Not everyone whose eyes are working can see, and not everyone whose eyes no longer function are blind. The disciples’ vision was just fine, but they couldn’t make sense of what was in front of them. They couldn’t see that if Jesus is to be the Christ, their Christ, then it was necessary that He would have to suffer many things, be crucified, and on the third day rise again. That sounded absurd. Jesus had work to do. Dying tends to put an end to what we are doing. Unless your work is to bear the sins of the world, to be the mercy of God in the flesh, to save wretched sinners like us from death. If that’s your job, and that was Jesus’ job, then death is necessary. And not just physical death. But the death that means being separated from God and all His goodness and mercy and love. Only by suffering that death, could Jesus save wretched sinners like us. But the disciples still had in mind the things of man, not the things of God. They were looking for glory and a kingdom where the twelve tribes were once again ruled by their own king. Blind Bartimaeus, on the other hand, who couldn’t see anything going on around him, could see Jesus just fine. He believed rightly that Jesus had come to show mercy, to heal, to raise from the dead, to save. That’s why no one could silence his crying out for Jesus’ help. He knew that’s why Jesus was there. He knew that the Messiah would crush the head of the ancient serpent and free us from our bondage to sin and death. He knew that the saving work of the Messiah would be the end of all sickness and disease, including the one that robbed him of his vision. Bartimaeus’ sight was his faith. He believed God’s Word. He believed what he had heard from and about Jesus, that He was the promised Son of David who had come to bear the crushing weight of sin and conquer the worst of all our enemies, the ancient serpent, the devil. Come, be healed. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David who has died and conquered death is passing by you this coming Lord’s Day. He brings with Him life and healing and forgiveness, and He comes to have mercy upon you! I look forward to seeing all of you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer