This sermon is prepared by Pro. Akash Surya. If anyone wants to contact me, kindly send an email at akashsurya20@yahoo.com

1. JESUS’ RESPONSETOTHE
PERSISTENT CALL OF
BARTIMAEUS
 TEXT: MARK 10:46-52
 LUKE 18:35-42, MATTHEW 20:30….

2.  Proposition/Big Idea:
 Believers’ Prayer should involve
confession of sins and the right faith
in Jesus in order to receive God’s
answer of prayer.

3.  I. BARTIMAEUS’ PLIGHT (DILEMMA) IN
HIS PERSISTENCY (V.46)
 What was the situation in which the blind
man has been living out his life? Was it
really sorrowful situation? Was it painful
and dreadful situation? Was it really
helpless and hopeless situation? The
answer is yes, yes and yes. He was living
in a helpless, hopeless and painful
condition. Let us see why it was
so………Because

4.  A. He was Blind (46)
 “This man was sightless. He had come
to be called by that name “blind
Bartimaeus.” He was in Helpless and
hopeless condition. It was impossible
for him to do anything. He could not
see to learn a trade and survive. He
had to beg and survive by whatever
he gets.

5.  Due to His blindness he could identify
what is day and what is night. He
could not measure how big or small is
the house in Jericho. He was rejected
by the people for any
acknowledgement. He can’t
recognize any color either it is white
or black. He is ignorance of the lust of
eyes.

6.  He might have gone to the eye
specialist doctor for treatment or
His family might have taken him
to the doctor for eyes treatment.
But after doing all possibility, they
failed to give him better
treatment. Doctor could not
recognize what was wrong in this
man’s eyes.

7.  There was no more hope for him to
get cure. He began to grow in stature
day after day. Meanwhile his parents
might have grown old. Situation
forced him to do something so that
he may get food to eat. And we see
that he started to come out of his
house and is going to the roadside for
begging.

8.  B. He was Sitting Roadside (46)
 Merciful blind man sat down along the
roadside and stared to stretch out his two
hands to find something from the people
those who pass by that way. There are was
any other possibility to do some kind of
business and earn money for survival.
Though, he might be talented but cannot use
those talents to earn money and manage
himself. He cannot even use his physical
energy to do some labor work and get daily
wages to survive. He even cannot become a
watchman to get monthly salary and survive.
Blindness failed him to do any possibilities for
his survival.

9.  Only one thing left for him was to seat on the
roadside and look unto the people whoever pass
by that road.
 C. He was Beggar (46)
 Now no more to keep quite rather shaking hands
and begging something from the people.
Begging became his daily business. He could not
go door to door like other beggar today having
two eyes visit door to door and ask money or
food. He was managing his daily life out of
whatever he got from the people. He might have
thought that my life is all about sightless and
eyeless forever.

10.  What Lesson we can learn? We are born
blessed to have two eyes. Is there any one
here ungrateful or not thankful to receive
two eyes? I believe no one.
 But the question is how our spiritual eye?
Are we spiritually blind? Do we really have
spiritual eyes? Are you struggling with the
lusts of eyes? If so we need to do
something like this blind man does and
goes near to the Lord. Let us see what he
does? And how he goes near to the Lord

11.  II. BARTIMAEUS’ PERSISTENCY IN
HIS APPROACH (47-48)
 How this blind man was persistent in
his approach? How he came to know
about Jesus? Why he cried aloud and
called Jesus? Was he trying to get
huge amount from Jesus or to get
something else?

12.  A. His Approach was with Faith (47)
 Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem and he
has to pass through Jericho. While Jesus
and his disciples with large crowd passing
through Jericho, Bartimaeus the blind man
happened hear the noise all around and
wondered asked what was happening and
they told him Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by.
 As soon as he heard, he began to shout,
and called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have
mercy on me.”

