Let me read my text beginning
in verse 46. I thought about this some more,
so I thought, well, let's go back here again this evening. Let's begin reading here, and
let me read this to you again. Beginning in verse 46 of chapter
10 of Mark's Gospel. And they came to Jericho, and
as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number
of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the
highwayside bearing. And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and to say, Jesus, thou
son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he
should hold his peace, but he cried the more a great deal,
Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still
and commanded him to be called, and they called the blind man,
saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. And he,
casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto
thee? The blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him,
Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he
received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." Who's that you're following? That's all right, sister, don't
you worry about that. Don't let it happen again. You and I looked at this this
morning, and we looked at verse 46 mainly. And we saw some things
that I called, and I think we can refer to them as negative
things, the way you and I looked at them this morning, a narrow
window of opportunity. multitude to hinder this man,
hinders to all of us that seek the salvation and the good of
our souls. Of course, he was blind and he was a beggar. But
here in verse 46, the one thing that I found in this passage,
in verse 47 rather, seemed, not maybe to negate,
I wouldn't say they made void all these negative things, but
this verse 47 here, what happened here in this verse had something
to do, I think, with Barnabas not despairing over these negative
things that took place in verse 1. It was said here in verse
47, and I think when I read this here, you'll know what I mean.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth. When he heard
it was Jesus of Nazareth. There's something amazing about
Irgate. Irgate seems to have a direct
road to heart-gate. It's more important than eye-gate. Many saw the miracles which Jesus
did, and yet believe not. Faith does not come by seeing,
but faith comes by hearing. Hear, and your soul shall live. This only would I learn of you,
receive you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith." Ear gate is so important. The Apostle Paul said, you trusted
in Christ after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. So verse 47 here has, and when
he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth. And it's easy to see
the direct correlation between this statement when he heard
in the very next thing that takes place. Did you notice that? Look
at the correlation between this and when he heard that it was
Jesus, he began to cry out, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy
on me. I remember Clarence taught a
lesson to us, it's been a few years ago now I guess, about
some people that came to Christ. I think there was four people
in the scriptures that came to Christ. And one of the things
in that message that I still remember, Clarence said, one
thing they had in common, they all heard. They all heard. As I remember that, It don't
tell us how much they heard. It don't tell us who they heard
from. But the Holy Ghost was pleased
just to tell us that they heard. They heard. They heard of Him. How much of Him? It doesn't say.
It doesn't say who they heard from, but that they heard and
they came to Him. But here in Mark chapter 10 and
verse 47, though it's not specifically
stated what exactly this man heard of Jesus of Nazareth. But
I think the context would permit us to speculate. Whatever he
heard of Jesus of Nazareth, he associated it with these two
things. This is very interesting. Whatever
he heard of Jesus of Nazareth, he associated it with these two
things. And I think when we see these
associations, we can almost know what he heard about. First of
all is this. When he heard that it was Jesus
of Nazareth, he cried out, Mercy. What did he associate Jesus with? Mercy. And so once you get out
of that, he heard that Jesus passed by and he said, mercy,
mercy. And I don't think it would be
a stretch to say down here in verse 50 also that what he heard
back up in verse 47, when he heard that it was Jesus, He associated
that with mercy, and look how it correlates with verse 50.
And he casted away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. He associated
Jesus with mercy, and that correlates with him coming to Jesus. Don't
you get that out of that? I saw that as I began to read
that. You and I read over in Hebrews 11, verse 6, He that
cometh to God must believe that He is. We believe more than that
He just exists. We believe that He is. Well,
we believe that He's just, don't we? We believe that He's holy.
We believe He's love. We believe that He's eternal. And I tell you something else,
if we read Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6, in the light of
our text here, what this man heard and associated Jesus with
mercy, we could read Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6 like this,
He that comes to God must believe that He is mercy. Can we read that like that way?
Here was a man that heard of Jesus, and he correlated that
with mercy, and he came to Jesus. So we could say, he that cometh
to God must believe that he is mercy. So what did this man hear? He heard that Jesus was mercy.
I love the way I say that. You know, we say sometimes he's
merciful, and he is that. We say He'll show mercy, and
He does that. But I love to say He is mercy. It's like saying He's love. We
sometimes say love is an attribute of God. But really, it's more
than just that. It is God. It's the very essence
of God. And could we not say the same
thing about mercy? It's more than just an attribute. It's the very essence of Jesus
Christ. He is mercy. He is mercy. When he heard that it was Jesus,
he said, mercy, and he came to Jesus. I can see the direct correlation
in all that. I don't know, I have no idea
how this man heard this. I don't know who told him this.
