Bell's Commentary on the Bible

Brian Bell

Luke 18

Verses 1–14

  1. Intro:
    1. Announce Amazing Grace Movie: Quotes on slavery.
    2. Outline: 2 Parables on Prayer! (2 Prayerables)
    3. (1-8) A parable to the disciples, to pray & not lose heart.
    4. (9-14) A parable to those who trust in themselves, will walk away unjustified.
  2. PERSISTENCE PRAYER! (1-8)
    1. PRAY OR PASS OUT! (1-5)
    2. Your choice Pray or Pass-out (pale, faint, loose heart)!
      1. 3 or 4 years ago I was having trouble with passing out at the gym.
        1. Scary feeling.
      2. Q: Ever feel like your spiritually fainting?
      3. Q: Ever lose heart in praying for something?
    3. This king reminds me of the TV commercial where young kids are asking their dads for a cell phone. It is inferred the kids have asked before:
      1. One asks his dad while fishing, “Dad, I think its time for me to get a cell phone!” Father answers, “Son, I think its time for you to get a job!”
      2. Another asks his father for a cell phone while standing in the garage, (dad with buffer in his hand) when his son starts to ask the question the dad fires up the buffer, “what, I can’t hear you!”
    4. He sent her home with…“Next case please!”
      1. Judges were often unscrupulous. Most, as is the case today in 3rd world countries, make there living off bribes. (Gospel Light; pg.294, 295.)
      2. Bribes were normally sent a few days ahead of their visit, to get them audience & a fair shake, or to encourage it to “go their way”.
      3. Thus if someone showed up “unannounced” w/o a bribe before them, this meant they must be poor.
      4. His servant would say the judge was busy, or could not be seen.
        1. The judge knew it would be a “waste of time” hearing their case
      5. Her only weapon…persistent pestering! [And she did it well] ☺
    5. She weary me – to annoy, or (Lit.) “to give a black eye”.
      1. He finally reaches a stage where he would do anything to get her out of his hair.
    6. KEEP SHOVELING! (6-8)
    7. (6) Many have misunderstood this parable.
      1. Understand the bible uses comparisons (we are like sheep!); & also it uses contrasts (sheep & goats). [Which is this parable?]
      2. This is a clear contrast between this earthly king & the heavenly King.
      3. This is a contrast to the worst of man, & the best of God.
    8. (7,8a) Day & night – That’s praying w/o ceasing.
    9. If an unjust judge helps a poor widow, how much more will a loving Father meet the needs of His children? (www)
    10. God also rewards persistency by his children, not because of weariness but rather due to His faithfulness!
      1. John Piper uses the illustration: Faith is the Furnace in your life.
        1. Fuel = Grace; Shovel = Prayer.
        2. If you set down your shovel…your burner goes out!
        3. Keep shoveling! [Shovel w/o stopping; pray w/o ceasing]
    11. Q: Persistent in prayer in general, or being persistent in the same prayer?
      1. Does God want us to keep running to him asking for the same thing over & over? [Does that bless you when your kids do that?]
        1. Or, is it a blessing that they continue to see they need to be connected to you? [i.e. a continual coming, but not nec for the same thing]
      2. I know it’s not arm wrestling God in prayer for something, because he said in 12:32, “fear not little flock, it’s your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
        1. He’s liberal, quick, He loves to answer!!! (speedily)
      3. Don’t ever think you need to “wear him down” until he acts on our behalf.
        1. As a Father He is sensitive to our every need & ready to answer our prayers, in His perfect timing.
      4. God vindicates His kids who come to Him “all the time”!
      5. How can we pray always?
        1. What is prayer? Not just uttering words.
        2. ​​​​​​​It’s the urge of the life towards God & spiritual things.
          It’s the setting of the mind on the things above.
          It’s every detail of every day being mastered by that urge.
    12. (8b) When the Son of man comes – i.e. 2nd Coming He spoke of in the last chapter.
      1. Go back to the context 17:26,30. [Things will be “business as usual”]
    13. Find faith on the earth? – Jesus tells His followers to persevere in faith in the difficult times ahead.
      1. Will you believe(have faith, vs.8) or lose heart(1)?
      2. Christian…“it’s prayer or fainting! Which will it be?”
  3. THE STATUE & THE SPONGE! (9-14)
    1. ​​​​​​​(9) As one said, “If Grace is like rain, then one is a statue & one is a sponge!”
