SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:35-45
TEXT: 52bImmediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. THEME: Ransomed to be free to follow Jesus. INTRODUCTION Don’t get me wrong, I do believe the love Jesus has for us forgives our sin. I’m just wondering if he had to die on the cross as a payment for our sin. Forgiveness takes place because God loves us, not because of Jesus’ sacrifice. You can’t pay me, to make me, forgive someone, but a parent will easily forgive a child for doing something just because they love them, no strings attached, no sacrifice required. Consider Love, being more powerful than sin. Consider Relationships more important than sin. Consider a sacrifice, as not being necessary to switch on the work of reconciliation. Consider God’s work of forgiveness, love and grace always in play. A violent death doesn’t quite seem to fits in, as a requirement of forgiveness. Repentance yes, love yes, grace yes, mercy yes, but a substitutionary sacrifice is not necessary for a relationship based on love. If that is true for us, as imperfect as we are…Wouldn’t that be true for God, who is perfect in love and loves us more than we could love anybody? The story of the healing of Bartimaeus is amazing, as it is the very next thing that happens after the concept of ransom is introduced in verse 45. Paired with the discussions of greatness by the disciples, they are countered with the selfless welcoming of children as part of the Kingdom of God. In this context, the ransom is not to kidnappers for our release, but from a life of bondage to rules, tradition, self-serving pursuits, selfishness and greed. To me, Bartimaeus’ healing illustrating what a ‘life that has been ransomed’ looks like, as it moves from blindness towards living new possibilities in following Jesus. SCRIPTURE The order of the verses of the last hymn were changed, to make them match the order of events of this bible passage. Beginning with hearing, because this is how Bartimaeus first learns about Jesus and his nearness coming out of the city. Then to opening his mouth, as he shouts to Jesus above the chatter of the crowd. And lastly the opening of his eyes, seeing glimpses of truth. In the chorus, the word ‘silently’ is changed three times, because Bartimaeus was anything but silent. What he heard about Jesus, and his proximity, made for him to be heard and seen. He took hold of that opportunity with the only thing he had, his voice. So “Shoutingly” he waited. The second chorus begins with the word ‘Excitingly”, as those around him try to suppress him. He became more animated. In the last chorus, ‘Noisily’ as he waited, as belief, faith, opportunity, risk, and advocacy make his faith visible as he does what he can, to get Jesus’ attention. Jesus stood still and asked for the shouter to come to him. Bartimaeus throws his old life away and comes to Jesus. “What is it that you want?” Jairus wanted an unclean spirit casted out from his daughter, the 5,000 wanted to be fed, the rich guy wanted eternal life. Bartimaeus wanted to have his sight back. Jesus agrees. Your faith has made you well, go. He immediately receives his sight and follows Jesus. Where does a beggar go when they give up begging? For now, Bartimaeus is following Jesus. His life has been ransomed from blindness to something new with Jesus. We don’t know anything more as Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem. In the next chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last week of his life. APPLICATION Bartimaeus does not ask for his sight to go back to his old life. But to venture forward following Jesus. Faith connects us with Jesus. What does our faith in Jesus move us towards? Bartimaeus must have been one of the members of the crowd haling Jesus as king as he entered Jerusalem at the Triumph Entry. He could not go back to begging as a blind beggar. His life had been ransomed for something else. What is the something else that Jesus has ransomed our life from that we are freed to being living? The work of ransom gives us a chance for transformation and change. In 1965, a nonviolent Civil Rights rally took place outside of Lowndes County in Alabama. A young white seminarian, Jonathan Daniels, threw his body in the way of a bullet directed at a 17-year-old Ruby Sales. He died instantly while Ruby survived. She continued her life as a Civil Rights Leader and established the Spirit House in honor of Jonathan Daniels. What do we do with our ransomed life? Sometimes we think we have to accomplish amazing things with our ransomed life. We are amazing already, with who we are, with the people we are in relationship with, with what we do and how we are loved by God and how we love. Being ransomed from traditions, expectations, the world’s definition of success, from the opinions of people who don’t understand and their well-intentioned criticism, frees us to listen to Jesus and follow where he goes, even lining the road side as he enters Jerusalem but this time yelling “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” We are ransomed to be the people of God. We are ransomed to be loving, forgiving, kind, gracious and generous. We are ransomed to participate in God’s mission to the world. We are ransomed to dance for God, to sing with praise, to do the work of reconciliation in relationships. We are ransomed to draw closer to God and lived inspired lives. We are ransomed to enjoy life, to work on an evolving theology, for joy and fellowship. We are ransomed for new possibilities of life, forgiveness, acceptance, and worship. We are ransomed to live out our faith in God. I am impacted again by John Lewis as echoed by Ruby Sales,” at the heart of this business (love and not hating) of finding something good in people and not giving up on anyone” CONCLUSION There is no debt paid on the cross, because there never was anything of that sort held back by God. What happens on cross then, if not the sinless payment for our sin? It is a display of the Love that God has for us. The continued action of Jesus loving us so much that it leads to his death. The threat of death does not deter him from teaching, being present, being seen, advocating for the Kingdom of God, calling us to God, correcting our theology, caring for us, healing us, or anything else that has to do with love. The political and religious powers of the day collide in a perfect storm that kill Jesus. Jesus was a perceived threat to their systems of power, control, prestige and greed. The healing of Bartimaeus in the Gospel of Mark is the last entry before the Triumphal entry leading to Jesus’ last week on earth (or so it seems). In its context in the Gospel of Mark, Bartimaeus’ story is of a life has been ransomed from blindness, to follow Jesus.
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