But this is what he got in his heart. What he got in his heart. And having experienced something
of the misery of my own sin and my own depravity, I have not
found anything that causes me to fly to the Lord Jesus for
relief more than hearing this one thing, that Jesus is merciful. I can hear that He's just, I
can hear God is holy, and we worship Him in the beauty of
holiness. But I tell you this one thing, when I hear it, it
causes me to fly to Him for relief for my misery. Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, is indeed mercy incarnate. He's mercy exalted. He is the fountain, He is the
source of all relief for our misery. When Jesus is present,
now listen to this, when Jesus is present, our misery is a mere
breeding ground for mercy to heal us. Now, ain't that so? If He's not present, our misery
will drive us to despair. But if He is present, our great
misery, as great as it is, and we feel it sometimes, don't we? It's a mere breeding ground for
His mercy to heal us. Bartimaeus cried out, Jesus have
mercy on me, blind me, bagger me, the source of all misery. The fountain of misery is within
myself. Have mercy on me. It seems here in a moment of
time, this poor man had at least the seed of the mystery of godliness
implanted within his bosom. Now why do I say that? Because
of this. When he heard of Jesus, he associated
him with mercy. He thought this within his own
soul, that when Jesus was present, great misery draws out great
mercy. Now ain't many people know that.
Did you know that? Ain't many people know that.
If you know that, I'm telling you the seeds of godliness are
planted in your heart. This is the beginning of God's
work. Great misery draws out great
mercy. Have mercy on me. Who is more miserable than me? But who is more merciful than
Jesus of Nazareth? Jesus, mercy. For because of
sin and depravity and the awful, awful curse of God upon it, the
heart of man will not own and confess its
misery. He'll despair before it will
own its misery. Those in the Old Testament said
there's no hope for us. But why not? We love strangers. We're such sinful people. We've
forsaken God. We love strangers. There's no
hope for us. So what will you do? We'll just
go after our lovers. We'll follow after our sins until
we die. But as soon as the heart hears,
ain't that the key? As soon as the heart hears of
Jesus and associates Him with free mercy, as soon as it hears,
it's willing then to confess and expose its sin to the Lord. Because it knows there's a balm
in Gilead, and there's a physician there to heal its miseries. Then the heart is willing to
expose its misery to the Lord with the hope of obtaining mercy
to heal its misery. Now, son of David, have mercy
on me. I'm a miserable man, but in you
there's something to heal my misery." What is it? Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. How exceedingly sinful our sin
is, and we feel it. How great is our shame and unworthiness,
and we know it. And add to this our awful pride
and unbelief. and our awful apprehensions,
sometimes, of the demands of God's law and the curse of it. And how, then, can our poor,
weighty conscience find any relief? But in this, Jesus is mercy. Jesus is mercy. I'm telling you
there are times when nothing will comfort my afflicted conscience
but the thoughts of this, that Jesus is mercy. I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness. Merciful. I find a lot of comfort
in that, don't you? There's something in Jesus Christ,
one dear man said, that can dispel our misery, and that is mercy. I was before a blasphemer, I
was a persecutor, I was injurious, but I obtained mercy. Depths of mercy can there be? Mercy still reserved for me?"
Mr. Wesley seems to set the mercy
of God in Christ over against the wrath of God. Can my God
His wrath forbear? How can He forbear His wrath?
Mercy. And he seems to set it over against
His rebellion. I have long withstood His grace,
long provoked Him to His face. But there's something, he said,
in the mercy of God that can dispel, that can deliver from the wrath
of God. And what is it? It's the mercy
of Jesus Christ. That's wonderful. Just a wonderful
thought. Here was a miserable man who
heard of Jesus, and he associated that with mercy. That's the first
thing. He associated it with mercy.
God is mercy. There's the first thing, but
there's something else that he associated this with. He heard
that it was Jesus of Nazareth. And he associated that with mercy.
He cried for mercy. But look here in verse 51. He associated this with something
else. Jesus is mercy. And look here what he says, Jesus
answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto
thee? And the blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I might receive my sight. I think it would be ridiculous
of me to say that blind Barnabas knew how the Lord was going to
give him sight. He knew no such of a thing. But
you know what he believed? That he was able. He didn't know
how, but he believed he was able. He didn't say, I know how. The
only man in the scriptures that I know that knew how the Lord
was going to save him and heal him was Naaman the leper. And
he was wrong with him. I know how he's going to do it.
That's what he said. He's going to pray over me, and
speak to me, and take His hand, and He's going to do something,
and I'm going to be Him. It didn't happen that way at
all. The blind man did not know how the Lord was going to do
it. But he said, I know your aim. That's faith, ain't it?
That's faith. That's what he said in 52. Look
at this. Jesus said unto him, Go thy way,
thy faith hath made thee whole. Faith in what? In my ability. Faith that I'm able to do this. I'm not against how. I'm not against for knowing how.
