Thank you to Richard for this message

MARK 10: 46-52

WHAT DO WE VALUE?

What do we value in our culture? Beauty? Wealth? Power? Possessions?

Well – you know the dangerous thing about possessions? They can end up possessing you! The world is full of cultures that have mis-ordered priorities because the culture doesn’t prioritise Jesus first. Little wonder the world is in a mess.

In our passage today we get a glimpse behind the curtain of what people valued in that culture.  Actually, it’s not that different to ours. But let’s have a look and see what we can glean from this account of Jesus and Bartimaeus.

What did that culture value?

Here we have Bartimaeus – and he is sitting by the roadside begging. Typically he would be seeking money (alms) from people and food. When he was given food or money, he would then put it in his cloak and carry on begging. There was no welfare state and no medical help back then as we know now, so they resorted to begging. However the scriptures were clear that there should be help for those who were struggling. However people with disabilities were despised in that culture – and those people were blamed themselves for their own misfortune and that was one reason why many people DIDN’T help those who needed help. This is course an excuse. A reason for not doing something that is right. Isn’t it amazing how creative we are when it comes to NOT doing what we should?

And of course this reveals something that was valued in that culture. Money.

So Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is passing by and shouts for him. But many people told him to be quiet. Why was this? Well, maybe he was an embarrassment to that culture. He would have been unsightly. And they wouldn’t want to be near this blind man.

So what do we learn here? That the culture not only loved money but also valued beauty (and did not value that that was ugly and disfigured). Also there is something here about loving one’s own self-importance and therefore not valuing those who are (in our opinion) less important.

So in our little investigation, we have identified that this culture valued money (and no doubt possessions), valued beauty and self-importance. The culture therefore did not appear to value those without money and possessions, those who were different (either in looks or how they were) and certain people were looked down upon. In fact we didn’t need to look at this passage to work this out. Or even the Bible to work this out. Just look at our culture today. It’s exactly the same.

Years ago there was a sketch with John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. They represented the upper class, middle class and lower class. Ronnie Barker would look up to John Cleese and say: “I look up to him” and then look down at Ronnie Corbett and say “But I look down at him.”

We’re always comparing aren’t we? If we could be like this – all our problems would over.

So what did Bartimaeus do?

So this man who has little to his name does have one thing. A voice. So he uses it. And so he calls out. In the midst of all his problems – he calls out. So often when we call out to the Lord – we easily give up. He didn’t listen to the voices telling him to be quiet.

So often we are consumed by voices (whether within or without) producing doubt. We give in so easily. But sometimes we need to shout louder to the Lord. Speak! Speak to the Lord. Let our voice drown out the voice of doubt and despondency and despair. Speak out! Be determined. Be bold and courageous. Speak out! Charles Wesley wrote: “Bold I approach the eternal throne.” The writer in Hebrews 4 says:

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So you can do this. Speak to the Lord. He hears you. Not because you are great – but because He is eternally gracious and merciful.

But there is a cost. Look what Bartimaeus does after Jesus calls him over. He throws his cloak aside. Why is that significant? Well, in his cloak would be all the money and food and stuff he had collected. He throws it aside to go to Jesus. Look how he jumps to his feet to come to Jesus. To go to Jesus is to turn away from the stuff of our culture. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist – it just means we value Jesus so much more than the stuff of our culture.

What happens at times is that we find ourselves sinking into the values of our culture and before we know it we’re tangled into loving this “stuff” of our culture more than Jesus. Make it a priority to put Jesus first. This is about spending time with him. It involves turning to him and the cost is to let go of what entangles us. But you can bring all these concerns to him. Your cares and concerns. Your joys and trials. Just turn to him.

So what does Jesus do?

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus wants to hear and see this man even though Bartimaeus is in a right mess?

My grandfather was a minister in the church and during WWII he was stationed for a while near Chequers which was (and is) the Prime Minister’s weekend retreat. It was 1943 and my grandfather was invited to go to Chequers one evening. Winston Churchill wanted to watch a film so my grandfather and other staff went into the film room and they started watching a film. Then one of Winston Churchill’s staff came to him and whispered in his ear. Winston Churchill stood up and it was announced that Mussolini (The Italian leader) had just been arrested. This was really important news so the film was stopped and Winston Churchill left, no doubt to discuss the developing situation.

Maybe we think Jesus is like that? That there are more important things than us. He’s got a full agenda elsewhere. But he doesn’t. You don’t qualify for Jesus’s mercy because you are rich or poor; of beautiful or ugly. What does qualify you is that you turn to him. But to repeat, there are things we need to turn from to come to Jesus. So what do you need to turn from?

And what is wonderful is that the life Jesus offers is so much more than the life we leave behind. His kindness is far greater than those things that entangle us. His mercy is so much more than the depth of our sinfulness.

And so Bartimaeus follows Jesus. Isn’t it revealing that when Jesus says “Go” – Bartimaeus follows Jesus along the road! When Jesus tells us to go; we are to follow him. This means keeping close to him as we do as he says. It means we are to leave behind those things that entangle us and turn to him.

Paul says in Philippians 3: 8-9: What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

So what do we value? I pray that it may be Jesus who trod the path of Calvary so you could be his. Turn once more to him and offer yourself to him to live and work for his glory.

In Jesus’ name

Amen


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