      1. Can you picture that? (Both being rained on yet: 1 repelling water, the other absorbing it)
    2. (10) 2 men – each was a man; only a man.
      1. Whenever a man crosses the threshold of the temple/church, that is how they are listed by high heaven!
        1. Employer can sit next to employee, & cop next to ex-convict.
      2. Both went up to pray, & right their in their prayers the difference was revealed.
    3. Private prayer can be offered in the temple at any time of the day.
    4. THE STATUE! (11-12)
    5. (11) Stood & prayed with himself – I’m fully convinced Jesus was hilarious.
      1. Listen to His satire, wit, irony!
      2. This man essentially prayed a “self-eulogy”! (tribute)
        1. A long list of personal achievements. [Note “I” 5 x’s]
      3. ​​​​​​​Isn’t it interesting that one could feel glad that he doesn’t sin in one way, while he is sinning in another & perhaps worse way! (Griffith Thomas; pg.274)
      4. He had an intellectual conviction to come pray, but yet doesn’t make contact with God. [Hell is full of intellectual conviction!]
    6. God? – Well, at last he started with that…but he never made another ref to Him.
    7. (12) Fasting requirement was only once a year at day of Atonement.
      1. Wow! Here, twice a week! (104 x’s)
      2. Tithes of all, not just of field & stall.
      3. I guess he not only knew this, but was determined God should know it from him, & others also.
    8. When all is said & done, I guess he not only prayed to himself, but he also tithed to his own savings account, & fasted for his own health!
      1. Interesting, you can do all the right things but to no avail if it’s w/the wrong heart.
    9. Pride is so subtle that if we aren’t careful we’ll be proud of our humility! ☺
      1. When this happens our goodness becomes badness. Our virtues become vices.
      2. We can easily become like the Sunday School teacher who, having told the story of the Pharisee and the publican, said, “Children, let’s bow our heads and thank God we are not like the Pharisee!”
    10. The Pharisee’s prayer showed he was self-centered; showed he was conceited; showed his morality was based on negatives; showed his worship was based on externals.
    11. THE SPONGE! (13,14)
    12. (13) Standing afar off – not front & center, off in a corner it seems.
    13. Would not…raise his eyes – Faith looks away…not at self!
    14. (13b) God – He starts the same way, but attitude is totally different.
    15. He does use “me”, but immediately is followed up by a description of the person referred to, a sinner! [Oh, how he hated his sin!]
    16. His prayer – was like David’s in Ps.51:1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.”
    17. The publican’s prayer showed he was humble before God and man; showed he was more aware of his own sins than those of others; showed he was not concerned about obtaining material wealth; showed he was conscious of his standing before God.
    18. (14) What a shock for his listeners to hear that the sinner walked away justified, & not the holy man!
      1. The Pharisee was so busy priding himself on his performance that he failed to realize he lacked the essential requirement of a rt attitude. (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.66)
        1. God relates to those who lost their pride & humbled themselves in repentance!
        2. I remember being involved in the prison ministry @ C.C.Bellflower when Kel when we were 1st married. The stark contrast was so easily seen between the inmates who “had been framed” to those who were “broken because of the sin” that landed them there.
    19. It’s like when Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates. There were endless tales of innocence, of misunderstood motives, and of exploitation. Finally the king stopped at the cell of a convict who remained silent. “Well,” remarked Frederick, “I suppose you are an innocent victim too?” “No, sir, I’m not,” replied the man. “I’m guilty and deserve my punishment.” Turning to the warden, the king said, “Here, release this rascal before he corrupts all these fine innocent people in here!”
    20. In Haiti I noticed the kids love empty balloons over filled balloons.
      1. They would let out air, to use later. God likes them the same way!
    21. Balloon Illustration:
      1. [1st man] Blow up balloon w/each of his statements. Pop at end!
        1. ​​​​​​​He was puffed up…filled with his own hot air!
      2. [2nd man] No hot air, “love is not puffed up”. [Limp]​​​​​​​
        1. ​​​​​​​He likes us empty, not full of ourselves.
        2. Humble = lowly, the idea is “close to the ground”.

