January 31, 2010
Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson
How to be successful
Robin H. Cowin, pastor, First Church of Gentry
Bartimaeus knew what he wanted but he also knew what he needed. He wanted his sight, but he knew he had never done anything to receive such a gift and could never repay Jesus for giving him such a gift.
Mercy is what he needed. Mercy is giving you something you did not earn and do not deserve. He asked for mercy and Jesus heard him. Jesus gave him mercy and his sight.
This story speaks to us today because we are all blind beggars beside the road. We are blinded by sin. If we admitted we were blind, we could remove the blinders of sin and see again. But, because we deny the sin, we also deny the blindness.
Bartimaeus admitted that his problem was blindness. That is where we all must start, owning up to our problem.
We are also like Bartimaeus, sitting in a crowd begging for the things the world can give. You may not like the mental image that brings. But look around you for a moment and see how we have surrounded ourselves with a large quantity of things. How many of them were wants, and how many are needs? When the catalogues come in the mail or in the newspaper, do we throw them away, or do we go through them first? Notice in the story that the crowd did not help Bartimaeus find Jesus. Instead, they told him to be quiet when he began to cry out. The crowd around us will do that.
Bartimaeus did the right thing. He continued to cry out to Jesus until Jesus heard him and called for him. His words were considered by many in the early church to be a prayer they called “The Jesus Prayer.” He called Jesus, “Son of David,” which was a way of calling Him the Messiah, Christ, the rightful King. Then he said, “Have mercy on me,” the prayer of a sinner in need of a Savior (Luke 18:13).
Jesus not only gave him sight, He gave him, and us, insight through his story.
Our vision should be focused by faith. Do not just see with your eyes. We need eyes that only God can supply. We need vision that does not overlook needs. Bartimaeus needed to see Jesus and the people, not just hear the clink of their coins in his cup.
We need to see all around us. Christians need godly peripheral vision.
Vision leads to the Great Commission. A lack of vision leads to many great omissions.