Trinity Metropolitan Community Church of Gainesville (Trinity MCC)

Jesus is Tenderly Calling…?

Rev. Jim Merritt

Trinity MCC Gainesville

October 25, 2009

Introduction:

            Do you remember the old hymn, “Jesus is Tenderly Calling?”

Jesus is tenderly calling you home
Calling today, calling today,
Why from the sunshine of love will you roam,
Farther and farther away?

Calling today, calling today,
Jesus is calling, is tenderly calling today

Jesus is calling the weary to rest,
Calling today, calling today,
Bring Him your burden and you shall be blest;
He will not turn you away.

Jesus is waiting, O come to Him now,
Waiting today, waiting today,
Come with your sins, at His feet lowly bow;
Come, and no longer delay.

Jesus is pleading, O list to His voice,
Hear Him today, hear Him today,
They who believe on His Name shall rejoice;
Quickly arise and away.

I have an important question for us today, “Calling us to what?” What are we going to do while we’re at home? What are we going to do in the sunshine of love? What are we going to do in our rest? What are we going to do to show that we’ve been blest? What are we going to after we’ve bowed at the feet of Jesus to show that our lives have been changed or not? Will there be any change at all? What is God’s voice saying to us? What are we rejoicing about? What is this tender calling all about? Do you have any idea? Let’s think about it.

The Gospel

            You might remember that one of the overarching themes of the Gospel of Mark is to once and for all establish that Jesus really is the son of God. We see in this gospel two stories of blind people being healed; first in Mark 8 and then in today’s Gospel from Mark 10.    Let’s notice a few interesting facts about this gospel. First, it wasn’t really all that disgraceful in first century Palestine for a blind man to be a beggar. It was expected that it would be that way. After all, how else would he find the means to support himself? Then Batimaeus’ use of the term, “Son of David,” offers some interesting insights. Kind David was certainly a royal figure complete with all his women and at least one man, Jonathan. We’ll save that sermon for another day. And David of course connects Jesus to the magical king Solomon with his own traditions about healing. So, Bartimaeus is invoking royalty, perhaps the ability to do a little magic and certain at least legend from the line of David and Solomon to do healing work. Most important of all of that is that Bartimaeus KNOWS that Jesus has the power, the ability to do exactly what it is he wants and needs from Jesus. And at this point, Bartimaeus breaks out of his traditional role of asking for money, and asks for something even greater. He asks, “That I might see again.” This is important. We learn here that Bartimaeus was not blind from birth. We learn that something has happened to cause his blindness. That means he knew what it was like to see, he knew how beautiful the world was, he knew how beautiful the sight of his loved ones was in his eyes, he had the sense of sight and he lost it and he desperately wanted it back, so he asks Jesus, “that I might see again.”

            Now let’s not miss out on the perspective of the crowd. We’re not sure if this is a crowd that has been following Jesus or if it is a crowd that has gathered outside of the city. Either way, when Jesus began to approach, and Bartimaeus began making a scene, trying to get Jesus’ attention, the crowd almost in one voice turned on him and yelled, “Shhhhhh. Hush! Shut up! Don’t you know he has important work to do and important people to see? Stop it.” And you can’t help but love what Jesus does. He takes the same people that want to marginalize and oppress the blind man and introduces them to the most important role of all, remember it from last week? He calls them to the role of servant. “Bring him to me,” he says.

            And Bartimaeus throws off his outer garments, bounces up and runs to Jesus. Many scholars see a sort of reverse-baptism here. It’s like Bartimaeus is throwing off all that is holding him back from completely walking with Jesus. He’s ready for the life to which he is about to be called. It is also important to note that this throwing off of the garment and the healing that ensued includes a spiritual element. Not only is he willing to run to Jesus for a physical healing, but he is also willing to run for spiritual healing as well. Once again he is willing to give up all that might have contributed to both his physical and his spiritual blindness. Daniel Harrington writes, “More important than the restoration of Bartimaeus’ physical sight is his spiritual insight into the person of Jesus.” He learns first hand who Jesus really is. And Jesus does no magic, he really does no act of healing, he simply states, “your faith has healed you.” Do you hear it” “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has saved your life!” And Bartimaeus immediately regained his sight.

Conclusion

            Jesus is Tenderly Calling…? To what? For What? What is this calling all about.

Think with me about these lessons;

1.                  Jesus is calling us to show concern for the vulnerable even when we’re busy with important business and important people. Every part of God’s creation is important to Jesus.

2.                  Jesus is calling us to serve by bringing rather than hindering the progress of others toward relationship with God.

3.                  Jesus is calling us to “throw off” whatever is holding us back so we can be ready to walk with Jesus for the rest of our lives.

4.                  Jesus is calling us to restoration.

You see, my sisters and brothers, we have a lot of reasons we could use for our own experience of being held back. You name it, someone in our community has been through it. And in this Gospel story today it is so clear that Jesus is tenderly calling us to throw of that past that binds us, to follow him in spite of the crowd that wants to hold us back, and to experience the result of faith that saves us. Can you imagine with me right now the sound of the voice of God in our ears saying to all of us, “Your faith has saved you.” The words in the original language of this Gospel suggest to us that Bartimaeus “followed” Jesus along the “way” to Jerusalem, although we never hear from him again. Now that’s a way to be recorded in history…following Jesus…all the way.

Shhhhh….listen…can you hear it...Jesus is tenderly calling…!

Jeremiah 31: 7 - 14

⁷For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.” ⁸See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. ⁹With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.” ¹¹For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. ¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. ¹³Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. ¹⁴I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.

Mark 10:46-52

⁴⁶They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” ⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Contact: gmail.com@trinitymcc
Search