Amazing Grace the Movie!

  • John Newton – was a slave trader for many years. He came to Christ after a terrible storm. Was finally convicted not only to stop trading slaves, but to help in establishing their freedom. He wrote the song Amazing Grace.

  • William Wilberforce - born in England in 1759, elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21. During his time in Parliament, he led the political battle to abolish slavery and its trade throughout the British Empire.

Slavery still exists today!

  • An estimated 27 million are in slavery around the world. (U.N. website) http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p28.html

  • More than double the #, in the 400 yrs, of the Trans-Atlantic slave trades to the Americas.

  • All racial groups are objects of trade (on almost every continent).

  • Women & children are its principle victims.

Forced labour. An estimated 246 million children are engaged in exploitative child labor, with almost 3/4 of them working in hazardous environments & w/ dangerous substances like chemicals and agricultural pesticides. (Int. Labor Org.)

Human trafficking. The use of children as a commodity for labor or sex is a lucrative international trade. An estimated 1.2 million children worldwide are trafficked each year. Girls as young as 13, mainly from Asia and Eastern Europe, are trafficked as “mail-order brides”.

Sexual exploitation. About 1 million children, mostly girls but also a significant number of boys, are exploited every year in the multi-billion-dollar sex industry.

Child soldiers. At any given time, over 300,000 child soldiers, as young as 8, are exploited in armed conflicts in more than 30 countries around the world.

What do we do?

  • Understand - All humans are created equal. (Even if they have the word prostitute after their name)

  • They are not a lower class, they are still members of the human family, they are not a “lesser breed”.

  • Realize & Research – This is a Reality & a Tragedy.

  • Be a voice - For those who do not have one.

  • Go to www.theamazingchange.com a lot of info there (Slavery then & now).

