The point tonight is to, practical to build faith, the see people healed.
Today I want to connect two accounts of healing in the ministry of Jesus. One I just want to highlight one point. The other I want to dwell on a bit longer.
Miracles often happen as interruptions. If you read the NT rarely did Jesus specifically go somewhere to heal – most (if not all miracles) occurred as a result of an interruption to Jesus’ journey. These two accounts are linked because they are interruptions. But both were generated by the desire of the one suffering to be healed!
Does Jesus really want to heal me?
Matt 8:1-4: When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
I was reading up on the meaning of this word “willing.” When we talk about being willing, we may not actually do anything. We are ‘willing’ but not active! The word ‘willing’ can be translated – ready.
So the conversation can read: “Lord, if you are ready....” Jesus, “I am ready”
This shows the leper is sick and tired of being sick and tired. He is ready to be healed, he just needs to know if Jesus is ready. For some of you the issue is are you ready?
Are you ready? Jesus is ready, willing and able!
Mark 10: 46-52: Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!": Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but heshouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus : "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
He calls out to Jesus.
What he calls out is the cry of the beggar – “Have mercy on me.” What is astonishing is that he recognises who Jesus is. This is what stops Jesus: “Jesus, Son of David...”
He recognises that Jesus is the Son of David – the Messiah!
Jesus always responds to faith in Him.
He presses through to Jesus.
Bart has to move! To get to Jesus he has to do something! Pressing through looks like this:
He speaks up!
The crowd tells him to shut up! They are enjoying being in their mobile church revival service – too busy to see a miracle can happen.
The way they eventually respond you’d think it is their idea. "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." But it was them making Bart miserable!!
Bart wants God to know his is going to do business. He has heard of Jesus and knows that Jesus is willing!
He throws off the cloak.
His cloak would have been his most valuable possession.
It would keep him warm in winter and shade him in the summer! But it would hold him back! So he throws it off!
He jumps up!
If you have sat in the same position for any length of time you will know that you can get stiff.
He jumps up and presses through the crowd to Jesus.He possessed an attitude that said, “Today is my day! Nothing is going to stop me getting before Jesus to be healed!”
He follows Jesus
“Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” When Jesus heals us it is not just so we can ‘see’ but that so we will follow.
Bart gives up his life of begging to follow Jesus.
When we are healed the healing affects us in several areas:
- Healed identity.
There is an explanation as to who is being talked about to allow the readers to know, “oh, him!” This man has been a beggar so long, no one seems to know his name. He is referred to as Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus). The prefix ‘Bar’ means “son of”. So he is just known as “Timaeus’ boy.” He is also referred to as “the blind man”. He is referred to by the condition, not the name.
You know sometimes we can be so ill we forget who we are in God and what His destiny is for us. When Jesus heals physically, He also heals our identity too.
- Healed economically.
He was a beggar. A blind beggar. Everything he owned had to be within arm’s reach of on his person. His begging bowl would have had to be near enough for him to get it quickly and for folks to know that the bow was his.
There were no benefits in those days. A blind person had no value economically and thus could not work. When Jesus healed him, it meant that he could find an economic worth. The Bible says: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (2 Thess 3:10). Not it says, “will not,” not ‘cannot.’
- Healed Spatially.
Where he spent his time! The place he occupied. Beggars would have competed for the best pitch in town. Everyone knew that this was Bartimaeus’ place – yet he gets up from there!For him to gain his healing he literally & physically had to give up the ground he was occupying.
Bartimaeus, like the leper, is sick and tired of being sick and tired. Are you?
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