Going Through Jericho
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46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed
It is helpful for our reflection on Palm Sunday and the events of Holy Week to explore what led up to the day of our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem which we come to tomorrow.
We learn so much from the approach to Jerusalem. Things that happened, Jesus’s anointing, things he did; his last healing [Bartimaeus] and a conversion [Zacchaeus].
All this on the weekend of his donkey ride to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
The scene was set, right back in Mk 9:51 ‘As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.’
At that point, he was in Galilee in the north, now, having detoured around Samaria, he arrives in Jericho, a leading city in Judea.
Right from Mk 10v46, we get a travelogue in this ‘weekend in the life of Jesus.’ Two significant encounters Bart and Zac, are recorded [and we will look at those now].
Let us read 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 (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!
49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. Bartimaeus said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
52"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Bartimaeus
Jesus is on the last leg of the Passover Pilgrimage. Jericho @800 feet (250 meters) below sea level, one of the lowest cities on Earth. It is 15 miles and ½ mile below Jerusalem.
They will hike along a narrow ridge to Bethany, where they will stop over. JC had great support there [Mary Martha Lazarus]. Try to visualise. JC taught as he walked and v46 says he had gathered a large crowd. There are walkers and watchers on the curb. The watchers were unable to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for a number of reasons – poor, unbelief, disabled. One of the disabled was Bartimaeus. Imagine the carnival atmosphere [like 12 July in Ulster].
In the midst of this mayhem there a piercing disrupting yell – ‘Jesus son of David have mercy on me’ v47. The crowd tried to suppress this cry but Bart persisted. Bart has done something no other person has done in public - he has called Jesus ‘Son of David’. Bart is the first to voice the messianic message of the triumphal entry. Jews in Jerusalem claimed that David was their father and the Messiah would be the son of David. This prophetic salute by blind Bart stops Jesus in his tracks v49 Jesus stood still and said ‘call him over.’
Easier said than done, Bart is blind but v50 says, not that he was led to Jesus but that he came to JC. The blind man followed JC’s words, his voice [HMV] and the crowds parted as he made his way to Jesus.
Notice a small detail which expresses Bart’s faith Mk10:50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to JC.’ Sometimes we have a longing to be freed of something but we think we have to be more ready. NB Bart seized the moment ‘kairos,’ carpe diem - ‘he jumped to his feet and came to JC.’ Here at Lee Abbey may be a time and place for some to seize the moment in prayer or praise before JC. There are opportunities for you to speak with ‘Pastoral Assistants’ and there will be prayer ministry after the Sunday service.
Notice, another detail of this healing miracle. He ‘flung off his cloak.’ That cloak w/h caught the coins from passersby, this action symbolises throwing off his old life for Jesus. The blind man's cloak was his security, his livelihood, his comfort -warmth at night and shade by day. Mk 10:50 Bart ‘Flung his cloak aside, jumped up and came to Jesus.’
Pause and ask- What is my cloak, my security? What do we have that makes us feel secure: possessions, house, money, examples of cloaks it could be family holidays, nest egg. Jesus calls us today to come to him, and he will supply all your needs. Can you fling your security aside and come to Jesus?
Jesus asks Bart what he wants?
Pause and put yourself in the frame. Jesus is stood still, not passing by - what will you ask him for? What do you hope he will do for you? How do you answer? What are your immediate needs – funds, house sale, good health and healing, relationship repair friendship. Jesus is stopped and asks what do you want from me. JC stopped with Bart, and Bart said "Rabbi, I want to see."
Just as Jesus stops and looks at Bart, he looks at you and says, what do you want me to do for you. To be healed is to enter into a new world of faith, trust in JC it can be dangerous. Wouldn't it be easier to play safe- don't build your hopes up too much. There will be negative voices in your head. Resist those voices say along with Bart ‘Lord let me see.’ Then wait and see what the Lord can do.
Jesus said to Bart, "Go, your faith has healed you." v52 He was made whole. Total healing is sight and spiritually free. Mark concludes the encounter v52 ‘immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.’
The healing isn't the end of the story, the healing is the start of a new story. ‘Bart follows Jesus on the road. My guess is that he was in the crowd along with another man called Zacchaeus, who was transformed by his encounter with Jesus.