Verses 15–30

  1. Intro:
    1. Share on communion after 2nd song – See end notes.
    2. Last week we covered the prayers of the Pharisee & the Tax collector.
      1. True prayer should humble us & make us love others more.
      2. We learned last week prayer shouldn’t be like an attorney bringing an indictment against another man; but that we should be like children coming to a Father.
  2. KINDERGARTEN KINGDOM! (15-17)
    1. ​​​​​​​REBUKED BY THE DISCIPLES! (15)
    2. As Seals & Croft sang, “We may never pass this way again” I think this fueled the same urgency, of those who feared Jesus wouldn’t be passing this way again.
    3. So, the babes were brought…indicating their parents appraisal & approval of Jesus.
      1. The parents had a desire; the baby’s had a need; & Christ was all sufficient!
    4. Mark tells us Jesus was greatly displeased, angry.
    5. He didn’t say bring them to me, but don’t keep them from me.
      1. Because it seems that you get a child into the presence of Jesus, & they go straight to Him.
    6. RECEIVED BY THE SAVIOR! (16,17)
    7. Focus on the children! (16)
    8. Little children belong with their loving Lord.
      1. Q: Dads, how are you doing in this area? {They in vs.15 is masculine}
      2. Q: Dad’s, Mom’s, anything in your lifestyle that might keep your kids in the future from coming to Jesus? (i.e. hypocrisy)
        1. Jesse James killed a fellow in a bank robbery and shortly thereafter was baptized in the Kearney Baptist Church. Then he killed another man, a bank cashier, and joined the church choir and taught hymn-singing. He liked Sundays, Jesse did, but he couldn't always show up at church. On two Sundays, he robbed trains.
      3. You probably not robbing trains...but would your kids say…
        1. “Dad doesn’t have to go to church, why should I!”
        2. “The way mom acts, I don’t want a part of her religion.”
    9. Focus on the adults! (17)
    10. You – He applies this truth to the crowd.
    11. Receive the kingdom of God = Welcome God’s Rule & Authority into your heart & life.
      1. Children start with what adults have lost…innocence!
      2. It’s stooping & entering through the children’s door, the lowly door, by trust & humility.
      3. Little children possess humility because they lack anything to boast of, & can make no claim on God.
        1. We really don’t have anything to boast of either! - We’re like the little dog who acts ferocious & scares away the stray dog…not realizing the intimidation was the large dog standing behind us!
    12. Receive – Key “receive” in vs.17.
      1. Ps.116:12,13 “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD.”
  3. RICHES & THE KINGDOM! (18-27)
    1. ​​​​​​​THE RICH YOUNG RULER COMES! (18-23)
    2. Mark & Matthew also tell this story. (Mrk 10:17-22 & Mt.19:16-26)
      1. He was most likely a ruler of the local synagogue.
      2. He was engaged on the highest quest possible, he was seeking life in its fullness, the abundant plentiful life.
    3. Q: The ruler’s concern?...to inherit eternal life.
      1. He had some great qualities:
        1. He was serious about finding out. [Mark – running & knelt]
        2. He had obvious self-dissatisfaction.
        3. He was ready to “go for it” he was ready to do!
        4. He was confident in Christ’s guidance.
        5. He was young, rich, powerful, religious, moral, & sincere.
      2. He had some misunderstandings:
        1. He had the misconception, eternal life could be won by good deeds.
        2. He was overconfident in his own power to accomplish the task!
      3. Although the young man had many good qualities, one of them was not spiritual understanding!
    4. Good – a polite compliment, but shows low estimate of the word “good”.
      1. I see Jesus graciously setting up the conversation, trying to get him to see “good” is much deeper & wider than he imagined.
        1. So maybe he would perceive his own imperfections.
        2. Maybe he would see only God is good.
      2. Christ then meets him on his own ground of law & refers him to usual duties.
    5. I’m sure this young man thought he was going to be asked to do something pretty spectacular…but instead, ordinary obligations???
      1. He had Naaman syndrome! (2 Kings 5 esp.13)
    6. Nobody is saved either by keeping the Law or by becoming poor and generous.
      1. It was our Lord’s way of making him face up to his covetousness.
      2. Outwardly he obeyed the laws Jesus named in v.20; but he forgot about “Thou shalt not covet”(10th com) (Jesus quotes 7th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 5th com)
      3. If we covet, we may end up breaking all the other commandments!
      4. Sometimes your radiator needs water/antifreeze…other times it needs a complete flush!...this man needed a complete flush!
