JESUS STOPPED

Some time ago I was teaching my middle school Sunday school class from the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 46-52.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the passage, the setting is the entrance to the city of Jericho.  Jesus and his disciples, surrounded by a big crowd, are passing out of the city.  Sitting outside the gate is the blind beggar Bartimaeus.  When he hears that Jesus is passing, he begins shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. 



As it might be if it were happening today, people in the crowd, who were finding it difficult to hear, and who possibly didn’t want Jesus to be distracted from THEM, turned to Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet.  But Bartimaeus would not give up!  He just turned up his volume and kept shouting.



Okay, here’s the part I LOVE the MOST.  The very next words in verse 49 say, “Jesus STOPPED and said, ‘Call him’”.



Did you catch those two magnificent, jaw dropping words, JESUS STOPPED!  Back to this in a minute!

                                                                                                                                           

Oh, everyone noticed Bartimaeus too, but to most he was just background noise.  A fly buzzing in their ears.  The beat of someone’s boom box in the background.   Noisy voices on a crowded beach when you’re trying to take a nap.  Annoying, but insignificant.

Be quiet, blind man!  I’m trying to get the attention of Jesus!

They told him to stop bothering Jesus, but he wouldn’t. 



Jesus stopped.  What did Jesus hear that they didn’t?



Jesus heard the words that must have been sweet music to His ears.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

With the sound of a crowd of voices all around Him, Jesus zeroed in on the voice of faith, and stopped. 



And He called to Bartimaeus!  We don’t even have to imagine Bartimaeus’s reaction because it’s recorded for us.  “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.”



Imagine yourself called to win the grand prize.  Yeah, Bartimaeus was THAT excited!



“What do you want me to do for you?”, Jesus asked.



And Bartimaeus said, “I want to see.” 



And so Jesus healed him, but not before He acknowledged his faith.  “Go, Bartemaeus, your faith has healed you.”



We’re left to imagine the scene.  My imagination gives me goose bumps, thrills my soul, blesses my heart!  Jesus saw and heard what everyone else missed – and Bartemaeus’ faith was rewarded.



Do you know what?  Bartimaeus may have been physically blind but he already saw what most people missed when it came to Jesus.  He SAW who Jesus was with spiritual eyes. 



He knew the prophecy given to David (2 Samuel 7) that a descendant of his would reign on his throne FOREVER.  He knew this prophecy referred to the coming Messiah.  And he made the leap, he put two and two together – Jesus was the the Son of David!   Jesus was the Messiah!  Jesus blessed him by restoring his physical sight and Bartimaeus responded by following Jesus.



There are so many times in the Bible where Jesus stopped and saw with His eyes of love and compassion what others often missed.

·        Jesus saw the widow of Nain slowly making her way through town to bury her only son and He stopped and gave him back to her. 

·        Jesus saw the man possessed by a legion of demons, avoided by everyone for miles around, and He stopped and set him free.

·     Jesus felt the touch of the woman with the issue of blood, and He turned around to find her, saying, "Who touched me?"

·        Jesus saw Zaccheus up in a tree.  He stopped, turned around, invited himself into Zaccheus’s home, and brought him salvation that very day.

·        Jesus saw the woman caught in adultery and, instead of condemning her like everyone else, He stopped, and told her to go and sin no more.

Do you get it?  Jesus SEES and when He does, He STOPS and He enters into lives with His offer of salvation, His words of forgiveness, and His acts of compassionate love.



Maybe you are sitting by the side of the road

·        Mourning over the death of a loved one

·        Grieving over your sin

·        Steeped in guilt

·        Possessed by things

·        In need of salvation

·        Buried by bills

·        Bereft of friends

·        Aching from illness

·        Lost and alone

·        In need of wisdom

·        Confused

To others you may be background noise, but not to Jesus.



Jesus SEES you, He STOPS and He says, “What do you want me to do for you?”  And then He enters into your situation.



First of all, He wants to save your soul, forgive your sin, give you eternal life, translate you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His glorious light.  And then, He wants to minister His compassion, heal your heart, give you wisdom, lift your confusion, ease your grief.



How can you avail yourself of this extravagant grace of Jesus?  You can start by repeating the words of Bartimaeus:  “Jesus, Son of God, Messiah, have mercy on me!”  I promise you, Jesus will stop.