13.  He might have heard long ago about Jesus’
teaching and healing ministry that through
him many are healed here and out there. So
this merciful blind man cried out having faith
in Jesus to get cure from his blindness. It was
faith in his heart to shout aloud. It was his
faith to call Jesus, Son of David. It was his
faith in Jesus that he could get his eyesight.
It was his faith, shouting and calling again
and again in spite of large crowd, thinking
that Jesus will hear him.

14.  People used to say, can anything good
come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46) But
this man had a great faith in Jesus that
He is good and worthy to do something
extraordinary thing in spite of what
people think of Him.

15.  B. His Approach was with Confession (47)
 He approached Jesus by confessing his sin.
Let us look at verse 47 “He called out, Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me,” for I am
sinner, and unworthy. I am helpless and
hopeless, only you can cure me and open my
blindness to see.

16.  Unworthy feeling in a heart only can
shout and say have mercy on me. Guilty
feeling man only can ask for mercy to be
shown on him. He cried aloud that he is
not deserved for anything else, so he
begged Jesus to show mercy on him. He
knew that he was a sinner, unworthy and
in need of Jesus forgiveness, so he
confessed his sin by calling out, have
mercy on me, O, Son of David.

17.  People started to irritate by looking at
this blind man. They have been
following Jesus since so many days and
walked so many kilometers to get
something from him but yet not. They
started to stop him calling Jesus.

18.  C. His Approach was hindered (48)
 Many rebuked him and told him to be
quite, but he shouted all the more, Son
of David, have mercy on me. Some
people have been following Jesus to get
food, some to get healing and some
other to get teaching but not with such
faith and confession as this blind had.

19.  Many might have rebuked him saying, hai
blind fellow keep quiet, simply disturbing our
teacher Jesus. Some other might have
scolded him saying, hai old man shut up, do
not disturb our Jesus. And few might have
told him keep quite simply do not call Him
because huge crowd is surrounded Him, so
He may not get you. Still then Bartimaeus
called out more and more, Jesus, Son of
David have mercy on me. He was persistent
in his call.

20.  What Lesson can we learn?
 Do we find something in our lives which
is not spiritual rather carnal? Are you
spiritually blind and dried up? If we find
and acknowledge that yes I am
spiritually blind and dried up and in
need of Jesus for healing and
forgiveness, then let approach Jesus by
faith in Him and by confession of our
sins.


21.  III. JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE PERSISTENT
CALL OF BARTIMAEUS (49-52)
 Did Jesus hear the call of Bartimaeus? What was
Jesus’ response to the call of Bartimaeus? How
was the Jesus’ response to the call of
Bartimaeus?
 A. Jesus Responded to the Call of Bartimaeus by
Breaking His Journey (49)
 When blind man called out Jesus again and
again, Jesus stopped from his journey. Breaking
up the journey shows that Jesus heard
Bartimaeus calling and wanna ask and do
something for him.

22.  B. Jesus Responded to the Call of
Bartimaeus by letting him to Come Near (49)
 Jesus told the people to call him. Jesus let
this blind man to come near to him. Many
people were there wanting to come near to
Jesus and get something but this man got
the privilege by faith in Jesus and by
confessing his sin persistently.
 Jesus asked him, what do you want me to do
for you. Then Bartimaeus, the blind man
reply “Rabbi” I want to see. What Jesus does
next in response to his request? Let us see

23.  C. Jesus Responded to the Call of Bartimaeus by
healing his blindness (52)
 “Jesus said to his, receive your sight; your faith
has healed you, immediately he received his
sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all
the people saw it, they also praised God.
 Jesus responded to the call of bartimaeus by
healing his blindness. Jesus’ response changed
his hopeless and helpless condition. Jesus’
response changed his sorrowful and painful
situation. The blind man is no more begging
rather followed Jesus by praising God.

24.  What we can learn?
 If we feel like this blind man in different
areas of our lives then let us call to Jesus
with faith and through repentance then He
will hear us and heal and restore all our
broken relationship with Him. He is faithful
to forgives all our sins if we confess truly and
repent sincerely. He only can change and
transform our lives as he cured and changed
the blind man’s life.

25.  PREPARED BY SIR AKASH SURYA