milk to finish. Since her son was only watching television, she sent him to the store with money and some very clear instructions: Buy a half gallon of milk. Reluctantly, the son went. When he got to the store, he noticed that there was a sale on Twinkies. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough money to buy the half gallon, and so he bought a quart and the Twinkies. As he walked home, he was enjoying the golden cake and creamy filling. Suddenly, a dog jumped out of the bushes. He ate the Twinkies and caused the milk to spill all over the sidewalk.

Now that was the story. And with this in mind, we retold what happened from the perspective of the mother, the son, the dog, and of course, the Twinkies. And then we followed it up with some questions, you know, about the different interpretations made and the different lessons learned. Of course, the point was pretty simple; our perspective shapes the way we tell a story. You see, it happens to us and I believe it happened to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as they wrote about the resurrection.

And I’ll tell you, we’re going to do that same kind of thing with the passage we just read this morning. You see, we’re going to put ourselves into the story as Bartimaues and then as Jesus and then as the people. We’ll look at what we might have in common with them and then we’ll consider how we might respond when we find ourselves in their situations. And hopefully, when we’re finished, we’ll have a better understanding of who we are but more importantly what we can do, and I’m talking about when we find ourselves in the story.

Of course, to do that, we really need to understand what’s happening here. And so let’s talk about the passage a little bit. I mean, right at first, we have Jesus and his disciples around Jericho, a little town not far from Jerusalem. And as they were leaving, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus showed up. And according to Mark, he was shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” [Mark 10:47b, CEV] Now that’s all he said. But evidently, it was enough to really bother the people around Jesus, because they tried to get him to stop. But the more they told him to shut up, the louder he got. “Son of David, have pity on me!” [Mark 10:48b, CEV] And then all of a sudden, Jesus stopped and told the people who’d been trying to shut him up and down, he told them to call Bartimaeus over. And you know, they must have known Jesus wasn’t going to chew him out, because “they called out to the blind man and said, ‘Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.’” [Mark 10:49b, CEV] And I’ll tell you, Bartimaeus must have known it too, because, according to Mark, he “...threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.” [Mark 10:50, CEV] Of course, they were right, because, after Jesus asked what Bartimaeus wanted and after “the blind man answered, ‘Master, I want to see!’” [Mark 10:51b, CEV]. He got exactly what he desired. Jesus healed him. And “right away the [Bartimaeus] could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.” [Mark 10:52b, CEV] Now, in a nutshell, that’s what happened.

And I’ll tell you, when we intentionally identify with these characters, I think that can offer us some genuine insight when we find ourselves in a similar story. For example, first, I think there are times when we can identify with Bartimaeus. In other words, I believe most folks can understand what it’s like to have a need that sure seems beyond their own ability to solve. Of course, like it was for Bartimaeus, that need might be physical, and with that I include everything from disabilities and sickness to poverty and abuse and addictions. Now that’s what I mean by physical. But you know, the need could also be a little less tangible. I mean, it could be emotional, you know, like all the stress a person might feel being separated from his wife while trying to figure out how to move thirteen years of stuff from one place to another. Now, I recognize that compared to a lot of folks, well, that’s relatively minor, but trust me, it’s still stressful. Of course, we’ve just been talking about the physical and emotional. I’m telling you, I believe a lot of people are struggling with a need that I think you could call spiritual, you know, an emptiness on the inside, a lack of peace and purpose as they live in the present and a lack of direction and hope as they face the future. And these are just a few of the things with which people struggle. Man, there are all kinds of needs out there and frankly in here.

And you know, since I believe that’s the case, I think Bartimaeus can teach us a lot about how we might handle them when they rear their ugly heads in our own lives. You see, just like he did, we can actively seek out those who might be able to offer us some help as we struggle with whatever physical or emotional or spiritual need we might have. Then after doing what’s necessary to identify those who might be able to help us, we can approach them, something that I believe is going to take courage, because it ain’t easy to ask for help, and confidence, assured that whomever we’re approaching is able to do something for us, and persistence. And I’ll tell you why that’s just as important for us as it was for Bartimaeus. I mean, not only does the squeaky wheel get the grease, but if a need isn’t heard, it probably won’t be addressed. But I’ll tell you, this is something we’ll know, when we put ourselves in the story and recognize that there are times when we can identify with Bartimaeus. But he’s not the only one with whom we can connect. 

