“What Would You Have Me Do?”
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s scripture is about blind Bartimeaus, and more, which I will address in a moment, but first let us fast forward a week to next Sunday’s lectionary text, for it flows nicely from the question that Jesus asked of this blind man from Jericho. Next week’s lectionary text holds the secret of happiness, for in it is revealed to us by Jesus Christ the relationship triangle of loving God, loving our neighbors and loving our self. Note that the order is important. Understandably, if the order is mixed up, problems happen. Life events get jammed. How this proper love happens is a bit of a mystery however the human groundwork for love undoubtedly has roots in our early relationships with parents and caretakers and friends that set the tone for physical, emotional, and interpersonal development, which ultimately hopefully guides us to manifest the love of God and love of neighbor and of oneself. Interestingly, Bartimeaus seems to have lost his family. He may have had the foundation for love but needed a spark to ignite it. The interactions we have in this regard are the joys of life. This is where Jesus comes into the picture. Which brings us to today’s beautiful and important question that God might ask of us, and we might ask of God and each other. A clue to the priority order should be clear. “What Would You Have Me Do?”
Scripture: One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Mark 12: 28-34 (NRSV)
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:6-8 (NRSV)
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV)
Message: Love encompasses a variety of strong and positive emotional and mental states, ranging from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection and to the simplest pleasure Throughout history, believers have cried out to God in times of distress for the deepest and most important kind of love. Sometimes after years of praying, a single cry brings direction or deliverance instantly. Many have wondered why there are such powerful results from simply crying out to God, yet the promise is clear…God is love. God responds to the cries of the poor and we should too. God desires us to ask and hopefully in a way that glorifies the King of Kings. Scripture teaches us that we are to call out to God in our times of need. Today’s story about Bartimaeus is about a miracle happening when we call out in faith to the Lord but is also about love. Characteristics of a cry for help are humility, that we cannot do anything without Jesus, surrender, and a plea for mercy, but also recognition of God’s power and resources. Crying out to God is an act of desperation and total concentration. It is a fervent expression of faith in God and trust in His goodness and power to act on our behalf. Here Jesus opens our eyes to His ways and order. The setting of the story of Blind Bartimaeus is on the road to Jerusalem in Jericho. Jesus is in the final week of His ministry. Observe the crowds and how they love Him because they believe He will soon deliver them from the yoke of the Romans. Understand that these same crowds will soon be crying, “Crucify him,” … that soon Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, beaten and killed. As you contemplate the story notice how Jesus, the crowd and the blind react. Perceive how Jesus puts service before self. Witness that it was compassion that prompted His investment in others. Focus on the fact that Jesus provides a response to the requests that very instant. Friends, as we grope around in the darkness of our sins we hopefully will begin to see that we must have blind dependence on Jesus. We are not in control. But if we depend on Jesus, he is ready to turn each moment of our lives into an opportunity. Make no mistake about this, when Bartimaeus threw off his cloak he was giving up all that he had to follow Jesus. So too, how clearly and emphatically we communicate our love of God connects to the results we receive related to our expressed needs.
The good news is that even where human love was lacking, if we stick to God’s relationship triangle, we can live healed and happy with a faith and love that works for the greater good.
Pray we ask Jesus for help in loving. Pray
we cry out to God in the time of our need in a way that glorifies God. Pray our hearts and heads are connected to the inner depths of our decision making. Pray our whole being lives in the sacrificial will of God. Pray every breath we inhale and express, demonstrates our desire to love God. Pray our thoughts and reasoning and imagination come alive in our love of God. Pray our strength…all our energy is committed to the very vastness of loving God. Pray that only after we love God in these four ways are we prepared to transcend self and genuinely attend to the needs of others. Pray that we realize that when we attend to the needs of those who are poor and suffering that this love of others brings us closer to the Kingdom of God. Pray we see that the world’s ways are wrong. Pray we see that our actions may make us look like fools in the eyes of the world. Pray we see there is no turning back. Pray we see our obvious need for Christ. Pray we see that we were born to bless not beg. Pray we open our spiritual eyes and see. Pray we have enough faith to believe. Pray we acknowledge first a love of God. Pray that we walk together with Christ, loving kindness, and doing justice.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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