Mark 10:46-52

Last Sunday we had a young man named Saul come to our church from the Republic of Sudan to preach. Being from Sudan, Saul saw first hand how vicious Muslims can be to 'infidels.' When he was just 12 years old he witnessed both his parents get tied up and cut to pieces because they were practicing Christians. When he and his brother were then brought to a refugee camp and tried to escape, he saw his brother get gunned down. Growing up in this type of atmospher, I can only wonder what kind of mental, physical, and spiritual anquish he's been through.

Nevertheless, Saul spoke on Mark 10:46-52. He spoke as someone who had so many blessings! Before he began to preach on the passage, one of the sayings he kept saying was, "Just give me Jesus." In Mark chapter 10 we hear about Bartimeaus, a blind beggar who positions himself by the entrance gates to Jericho. When he hears that Jesus is coming by, he cries out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowds try to quiet him and repress his desire to meet Jesus. When Jesus hears Bartimeaus cry out once more, He says, "Call him here." As Bartimeaus throws off his cloak, the same people that were trying to quiet him are now clearing a path for him to meet Jesus.

The real kicker in the passage comes when Jesus askes Bartimeaus, "What do you want me to do for you?" in verse 51. WOW! God Himself is asking him what He can do for him. Take a minute to think about that question. If God asked you what He can do for you, what would you say?

I think this passage alone says so much:
1. We have to position ourselves to meet God.
2. We have to cry out loud and often to God in our times of need.
3. Prayer-if Bartimaeus never cried out and asked God for help, he would have never been healed. This is why we need to pray. God does already know what we need and Jesus knew what Bartimeaus needed, but when Bartimeaus got up in trust and faith in Jesus, God heard him. Bartimeaus understood he needed Jesus and this is what God wants - He wants us to depend on Him, because in Him we find everlasting healing, peace, and joy.
4. Who are we to hinder someone's path to God? The crowds tried to hush Bartimeaus up so he couldn't meet Jesus. Who knows what their motives were and who knows what our motives are for hindering someone's path to God. We should always be clearing a path for people to come to Jesus.

Just give me Jesus. I almost wonder if Saul saw a lot of himself in Bartimeaus. There's not many places that are 'lower' in life than where Saul and Bartimeaus were; to lose your whole family and be orphaned out on the streets with no where to go or to be a blind outcast out on the streets with no where to go. This is the type of God I want to worship. One who meets us in our worst moments, rolls up his sleeves, and says, "Take my hand."

Just give me Jesus.

Joe