Sermon: What Do We Want from Jesus?

Mark 10:46-52

What Do We Want from Jesus?

James Sledge                                                                                       October 28, 2018

Along with The Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Westminster Confession of Faith, and others, our denomination’s Book of Confessions includes something called A Brief Statement of Faith. Written in the 1980s, it has three, distinct sections, one for each person of the Trinity. The section on the Holy Spirit contains these words. “In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.”

The Spirit gives us courage to live as disciples. If we are the Church, if we are followers of Jesus, the Spirit will help us to do these things. And today’s gospel has me thinking specifically about courage “to hear the voices of peoples long silenced.”

In recent years, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Me Too movement have tried to lift up voices long ignored, silenced, and disregarded. Some folks have listened, have become more aware of the systemic ways that black voices, female voices, and other voices from the margins have been ignored and discounted.

Others, however, resent this demand for marginalized voices to be heard. For a variety of reasons, ranging from benign to malicious, some do not want the disruption these new voices cause. They’re happy with how things are, privileged by how things are, or just accepting of how things are, and would just as soon leave it alone.

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In our gospel reading, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus demands to be heard, but “many” among the crowd and disciples insist that he be quiet. His voice is an intrusion that they do not want to hear, although the gospel story isn’t clear on why. Jesus has made a name for himself by healing people. It’s a big part of the show that crowds come to see, so why shut down Bartimaeus?

Blind beggars were about as marginalized as one could get in Jesus’ day. Their blindness was thought by many to result from some sin they’d committed, but I’m not sure that fully explains shooing away Bartimaues. Perhaps it’s the nearness of Jerusalem. They’ve just left Jericho; next stop the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. Perhaps the disciples and crowd are anxious to get there, hoping it will be the scene of Jesus’ big, climactic triumph.

The disciples and crowd don’t understand what awaits Jesus in Jerusalem, and if they’re expecting Jesus to be crowned and inaugurate a new, Davidic dynasty, this blind beggar is simply in the way. The train for Jerusalem has left the station. No stopping for blind beggars.

But Jesus brings the train to a screeching halt. "Call him here." Bartimaeus rushes over to Jesus who says, "What do you want me to do for you?"  It seems a completely unnecessary question, and I wonder if the question isn’t more for the disciples, the crowd, or maybe even for us, than it is for Bartimaeus.

In the episodes just prior to this one, people have wanted something from Jesus. A rich man is looking for eternal life. James and John want Jesus to make them high officials in his coming kingdom. None of them get what they want. The rich man’s wealth is too important to him, and he cannot let go and follow Jesus. What James and John want is completely at odds with the way of Jesus, and so they get some remedial education instead.

But Bartimaeus gets just what he wants. Here he seems to have an advantage. What he wants is so basic. What he wants will remove any barrier to going with Jesus. Immediately he regained his sight and followed (Jesus) on the way.

Could it be that the reason the disciples and crowd try to shoo Bartimaeus away has to do with the different things they want? They do not want to hear his voice because they are too focused on other wants, wants that don’t necessarily have anything to do with being disciples, with following Jesus.

What do you want from Jesus? If Jesus asked you, "What do you want me to do for you?” how would you answer? I’m sure this past week a lot of people were asking for a winning Meg Millions ticket. Some asked for their team to do well. Some prayed for success or to get a good grade on a test. Some were more altruistic, praying for the health or needs of others. But I wonder how often people asked Jesus to make it possible or easier for them to be disciples, to follow after Jesus on the way.

What is it that keeps you from whole-heartedly following Jesus on the way? Most of us are not like Bartimaeus, needing a physical miracle in order to become disciples, but we have other barriers. For many, our attachment to money, or to the things and experiences that money provide, is our biggest barrier. In that sense, we have more in common with that rich man who visited Jesus shortly before Bartimaeus appears. He was a sincere person of faith who suspected, correctly it turns out, that he was lacking something. But when Jesus told him that what he most needed was to free himself from his wealth, it was more than he could do, and he went away, grieving.

Jesus then explains to his disciples that wealth is a huge barrier, perhaps the biggest single barrier, to being part of God’s new day. He speaks of wealth as a curse rather than the blessing that his disciples, and most other people, assume it to be. In response the disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?” To which Jesus replies, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

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This year’s stewardship theme is Mission Possible. There have been bulletin announcements highlighting all the ministries that your generosity makes possible, and in the weeks to come you will hear individuals speak to you about how that generosity makes specific mission and ministry possible.

There are many generous members here who help Falls Church Presbyterian be a much more vital and healthy congregation than is the norm in churches these days. But what more might be possible if we asked Jesus to remove those barriers that keep us from giving ourselves fully to him? What voices of peoples long silenced might we hear, leading us into new ministries with them that help make the world a bit more like the new day Jesus proclaims? What clearer call from Jesus might we hear, guiding us to help bring an end to the hatred and bigotry and violence that is so pervasive in our world today?

"What do you want me to do for you?” asks Jesus. O Lord, in a broken and fearful world, a hurting and grieving world, reveal to us what is truly possible with you.