Healing the Blind Beggar

Text: Mark 10:46-52
Sermon:

• Last week we talked about how Jesus viewed greatness by our humbleness and servitude. We talked about how Jesus demonstrated this exact attribute. This week we are going to read and discuss an example of Jesus demonstrating these views. We are also going to talk about the actions and the faith of the blind man that reached out to Jesus.
• Now, we must remember that beggars were a common sight in most towns because most occupations of the day required physical labor, anyone with a crippling disease or disability was at a severe disadvantage economically. Unfortunately. I believe this truth is still evident today. Even though we have programs and resources to help those with disabilities live lives of purpose and fulfillment, it is still a challenge that we face. 
• According to an article by CDC, it states, “People with disabilities are far less likely to be employed. In 2017, 35.5% of people with disabilities, ages 18 to 64 years, were employed, while 76.5% of people without disabilities were employed, about double that of people with disabilities.”
• The CDC also states, “People with disabilities are more likely to have income of less than $15,000 compared to people without disabilities (22.3% compared to 7.3%).”
•  They also state, “Adults aged 18 years and older with disabilities are less likely to have completed high school compared to their peers without disabilities (22.3% compared to 10.1%).”
• If this is true now, I can only imagine how it was in ancient Rome. Even though God’s law commanded care for such people (Leviticus 25:35-38) they were often ignored. Blindness was considered a curse from God for sin (John 9:2) but Jesus refuted this idea when he reached out to heal this blind man. Jesus showed compassion to this man and showed him that he was valuable to Jesus.
• Jesus did not see this man as a nuisance, he saw him as a valued member of the community, and he treated him as such. Jesus showed love to the man, and he healed him. While we may not be able to heal a person with disabilities on the spot, we can treat those with disabilities as valued members of the community, and we can build programs that assist them and help them live lives of purpose and fulfillment.
• Now as we look at the actions of Bartimaeus, the blind man, we see that he boldly spoke out on his need for assistance. In coming to Jesus, we need Bartimaeus’ boldness. We must overcome our doubts and take steps to Jesus. Bartimaeus had not seen Jesus’ miracles, but he responded in faith to what he has heard. This is a prime example of faith.
• “Faith” is “synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it.”
• We need to continue to create a community that supports are disabled neighbors and reminds them that they are loved and valuable members of our community.
• We need to create and sustain programs that provides for our disabled neighbors in ways that they struggle to provide themselves because we all deserve to be able to live lives of purpose and fulfillment.   

Conclusion: Let us be people who value our disabled neighbors and who build a community that supports them and provides for them when they can’t.
 
Resources:
https://tinyurl.com/4r262d6w
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