Sermon "What To Do With A Faith That MakesYou Well"
Rev. Lonnie Richardson
Sunday October 26, 1997
Mark 10:46-52
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What To Do With a Faith That Makes You Well
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples,together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man,Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), was sitting by theroadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, hebegan to shout, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy onme!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but heshouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called tothe blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's callingyou." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet andcame to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?"Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want tosee." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith hashealed you." Immediately he received his sight and followedJesus along the road.
Mark 10:46-52
Let us pray:
In the silence of the stars, in the quiet of the hills and inthe heaving of the sea, you speak O Lord. In the words of theprophets and the message of the apostles, you speak O Lord. Nowwe pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and thelonging of our hearts. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen.Amen.
At one time Bartimeaus, the blind beggar who sat by theroadside, could see. His life was full of light, and one canassume full of hope. And then something happened to him. He endedbeing unable to see. His options in life collapsed, and he endedup a beggar, sitting by the roadside - hoping that someone wouldpity him, that someone would fill his bowl with food, or give hima few coins to purchase the things that everyone needs. This canhappen to anyone when vision becomes blurred.
Bartimaeus had a hard life. There was little sympathy in hisday for those who were blind. In some circles it was assumed thattheir plight was their own fault, that somehow they deserved tobe blind because of something that they had done, in othercircles the fact that you were blind meant simply that you were adrain on precious resources - a social liability - best ignored -best left by the roadside begging.
How many of us, I wonder feel as Bartimeaus must of felt? Howmany of us feel cut off from the land of the living, prevented byone reason or another from fully participating in the life thatgoes on around us, unable to exercise the options that everyoneelse seems to have, hurting and alone - and wondering - wonderingif perhaps we deserve what we are experiencing?
How many feel trapped in the life you have? In the job youhave? In the relationships you have? In the body you have? Unableto break free, unable to change things? Unable to do anything butdream of how it used to be, or of how it should be? And how -being in that position - do anything about it?
Bartimaeus did. He took faith action and his capacity to seewas restored. So what do you do once you are healed and can see?One is then sent in service. Once he received his sight,Bartimaeus followed Jesus along the road.
Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. As the fatherhas sent me, I am sending you. (John 20:21)
What we do for others, in the name of the faith, designs thefuture. One of the unique characteristics of Christianity is thatit is a missionary religion. It exists not so much for thebenefit of its members but for those not yet a part of itsfellowship. First Congregational Church is what it is todaybecause of the missionary faith of the early church who saw aneed and took action. The future is dependent on our commitmentto be in mission today.
We are involved in missions at home and afar. This January oursecond team of volunteers will travel, at their own expense, toHonduras to work in the Honduran mission medical clinic andinstall a dental addition and help with some other much neededconstruction projects. Plans are also being developed for missionopportunities for youth. At the domestic level we support theMilwaukee Hospice, Hunger Task Force and a myriad of otheractivities to help the needy. We are an integral support for theSt. Vincent meal program in which church volunteers cook andserve food for the hungry each month in the city of milwaukee.This is a simple response to a significant need.
Years ago a Sunday School in Philadelphia was overcrowded,much like some of our classes today. A little girl was turnedaway. She began that day to save her pennies to help the SundaySchool have more room. Two years later, she died. They found apocketbook by her bed with 57 pennies and a little scrap of paperwith a note saying to help the church build a bigger SundaySchool.
The pastor of that church used the note to make a dramaticappeal to his congregation. People's hearts were touched. Onerealtor gave the church a piece of land. He said he just wanted adown payment of 57 pennies. The local newspaper picked up thestory, and it was carried across the country. The pennies grew,and the results can be seen in Philadelphia today with a churchthat seats 3,300 people with a large Sunday School department.Temple University and Good Samaritan Hospital came about as aresult of the initial effort. At the University there is thegirl's picture is on the wall with the reminder that she gave 57cents with an amazing result.
The size of a gift is not determined by it's amount, it isdetermined by the passion behind it! For the little girl, 57cents was all she had. It was not much money but a lot of faith.Let's learn from this example and may our giving have this kindof passion. Amen.