Zacchaeus
We hear a lot about makeovers these days people want surgery to make them look better, younger, richer. Some people want ground force to come and make over their garden (My wife wrote to Alan Titchmarsh to try and surprise me). There are not too many programmes about people whose life has been so transformed that they give away half of their wealth to the poor and if they’ve done any dodgy deals they give back the profit x4. That was Zacchaeus’s makeover when he met Jesus. I am sure many here have a story to tell of your encounters with Jesus that transformed you.
What 3 basic elements are there in each of the makeover programmes.
1.We look at the person before the makeover (we will look at Zac wanting to see Jesus)
2.We look at the person during the makeover (Zac welcomes Jesus into his home and his life)
3.We look at the person after the makeover (the effect Jesus makeover has on Zac)
[1 - Before] It is very relevant to Zacc’s story to give some background to Jericho. Known as the city of Palms, it was one of the most important trade centres and tax centres in Judea.
Then Luke 19:2 tells us ‘a man called Zac was there, a chief tax collector and wealthy.’ This is Zac before the makeover. In one sentence ‘a chief tax collector & wealthy.’ Nowhere else in Bible do we read about a ‘chief Tax Collector.’ Zac had authority over the whole tax district of Judea. Jericho was the Tax centre.
As chief tax collector, Zac would have been over many men who collected taxes for the Romans. So as chief tax man he would have been unpopular.
There’s another VIP point about Zac before the makeover: he wanted to see Jesus. The crowds around Jesus meant he couldn’t see Jesus, he was short. But he wanted to see Jesus. He showed initiative - he ran ahead and climbed a tree. ‘He ran ahead...’ so, we can assume he was not worried about his dignity. The chief tax collector in full Middle Eastern dress ran ahead and shimmied up a tree.
Do you get the picture of Zac before the makeover? Zac wanted to see Jesus.
(Matt 7:7) ‘Seek and you will find.’ There’s something in the character of Zac which echoes in my heart - I want to be that desperate to ‘see’ Jesus. I want people around us here in Lee Abbey and our home fellowships to ‘want to see Jesus.’ That inhibitions will not inhibit us. Let us learn from Zacc and yearn for an encounter with JC, it could be in the worship, in prayer ministry or in conversations with others or in quiet solitude. That’s my prayer for here, that we will want to see Jesus.
That was Zac before the makeover.
[2 - The makeover] -There he is the Chief tax collector (head of HMRC) sitting up a tree, trying to get a good look at Jesus. His viewing platform was an overhanging branch. We read that Jesus looks up. And NB, Jesus knows his name. Notice also the strong words - Jesus didn't say ‘I’d like to come to your place today.’ ‘Come down I must stay at your house today v5.’
I want to ask, Lord what about this crowd, this festive atmosphere - pilgrimage. [Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce]
Zac is part of the mission, part of Jesus’ story, ‘I must come.’ Jesus speaks to this small man with a big reputation and says ‘I must come to your place.’
Luke 19:6 says it all, Zac ‘came down at once and welcomed him gladly.’ Having been a seeker, wanting to see Jesus he now opened his heart to him and welcomed him. That’s the transformation, that’s the makeover. Zac was now a new person ‘old things had passed away and all things had become new’ 2 Cor 5:17. Jesus is with Zac for the day and he was a new person. And it is the same for each one of us. 2 Cor 5:17 says ‘If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation,’ the old you has passed away and ‘all things have become new.’
Remember, Jesus was just passing thro Jericho but he was being constantly interrupted on his journey and here he was giving time to the tax man!
Henri Nouwen once said that in his ministry he found himself becoming frustrated and resentful that his work was constantly being interrupted by people who wanted something from him, until one day the Lord spoke to him and revealed that his real work was in those interruptions. Let us pay attention to the daily encounters with people on our journey. It just may be someone desperately hanging from a branch (so to speak) and needing your attention (so you can be Christ to them).
[3 - The new Zacchaeus]
Finally we get a glimpse of the new Zac, a changed character, he makes a declaration to give ½ to the poor and if he had overcharged anyone he will repay x4, not because he was trying to earn favour but because of God’s grace to him. He gave because of his gratitude for his new life in Jesus. That should challenge each of us to ask ‘do I give generously out of my gratitude for what Jesus has done for me? How does knowing Jesus affect my everyday life? What is the outward sign of Jesus living in my heart?’
Tell the story of the chaplain meeting Pam.
Today salvation is come to this house. It was true of Zacchaeus; is it true of you?
