Faith That Refused to Lose an Opportunity

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: January 15, 2006

Faith That Refused To Lose An Opportunity
by Dan Trygg

"The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 33 They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him." Matthew 20:31-34

Matthew relates the story of two blind men who claimed, and found, healing in Jesus. Their story is an example of desperate, determined faith that drove them to draw the Lord’s attention to them, and kept them from being passed by. Their story is recorded here not only because of the wonderful miracle which the Lord performed for them that day, but also to provide for us a concrete example of faith that will step up to meet opportunity, …faith that will not be dissuaded when opposition arises, but presses through to obtain God’s best.

It is important to remember the nature of the gospel writings. They are not meant to be thorough, objective historical descriptions of all that went on in every scenario of Jesus’ life. John tells us that such an endeavor would have been impossible, since Jesus had touched and healed so many people (Jn. 21:25). They are, however, historically accurate accounts, edited and crafted to fit the purpose of each author. Mark’s gospel was written for the Roman world. It was fast moving, activity-oriented, with a minimum of teaching and dialogue, because this fit the Roman sensibilities. Luke, however, wrote to the Greek world. He took care to include Jesus’ dealings with Gentiles, women and His concern for the poor, presenting Him as a perfect man and the Savior of the entire world. Matthew presented Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, but One who had also come to save and rule the nations as the Son of Man spoken of in Daniel 7:13. Matthew and Luke tend to follow Mark’s general outline, adding their own material as they deemed appropriate. As you would expect from three eyewitnesses of the same event, each recounted things a little differently, based upon their perspective and their purpose. They did not manufacture events that did not happen, but it is clear that they selected what portions of the whole history of Jesus’ life and ministry to tell. We should not be surprised, then, to find what seem to be minor discrepancies between accounts. Careful study, however, has revealed that these are never actually in contradiction, and usually can easily be reconciled. The gospels are not contradictory, but complementary writings. They fill in the gaps, when taken together.

In this episode, we find some such apparent discrepancies. For example, Matthew and Mark record that this happened as they were going out from Jericho, while Luke states that it took place as they were entering Jericho. What is not mentioned is that there were two Jericho’s. The older, more traditional city would have been reached sooner in Jesus’ climb from the Jordan river valley. It, however, was largely in ruins in Jesus’ day, and a new city had been built by the Romans farther up the roadway. Thus, Jesus could have been leaving old Jericho (important to Matthew and Mark), but still have not reached the newer imperial city (more important for Luke’s readers). In addition, Luke and Mark only record the story of one blind man, while Matthew mentions that there were two. It could be that Bartimaeus was the more prominent and dramatically significant of the two, and therefore Mark and Luke told his story, while omitting any record of the other man. Matthew corrects this poetic license, feeling that it was important to give a more precise and complete accounting of how many were healed (He was a tax collector, after all, one who was very concerned about accuracy in numbers. He did the same with the account of the Gadarene demoniac, being the only one to mention that there were two men delivered that day, not just one [8:28f]). The remainder of the differences in the accounts just provide a more complete record, when all are taken together, much as the testimonies of different witnesses in a court of law.

As we piece together the accounts, there were two blind beggars, placed in their regular spots, on the roadway between the two Jericho’s, to ask passersby to give alms to help them. (The verb in Mk. 10:46 clearly indicates Bartimaeus was seated there by someone else, probably a family member.) Suddenly there was a surge of people going by, and they inquired as to what was taking place. Hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, they began to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, mercy us!" Obviously, they had heard of Jesus before. They knew of His miracles, and what people were saying about Him. They believed Him to be the promised Messiah, for they addressed Him as "Son of David", a kingly title. The word "mercy" means more than simply having compassion or pity for someone. It is a word that implies a practical response to meet the need of the one in view. It was the same word they would have used as beggars to ask for a handout. "Mercy us!", that is, "Have-compassion-and-give-us-help!" The Greek also indicates that they "began to call out", meaning that they were crying out repeatedly. Since they could not really tell where Jesus was in the crowd, they just began repeatedly calling out to Him for help, hoping that their cries would reach His ears as He passed.