    7. He rejected the gospel as he loved his possessions more than God & his neighbor.
    8. He had to grapple with 2 issues: “Go & sell” & “come & follow” [neg & pos command]
      1. He lacked the element of control over his life that comes from outside
      2. Jesus called him to submit his life to control.
        1. Submit, surrender, follow me!
        2. Yield your life to the control of God!
    9. He went away…where? - Back into the world; to former friends; to the grave; to judgment?
      1. Actually it never says. He ended the story short of that.
      2. I think a great painting would be of him walking away, head dropped, shoulders drooping, hands hanging limp.
        1. George Fredrick Watts painting came close, 1897 (profile).
    10. Q: Was Jesus’ prescription for this man intended for everyone?
      1. “A doctor does not ask all his patients to take the same medicine.”
      2. The man became very sad precisely because he had a different will of his own.
    11. Good intentions do not count!
      1. The wave is mighty but the spray is weak, And often thus our great & high resolves, In their forming as an ocean wave, Break in the spray of nothing. (Griffith Thomas; pg.280) [Mere conviction of sin does not atone!]
    12. Last week we learned the Tax Collector went away justified, & this week this young man went away sorrowful…what happens at the close of your prayers? (Warren Wiersbe; With the Word; pg.682.)
    13. So we learn:
      1. [1] One can be interested in eternal life w/o possessing it.
      2. [2] One can “obey God rules” but only in a superficial sense.
    14. This guy missed the kingdom by one garage sale!
    15. THE RICH YOUNG RULER GOES! (24-27)
    16. This resulted in an occasion to talk about the diff of a rich man entering heaven.
      1. Thus leaving the disciples shocked, as the theology of the day viewed wealth as a sign of God’s favor.
    17. Eye of a needle –
      1. A very wealthy pastor was dying in his mansion, and his flock gathered round to ask him for his last wish. "Before I die," he said, "I would like to take a ride." And they asked the rich pastor what he required for that final ride before entering the kingdom of heaven. And he said, "I would like a very small camel and a very large needle."
      2. C.S. Lewis once observed that God can bring a camel through the eye of a needle but the camel will not be the same creature having come through a needle’s eye! ☺
    18. Impossible with men; possible with God –
      1. Two great lessons here:
      2. [1] Many have learned the lesson it’s Impossible with men. Then shrugging their shoulders they give up in hopeless despair. And then live a miserable religious life, w/o joy, strength, or victory!
        1. Carrie Underwood sings, “pouring raindrops back into a cloud.”
      3. [2] Others learn all things are Possible with God.
      4. It is possible even for a rich man to enter the kingdom with God. When a man becomes linked up with God, all impossible things become possible!
  4. FORSAKING ALL FOR THE KINGDOM! (28-30)
    1. ​​​​​​​SACRIFICE?
    2. Following the rulers refusal to “forsake all” Peter said, “We forsook all”!
      1. Jesus seems to overlook any self-congratulation here, but instead points to His own faithfulness.
      2. Any sacrifice will be more than repaid! - Which seems to make ANY & EVERY sacrifice…only a temporary sacrifice!
      3. If I say give me $10, & I’ll turn around & give you $100 now/$1000 later.
        1. That doesn’t sound like a sacrifice to give up my $10…but an investment!
    3. The disciples left all – not much, but all to them.
      1. God’s store includes even widows “mites”.
      2. The disciples followed – they broke with the world, which is the real test.
    4. Earthly increase is promised, Heavenly blessings assured.
    5. End: Receive the kingdom of God as a little child –
    6. Childlikeness:
      1. Love (a child is cherished for months before a spark of returned love; He 1st loved us); Dependence (a child finds dependence on, & safety in, the care of his parents; believer trusts in Christ);Humility (children ask a ton of questions showing they need knowledge; believers should be eager to learn spiritual things);Obedience (children learn to do as told; believers must also...sometimes by difficult lessons!).
      2. This is the Kindergarten Kingdom!
    7. Childishness:
      1. One who is childish wants: his/her own way, own plans, own protection, own world, & be his/her own boss!
      2. The Rich young ruler was an example of this. [poor little man!]
      3. This was the best way to miss the Kingdom!
    8. Ps.131:1,2 “LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
      1. Another version, “Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.”
      2. Don’t walk away sorrowful, lay content in His arms of Love!

