Title On the way (Mark 10:46-52)
Contents
When I go by car, I think that I am going somewhere other than thinking that I am going by car. And I think that I want to go somewhere to rest. In fact, we are going somewhere and when we find a shelter, we want to breathe there. It seems that we are somehow busy.
In fact, it is clear that we are going somewhere. In the Gospel of Mark we read today, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, met Jesus on the way from Jericho, and was healed and followed.
This story is the last healing story in the Gospel of Mark. After that, there is no story of healing in the Gospel of Mark.
The story of Badimaeus is not very dramatic or grandiose compared to the story of the healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Nevertheless, this story tells us an important truth about what it means to follow the Lord. That's the word on the way.
This expression appears in verses 32 and 52, respectively. Shall we read verse 32?
On the way to Jerusalem...
And at the end of verse 52
... followed Jesus on the way.
These two words are translated differently but are the same. Of course, it can be understood as physically following the road, but in fact, if you analyze the Gospel of Mark linguistically, you can see that this does not simply end physically. The word “on the road” can be interpreted as either on the way or on the road.
So, in verses 32 and 52, the words on the way decorate the front and the end. This means that on the way to the road has the basic meaning, and both have the same meaning.
Some people follow Jesus when they are just starting out on the path of life, and others follow Jesus when they arrive at the end of life. But today Bartimaeus is following Jesus on the road.
There were always a lot of people around Jesus. Some of them followed Jesus from Nazareth, where Jesus was born, and others from Galilee, and then from Jerusalem.
Bartimaeus meets and follows Jesus on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Nazareth is the town where Jesus lived for over 30 years, but it is a poor and humble town. What good will come out of Nazareth, and what precious person will come out of it? The Jesus I met here was poor. So there were few who followed Jesus from Nazareth.
Galilee is the place where Jesus taught and performed miracles and wonders. That is why many people followed Jesus in Galilee. Most of the disciples were Galileans.
Jerusalem is the city where Jesus suffered, died and was resurrected. That is why the early church began in Jerusalem. But when Jesus was alive, few people in Jerusalem followed Him.
Bartimaeus met Jesus on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem and followed Him there. In verse 52, Jesus says to Bartimaeus that your faith has saved you.
Bartimaeus shows us something important about what faith is. What was Bartimaeus' faith when Jesus said that your faith has saved you? What kind of appearance did you say after seeing Badimeo? Let's think about what to do.
Confession of 'Jesus the King'
First, when Jesus says that your faith has saved you, it has to do with faith and healing. When Jesus saw a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, he said that your faith has saved you. Go in peace, daughter. When we compare these things, we can see that Bartimaeus' beliefs are different.
First, in verse 46, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside and when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he cried out. In verse 47, people call him Jesus of Nazareth. Then Bartimaeus cried out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
Because Nazareth was a poor and poor town, Jesus of Nazareth was not a welcome name. Nevertheless, Bartimaeus did not follow his words and called him Jesus, the son of David, that is, the king.
You can see the faith of Badimeo here. Many people profess what I know and believe, no matter what they call it, whatever rumors it may be, or what others have told it.
have pity
The second is crying out to have mercy on me. Of course, Badimeo was blind and a beggar. Could it have been that Bartimaeus, the beggar, was the only one who felt pity for Jericho? But Bartimaeus cried out before Jesus, King, have mercy on me and have mercy on me.
In fact, this may be a self-deprecating statement. Because it's acknowledging that you're a poor person or a pitiful person. It is not easy to admit one's identity as it is. Even so, acknowledging one's pitiful and pitiful reality is faith.
I am not pitiful and am a good person. You don't have to pity me because I can endure it alone. I can solve it on my own. Do not interfere. Saying I have my own way is actually trust and belief in yourself. I don't call it belief.
Here, Bartimaeus accepted who he was and said to Jesus, have mercy on me. In fact, the beginning of faith is acknowledging that you have pity on me. This was Badimeo's belief.
In verse 48, many people rebuke us and tell us to be quiet. But Bartimaeus screamed louder and louder to have pity on me. Here you can see the greatness of Badimeo's faith.
It is easy for anyone to make a decision once. I can make up my mind. At that time, when people tell you why you are like that or not to understand the topic, we quickly get frustrated. We tried to do something well, but we often despair at every word we say.
Here to Bartimaeus, people are telling you how to shout at Jesus about you being blind or beggar.
Guys, who do you think the people here were telling you to rebuke and be silent? It was the disciples. Perhaps one of the disciples was Peter, James, or John. Right in front of them, while on the road, James and John are asking, Lord, remember me when your kingdom is restored. Their eyes were open, but they were not seeing the truth. These people tell this blind man to be quiet and quiet.
If my blind colleagues like beggars had asked Badimeo, what are you doing, I would have had a chance to give it a try, but I was even more disappointed because the disciples told me to be quiet.
But what about Badimeo? Shall we read verse 48?
Many rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet," but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me."
He shouts louder and more persistently. Faith can be compared to a spring. The more you suffer, the stronger you become. Faith is also called Faithful in English. This is unchanged. faithful It means that there is no change from beginning to end. They say that God is faithful. Because God is always the same and trustworthy.
But the more difficult it was, the louder and louder it was. We want to have this kind of belief. Rather than be discouraged when difficulties come our way, the more we have adversity or criticism from others, the more we stand up. Let's shout louder. This becomes our belief.
Then Jesus turned and looked. When Bartimaeus first cried out, Jesus was not deaf. Jesus was waiting for Bartimaeus to call once more. Even when Jesus told a blind man to go to Siloam to wash, he healed what could be healed at once, two or three times. This is waiting for us to call on the second and third Jesus.
Beloved, I ask you to constantly call on Jesus two or three times. Don't be discouraged and call Jesus to stay.
In verse 49, the word call is repeated three times.
Jesus said, "Stand and call him." They called the blind man and said, "Get up in peace, and I am calling you."
When we read the Bible, if a word or expression is repeated, it is important, and the calling here is the story of being healed, saved, and called.
Jesus is constantly calling. We are the ones who are called. Jesus is calling us today. Jesus is calling from home, from the market, from the mountain, but in this text, he is calling while on the way.
Jesus finds workers and calls them everywhere. There are a lot of people calling you along the way. In the Gospels, Jesus taught while he was sitting and called when he went on the road. Matthew the tax collector also called me on the way. Jesus called people as He went around, and I hope we will have the grace to respond when we have that call.
The word on the way in verses 32 and 52 has another meaning. Just as Jesus called us, we must follow Jesus along the way. You have to follow the path going up. Many people arrive at the terminal and try to change cars. After experiencing despair, I try to meet Jesus. We try to meet Jesus only when we do our best and there is nothing we can do anymore. Others want to follow Jesus after I am fully prepared. But who of us can be fully prepared?
In fact, we have so many similarities to Badimeo. Along the way, you will meet and follow Jesus while you are maturing. Where is the person who was used by Jesus after it was completed? We are all called by Jesus in our incompleteness. So life is incomplete.
We, too, want to do something along the way. In fact, we are all going somewhere. You come empty-handed and you go empty-handed. But on the way, I want to meet Jesus. Sadly at the end of life, do not meet at the end of life. Even in the Bible, there are people who went to the last place to meet Jesus. He was crucified with Jesus.
There is a lot that Badimeo teaches us. Let's shout louder each time someone else interrupts and hinders us. Son of David, have mercy on me, for then Jesus will visit us. Then let's take off our clothes and follow Jesus as we run along the road.
let's pray
God,
we are somewhere
I'm going.
but on the way
meet and follow Jesus
please watch
those who answer the call
please make it
I pray in Jesus name.
Amen