As they began to call out, those in the front of the procession began to rebuke them, in order that they might be silent. They persisted, and then many others (Mk. 10:48; Matthew says "the crowd") were repeatedly rebuking them, telling them to be quiet. Instead of being shamed or repressed into submission, however, they cried out all the more. In Luke’s account, he shifts to a different verb that indicates a louder shout, while Mark says they cried out "more" and Matthew says they cried out "greater". Clearly, they knew what opportunity was passing before them, and they were unwilling to let "propriety" or the fear of people intimidate them. This was an unusual moment which God had brought into their lives. They were going to do their best to make their request for help known. They were shouting out, repeatedly, at the top of their lungs, for Jesus to "mercy" them.

In defense of the crowd, it may have appeared to them that these two beggars were simply being disruptive, asking for a handout as the Messiah passed. To them, it would have been an embarrassment, a shameful thing to have these panhandlers screaming at the top of their lungs while the Prophet and Messiah passed by with His joyous procession of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem. It was scandalous! The Hope of Israel deserved to be treated with honor and respect. This was a triumphant procession, not the time to be helping roadside beggars. Furthermore, everyone wanted a piece of Jesus. Everyone wanted Him to do something for them. They wanted Him to heal them. They wanted Him to bless them, or their children. They wanted to meet Him. They wanted the equivalent of a handshake or an autograph. These unsightly, bedraggled beggars were diverting attention away from their agenda. They were a nuisance. Thankfully, no zealot of propriety stepped in to physically remove or restrain these "insensitive upstarts".

Suddenly, as He is passing by, Jesus "stood still". Apparently hearing their cries, and hearing from the Father (Jn. 5:19,20), He sensed that there was something more going on here, and He stopped in His tracks. He called to them, "What do you wish Me to do for you?" He was checking their intent. Were they looking only for a handout, or were they calling out for more?

As soon as Jesus stopped and called to them, the tenor of the crowd changed. Suddenly, they were very accommodating and congratulatory to these men. The people, who had been so negative, impatient and almost insulting to these poor blind men, suddenly became very friendly and encouraging to them. "Take courage! Cheer up! Arise! He is calling for you!"

It is at this point that Bartimaeus probably outshined the other unnamed man. Mark vividly describes his response, "Casting aside his cloak, leaping up, he came toward Jesus." Jesus had commanded for him to be brought to Him, but Bartimaeus was charged with excitement and eagerness. He was not about to wait to be led by the hand to the Savior. He threw aside his stuff, sprang to his feet, and started coming toward Him in the crowd. The significance of this is lost, unless you ponder what it means to a blind man. To cast aside his cloak may well mean that he would never find it again, and to start walking toward the sound of the Master’s voice shows the intensity of his expectation. He could step in a hole, or trip and fall flat on his face. He did not even stop to think about it. He was up and off before anyone could even offer assistance.

When he was before Jesus, He asked him (Was this a second time?), "What do you want Me to do for you?" They answer, "In order that our eyes might be opened" (Matt. 20:33). Mark and Luke, focusing on Bartimaeus, record, "In order that I might see again." This latter term implies that he had been able to see at some time in the past. Matthew records that Jesus "was compassioned" or He felt compassion for them. The term is descriptive of the intestinal area, thought to be the seat of emotion. The feeling happened to Him. In response, He touched their eyes (Matt. 20:34) and said, "See again! Your faith has saved you." Immediately, their sight was restored, and they both began following Him in the way, glorifying God. When all the people saw what happened, they, too, gave praise to God (Lk. 18:43).

There is much to learn from this passage. We can learn from what is reported of Jesus’ experience and practice. He heard, He sensed, He stopped, He asked, He felt the compassion of the Holy Spirit in His belly, and He responded by touching, commanding healing, and affirming the faith of the men as critical to the miracle. Secondly, there is much to learn from the blind men. They noticed something different, they inquired as to what was happening, they took action to not miss out on the opportunity coming their way. They did what they could, which was to cry out. When they experienced opposition, they cried out all the more. Like those in the Hall of Faith (Heb. 11), their faith motivated them to bold, definitive and persevering action. As a result, God answered the longing of their hearts. Then, having received a blessing from God, they did not go their own way, but they devoted themselves to following Jesus in His company of followers. The true heart commitment of people becomes evident by what they do when they have received a blessing from God. Do they go off on their own agenda, or does God’s grace motivate them to commit themselves to following Him? What about you? What can you learn from the faith of these two men? Do you recognize the opportunities God brings before you? Are you determined not to miss out on His best?