TAKE HEART. GET UP; HE’S CALLING YOU

Mark 10: 46-52

Festival of the Reformation

Sunday, October 29, 2006

It is exciting to be with you on this festival day. We sing the rousing hymns of the Reformation—organ and brass, with our choir, just add to our worship. Today is a day that we Lutherans celebrate our heritage—nearly 500 years of trusting in our mighty Fortress, our God. As we celebrate that heritage musically, we also remember those Reformation principles.

Sola Scriptura. We stand on the Word of God alone. We listen to His living voice call us from the pages of Scripture, kindling faith and teaching our hearts to follow.

Sola gratia. We live by God’s grace alone. We have just confessed that as sinners, everything about us is ruined. We will not listen to His voice calling us and our hearts cannot believe except that our God gives us these things as His gift.

Sola fide. We receive these gifts and live by faith alone. We are like blind Bartimaeus, waiting along the road—powerless to change anything, in need of a Savior. Nothing qualifies us, nothing to make Jesus stop, nothing at all … except His heart is turned toward you and me and that changes our hearts. We trust Him. We listen in faith as He calls.

Living with this Reformation heritage is not just a backward-looking life. This Word of God and the faith that gave Martin Luther the courage—the heart—to stand before Emperor and Church and say, “Here I stand (on the Word of God); I can do no other,” is not just a historical novelty. This Word—the voice of Jesus—still calls us. He calls us, as He called Bartimaeus, changing our stories—our lives, encouraging our hearts—as He changed Bartimaeus. He calls us into on-going reformation—that His Word would have its way with us. He calls us and we, like Bartimaeus, follow.

It is interesting that Mark tells Bartimaeus’ story here. Right after this encounter, Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to shouts of “Hosanna!”—only to hear those shouts turn to cries of “Crucify” within a matter of days. Bartimaeus’ story is used by Mark to clarify who Jesus is. The crowds can see, but when asked by Bartimaeus who is passing by, they only answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Bartimaeus, who is blind, sees with his heart and cries out, knowing Jesus is the Messiah, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The One on the way to Jerusalem is the Messiah.

Mark undoubtedly wanted his readers in Rome to ask themselves whether they truly saw Jesus for who He is. He is more than just Jesus of Nazareth the famous rabbi, more than just a miracle man—He is the Messiah. Do I see Him clearly? Do you?

Bartimaeus raises the question of blindness. Physically, he is blind, yet the “eyes” of faith see Jesus clearly. The crowds are perhaps blinded by their expectations, seeing what they want to see—afraid to see Him as anyone more than they think they need. What could blind you or me?

Perhaps, you and I might suffer from what those in the crowd between Jericho and Jerusalem suffered—fear. They were afraid to let go of their assumptions and their dreams of who Jesus was. Some assumed He was a rabbi but were afraid to consider He might be God, as that would turn their idea of God upside-down. Some hoped He was a revolutionary come either to drive out the Romans or to change the social order—to go beyond that would be to consider that God might be in their midst to really change things.

What fear keeps you from seeing Jesus clearly? Maybe you’re thinking you aren’t fearful of anything. Let me ask, when you received the stewardship mailing and read the proposed mission allocation plan and saw the size of the dream and realized the potential cost, did you say, “Wow! This is amazing! I wonder how I can be part of this or I wonder how much of this we can actually do?” Or, did you cry out in fear, “They’re crazy! We can never make this happen!” Fear closes our eyes to the possibilities Jesus comes to accomplish.

Bartimaeus was a beggar because of his physical condition. His blindness kept him on the roadside, begging alms from folks as they passed by. He had a good spot, where he could tell a crowd was passing and his calls for mercy heard. He had his cloak spread out to catch their alms. He was comfortable—even in his handicap. He knew what to expect.

Have you found a good spot? We have all made choices and have expectations for our lives. The spot we’re in is comfortable—even if it isn’t perfect, we know it well. The problem arises in that atrophy can set in, when we’ve been sitting too long. Spiritual apathy can leave us stuck, choosing not to see Jesus for who He is.

When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is on the move, he cries out for mercy. When Jesus calls him, he responds. When Jesus changes everything, Bartimaeus follows Him. How about you? We’ve been sitting in that comfortable spot—now you and I are aware that sitting is not faith (Martin Luther didn’t say, “Here I sit, I can do no other,” neither should we.) Let your heart cry out with Bartimaeus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus hears. Jesus calls.

Jesus is the Son of David. He is not just a rabbi or a revolutionary—although He does teach and He does change things. He is the Messiah. He is on His way to Jerusalem. Luke tells us that Jesus has His “face fixed” toward Jerusalem. Jesus is on a mission and that mission shapes everything He does. His mission is shaped by mercy.

Jesus has come to show the extent of God’s mercy. He has come to overcome fear as He comes to overpower the causes of fear. He comes to pay the price for our ransom from sin’s power and defeat the power of the devil. He has come to give Himself in our place, to die for us so that you and I can live the new life, free from fear—of sin or of the devil or even of death. His resurrection assures us that our debt has been paid and that as Jesus has been raised to life, that this life is possible for you and me.

Jesus has come for this mission of mercy. He has also come for this moment to show mercy to Bartimaeus. He stops and calls him. His Word births hope and change in Bartimaeus’ heart and life. He sees with both his eyes and heart. He lives a new life that Jesus has given him. Jesus gives him his life, and Bartimaeus suddenly sees that his life is joined with Jesus’ so he follows Jesus on the way.

Jesus is no longer on His way to Jerusalem. He’s on His mission from His Father, moving through our world—our lives. He is God, keeping everything in His hands, keeping Pluto from crashing into Mars, keeping Creation going. You and I cry out for mercy and Jesus stops to meet us in this moment with His mercy.

He calls you . . . in His Word. See who He is. He is the Savior, crucified and raised for you. He speaks and you and I are forgiven. Get up out of that comfortable spot on the roadside, leave everything behind. Throw the cloak that keeps you sitting aside and leave fear behind as He changes everything—even your heart. He speaks to you today in His Word—do you understand how important the Reformation gift of Scripture is?

He calls you. He encourages you—changes your heart so that you can “take heart.” He heals your blindness—fear and atrophy. He changes everything. He gives you your life. In that giving, is the invitation Bartimaeus saw—to follow Him on the way.

His invitation is simply grace. Grace alone. We are beggars called to be sons and daughters. Our moment is changed—so also our eternity. To follow Jesus on the way is to live in faith alone. What does that look like?

Listen to His voice. Hear Him as He speaks in the Scriptures. Be fed by Him at His table in His Supper. Live according to His Word—let His Word inform and form your choices so that you’ll be always living by His choices rather than sitting in your own.

Live in grace. Live gratefully, walking with Bartimaeus and all of those who see Jesus and want to thank Him with their lives. Commit your way to be His way. Trust Him with your moments, with your stuff—with your life and your eternity. This is living in reformation. This is living by faith, seeing Jesus and following Him.