The city dump. That's what it was that day in 1904 when a young African American woman, Mary McCloud Bethune, saw it. Nevertheless, she and other willing hands built a shack on that desolate place, for she had a dream that, with God's help, she could help other African American women learn to read and write. The first desks were wooden packing crates; the ink was blackberry juice.

As I wandered among the collection of tall buildings, classrooms and dormitories that is now Bethune-Cookman College, I stopped at a plain stone that marks the place where Mrs. Bethune's body was laid to rest at the age of seventy- nine. It had taken more than half a century for her dream to become a reality. The words carved on that stone told her whole story:
"She has given her best so that others might live a more abundant life."

Verses 31–43

  1. Intro:
    1. They say James Corbett changed prizefighting from a brawl to an art form.
      1. On May 21, 1891, Corbett fought Peter "Black Prince" Jackson, because the reigning John Sullivan wouldn't fight Jackson because he was black. Corbett and Jackson fought to a draw after 61 rounds.
      2. “Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round - remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.”
        1. Let’s meet 2 men who were never whipped!
    2. Context: the disciples sacrifice (what they gave up – vs.28)
      1. When it comes to sacrifice Peter said, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” (2:21)
      2. Now let’s read about Jesus sacrifice.
  2. JESUS, FLINT FACED! (31-34)
    1. PROPHECY! (31-33)
    2. From here on everything is shadowed or colored by the coming cross!
      1. 6 months have passed since they stood at Caesarea Philippi, where he told them the 1st time.
    3. Jesus is walking towards Jerusalem with a sense of determination because his life mission is about to be fulfilled.
      1. Is.50:7 “Therefore I have set My face like a flint,”
      2. And Luke already spoke of this (9:51) “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.”
      3. He was set to get to Jerusalem, where he was going to be arrested; beaten & whipped to within an inch of his life; & nailed to a wooden cross (like an insect on a display board).
      4. It is not a life mission that many would want!
    4. Q: How can the Kingdom of God be advanced by something as brutal & cruel as the cross?
      1. This is completely contrary to history, human experience and all sensible logic.
      2. Almost every great revolution or movement, ended with the death of its leader.
      3. The worldview of death is that it is an end in itself.
      4. Persecution and severe opposition normally brings forward progress to a halt.
      5. Normally anything good resulting from a leader’s execution is impossible.
    5. He speaks of the prophetic writings which foretold the process:
      1. He will be delivered to the Gentiles.
        1. His delivery to the Gentiles in order to be put to death, was Israel’s ultimate sin. It was a base betrayal.
        2. That sin, ended her(Israel) earthly career.
      2. He will be mocked, insulted, & spit upon.
        1. It was the Roman soldiery & the Roman power that did these things. That doesn’t minimize the sin of Israel’s betrayal:
          1. It is a more dark & dastardly thing to hire a man to murder a man, than to murder him yourself. (G. Campbell Morgan; The Gospel According to Luke; pg.210)
      3. They will scourge Him & kill Him.
        1. Roman Jurisprudence of the day lets us know, they knew the difference between right & wrong between justice & injustice.
        2. They violated every principle of law, & every element of justice.
        3. Israel sinned in handing Him over; & humanity, outside the circle of revelation, violated justice.
        4. There is nothing quite so appalling & so terrible as the murder of the innocent, the murder of Jesus.
      4. The 3rd day He will rise again.
        1. But the final word is… and the 3rd day He will rise again. ☺
        2. There is not a single instance when Jesus foretold His Cross, but that at the same time He foretold His Resurrection!
        3. Here we have: The seal of a finished work; the sign of a glorious triumph; the pledge of a coming resurrection; & the certainty of a future judgment. (Acts 17:31)
        4. He was ready & willing to walk the pathway of a divine ordination, with head erect, & w/dignity; not as a Victim but as a Victor!
    6. PERPLEXITY! (34)
    7. My guess is that they could understand most of it, like a person getting beat up & even dieing,…but this resurrection thing???
      1. But to not understand the resurrection, is to not even start to grasp the significance of His suffering & death.
  3. BARTIMAEUS, RISK TAKER! (35-43)
    1. THE SINNER SEEKS THE SAVIOR! (35-39)
    2. THE CRY! (35-38)
    3. Explain double Jericho. About 15 miles from Jerusalem.
    4. Let’s crawl into this man’s life for a minute:
    5. Unable to see, unable to work, no money, no dignity, the crowd, the noise.