There's some things we better know how. We better know how
God can be just and justify the ungodly. But brothers and sisters,
so all times our faith is not in how the Lord's doing something,
but in His ability to do something. And that's where this man's faith
lies. What do you want me to do for you? What do you think
I'm able to do for you while you're able to give me son? Look
with me at some scriptures. Look in Romans 4. Look over here
in Romans chapter 4, verse 17. This is what the Lord was telling
Abraham way back there thousands of years ago. Look at this. Lord, speaking to Abraham, verse
17, Romans chapter 4. This is the foundation of our
faith, the Word of God. This is what we believe, that
He's able. Look in verse 17. As it is written, the Lord said
to Abraham, I have made thee a father of many nations, before
him whom ye believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
calleth those things which be not as though they were. who
against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father
of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall
thy seed be." And Abraham, being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead, when he was about nine hundred years
old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God," and look at this, "...and being fully
persuaded that what God had promised, he was able." Ain't that faith? Abraham, where are you going?
I have no idea where you're going. I don't know. How are you going
to be sustained? Do you know the ins and outs
of God? I have no idea. But God's able. God's able. And the scripture
says, Abraham believed God. He believed God was able. Look
here at another place. Look in Ephesians chapter 3,
and look in verse 20 and 21. Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20
and verse 21. Look at this. I tell you, this is true faith. I have no idea, well it's a miracle
of God how this got in this blind man's heart. To know that Jesus
Christ, and Brother Larry's been teaching us about the humility
of Christ. You didn't look upon him and see God in him. That
was all veiled. He didn't go around with a halo
and glow in it. He's a man that looked just like
us. Probably a little older. You'd have guessed him to be
a little older than he really was. Just an ordinary looking man.
And here was a blind man that came to Jesus, the Son of Mary,
and said, You're able to give me sight. I tell you, that's
a work of grace in that man's heart. To believe the Lord is
able to do that? Glenn, to believe Jesus of Nazareth
is able to save you from your sins, from the wrath of God,
the curse of the law, and get you through this world and set
you there in heaven? To believe He's able to do that?
That's faith, ain't it? That's faith. And that's what
he heard. He heard. And look here what
he says in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20. Now to him that is
able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or even
think, according to the power that worketh in us. Able. Things that we can't even think
he's able to do. That's amazing. Faith is not always knowing how. But faith is always God's able. It may not know how, but it always
believes he's able. Faith transcends our intellectual
ability to grasp how. That's why our faith can't be
an alibi that's going to do everything. Faith transcends our intellectual
ability to know how and to grasp it. So faith rests upon the mere
ability of him to do it. What will you that I should do
to you? What do you believe I am able to do, Lord, that I might
receive my sight? There was two blind men who came
to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 9, and they did the same thing
Barth and Mass did. They began to cry, Thou Son of
David, have mercy on us. And the Lord Went into the house
and they fathered him in there. And he sat down and they came
in. Said, Lord have mercy on us. He said, what do you want?
And they said, Lord we might receive our son. And he said,
do you believe I'm able to do this? He didn't say, do you know
how? Do you understand how I can do
this? He didn't say that. He said, you be a maker. They
say, yea, Lord. And He said, according to your
faith, according to your faith, be it unto you. And immediately
they received their salvation. That's faith. He's able. He's
able. Look in one more place. Look
in Philippians. But just over to you, Ry, a little
bit from Ephesians and Philippians. Here's why this is important,
brothers and sisters, because there's many things, so many
things you and I can't explain, and we can't grasp in our intellect. We just can't grasp it. And our
faith must rest upon His ability to do it. And here's a good example of
this in verse 20 of Philippians chapter 3. Look at this. Our
conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
Don't ask me how a body is going to come back
together and be fashioned like unto his glorious body. that's
already decayed, went back to the dust, and it's been blown
away. Don't ask me how he's going to
do that. I just know he's able. And there's
where my faith rests. He is able. And there's where
blind Barnabas' faith rests. He looked upon the Lord Jesus
and he probably said, Lord, I can't understand you. I know in my
heart there's something different about you. You're glorious, I
know that. You're no mere man, I know that.
There's mercy with you to deliver me from my misery, and there's
ability in you to deliver me from my blindness. And that's
faith. That's faith. And I think that's
so important for us to know that. And I may go back to this sometime
in the future and show you that. But here's why, brothers and
sisters, I read the Bible. Here's why I read the Bible. Because it's in the Bible I hear
of Jesus. And here's why I insist that
some of you brothers are going to teach the Sun School Bible.
Because I've got to hear. I've got to hear. Just like Blind
Marvin, he heard.