You see, second, I think there are times when we’re also kind of like Jesus in this story, because like him, we may have the power to address some of the needs we hear expressed. Now, I don’t want to be suggest that this is always the case, because that would be foolish. I mean, if you have appendicitis or a blown gasket or thermostats that need to be installed, don’t call me. Man, go to a doctor or a mechanic or to Mark. Still, if we’re honest with ourselves, I think every one of us can help someone in some way. For example, regardless of how busy we are, and most of us are really busy, we probably have some time that we could offer to send a card to someone who’s lonely or to lend a hand to someone who feels overwhelmed. And even though we may not have the skills to cure blindness, God has given us each a whole mess of gifts and talents that we can use to help others, and you know, if we don’t know what they are, it may be time to find out. And you know, just like we’ve been talking about with roof, most of us have the means to help. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a lot or a little, most of us can offer something. You see, just like Jesus had the power to answer the cry of that blind beggar, we also have the ability to address some of the needs that surround us.

And I’ll tell you, as we try to figure out how we’re going to do it, we can follow the example Jesus offered in this story. And you know, it really starts with us being available and open. Now we talked about this a little bit last week. If Jesus hadn’t been on that road, he’d have never heard Bartimaeus shouting for help. And if Jesus hadn’t asked what Bartimaeus wanted, Jesus may not have known what he could do. And I think that applies to us too. Man, we need to be available and open. But I’ll tell you, being available and open ain’t worth a hill of beans, if we don’t do anything about it. I mean, remember, Jesus didn’t say that the nations will be blessed because they know about the needs that people have. No, they’ll be blessed when they actually feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, and when they actually welcome the stranger and cloth the naked, and when they actually care for the sick and visit the prisoner. You know, I think it’s important to remember that, when it comes to most human needs, actions speaks louder than words. And that’s something we’ll understand when we put ourselves in the story and recognize that there are times when we can identify with Jesus.

But Bartimaeus and Jesus aren’t the only characters with whom we might have something in common, because remember that there were a whole bunch of folks kind of hovering around in the background, and I think that’s the third group in which we might see ourselves. In other words, I think there are plenty of times when we’re like the people in the story, and I’m talking about those men and women who are just there, following Jesus around. I mean, they don’t appear to have the same kind of need that motivated Bartimaeus to cry out for help nor do they have the power really to do anything about it. No, they were just kind of there, minding their own business, but suddenly forced to hear the shouts and to see the need. 

And you know, when you get right down to it, isn’t that where we usually find ourselves? I mean, even though we might not be so desperate that we have no choice but to beg for help in the middle of the road, I think we recognize that there are folks all around us who know first-hand that kind of desperation. And even though God has given us some time and talents and resources that can be used to help those in need, even when we come together, we don’t have to power to do very much to address all the problems, much less all the causes. No, I think there are plenty of times that we’re like those folks who were just there following Jesus.

And for that reason, I think what we can learn from them in this story is particularly important. You see, even though, at first, they didn’t show a lot of sympathy and mercy, after Jesus told them what he wanted them to do, both their attitude and actions changed, didn’t they? I mean, all of sudden, I think they showed some genuine compassion to this blind beggar 

whom they wanted to shut up a few minutes before. My goodness, instead of acting like Jesus had put a 100 pound weight on their shoulders, they approached Bartimaeus and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” [Mark 10:49b, CEV] You see, not only were they sensitive to his feelings, they brought him to the one who had the power to help him. And you know, we can do the same thing. I mean, we can try as hard as we can to be sensitive to those who are hungry and thirsty, to the naked and to the stranger and to everyone who is sick and imprisoned. But more than that, we can work together so that they might find and receive the help they need, either from us or someone else. You see, this is something we can do when we put ourselves in this story and recognize that there are times when we can identify with the people.

Now, when I did my little exercise at that Bible study back in April, after telling the story of the cake and the milk, well, there were some really interesting ideas when we intentionally identified with the son, his mother and the dog. And as it relates to the other character in the story, someone felt moved to bring a box of Twinkies to the study the next week. And with that, I guess you could say it worked out better than I could have imagined. 

And you know, this business about identification, man, we can do the same thing with the passage we read this morning. You see, we can recognize that sometimes we really are like Bartimaeus, with some very definite needs, and because of that, we can decide to seek out help. And we can also recognize that sometimes we’re really more like Jesus, with the power to address the needs, and because of that we can decide to become both open and active. And finally, we can recognize that sometimes we really are more like the people, just sort of hanging around observing, and because of that, we can decide to become sensitive to others and to work to find the help they need. You see, I believe all this can happen, when we make another decision, namely to put ourselves in the story.