      1. It’s my guess this probably wasn’t his 1st day on the job of begging.
      2. He had probably grown up relying on the generosity of others to survive.
      3. He would have been someone who felt like his life was directionless.
      4. But Bartimaeus had 1 thing going for him: [his name in Mt. & Mrk]
      5. Despite his blindness, Bartimaeus saw what others had not!
        1. Key? - The crowd referred to Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth” Bartimaeus refers to his true identity by saying “Son of David”.
        2. And what a sincere, personal pointed, precious, well-aimed prayer! (38) (pointing to Him as Messiah)
    6. THE CRITICISM! (39)
    7. Carpe Diem (Latin) – "seize the day", or more accurately "pluck the day".
      1. Dead Poet Society – Robin Williams(Mr. Keating) plays an English teacher, in an all boys school. His first lesson he takes them out of the classroom to focus on the idea of carpe diem by looking at the pictures of former Welton students in a trophy case.
      2. This blind man learned how to live…Carpe Diem!
    8. This blind man was not to be stopped!
      1. Not by fear– What if he doesn’t answer? What if he doesnt heal me? What if he doesn’t even care?
      2. Not by lack of status – I’m just a poor beggar.
      3. Not by others – “be quiet” blind beggar man!
      4. No, this guy was a risk taker!
        1. He couldn’t let this opportunity pass!
        2. Hindrances just deepened his determination! What?
    9. Yep, Hindrances Deepened his Determination: ☺
      1. Q: What do hindrances do for you?
      2. Earnestness is often tested by Satan’s hindrances.
      3. He’ll try: obstructions, barriers, obstacles, encumbrances, difficulties, burdens, & deterrents.
      4. Q: What will you do when they try to silence you?
        1. He refused to be quiet! He charged ahead!
      5. You know when animals & insects “group up”, they’re called by different names. [See how you do?] [insects/swarms; ants/colonies; whales/pods; fish/schools; cattle/herds; birds/flocks; lions/prides; crows/murders; an ambush of tigers; buzzards/a committee; flamingos/flamboyant’s; owls/parliaments]
        1. Erwin McManus in his book “The Barbarian Way” lists one more & that is the Rhinos. It is a Crash!
        2. They can move 30 mph…but, can only see 30’ ahead. ☺
        3. Hence the name. But w/that horn pointing the way…who cares!
        4. That was our man Blind Bart. Imagine if the Church was that way? Do you think the world sees us as a Crash, or a Murder?
    10. So, what was this man’s key?
    11. Set your sail in His direction!
      1. Ps.78:7 – Set your hope in God!
      2. Ps.78:8 - Set your heart in God!
    12. THE SAVIOR RECEIVES THE SINNER! (40-43)
    13. THE CONVERSATION! (40-41)
    14. Jesus with face determined toward Jerusalem stops for a blind beggar.
      1. ​​​​​​​That’s my Jesus! – Jesus stood still!
        1. ​​​​​​​His cry stopped Him in his tracks!
        2. The devil couldn’t stop him from getting to Jerusalem; his disciples couldn’t stop Him; it took a blind beggar to do that!
      2. God is still ruling the world, & yet He still stops when he hears man’s cry!
      3. He “stopped, looked, listened, healed, & encouraged”.
      4. He asks for the man crying to be brought to him, which sounds just like vs.16 where he said, “let the little children come unto Me, & do not forbid them.”
    15. Commanded him to be brought to Him – He solicits those standing there to help bring him. Maybe to awaken their humanity & compassion for this man.
    16. THE RESTORATION! (42)
    17. How simple for the Great Physician.
    18. ​​​​​​​THE CELEBRATION! (43)
    19. Thus the compassion & passion of the cross are seen in action!
    20. It was a faith that refused to give up!
      1. He showed great faith by responding to what he heard.
      2. He showed great faith by basing his request in mercy.
      3. He showed great faith by persisting I his request for help.
      4. He showed great faith by standing to his feet when Jesus summoned him. (also threw aside his garment Mk.10:50)
      5. He showed great faith by asking clearly making his request known.
      6. He showed great faith by following Jesus immediately.
      7. He showed great faith by glorifying God quickly.
    21. So, “Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round - remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.”
    22. End:
    23. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jesus is still passing by – Who is He to you? Jesus of Naz; or Jesus, Son of David?
      1. Historical figure, or God’s So, the Messiah?
    24. Jesus is still able to bless – Are you still spiritually blind?
      1. Movie Amazing Grace(a must see): towards the end of the movie the former slave trader John Newton(now phys blind) says, “now I can truly say, I once was blind but now I see!”
    25. Jesus will soon have passed by – Today if you will hear His voice harden not your heart!