“Lord, I want to see”             [User browser 'back' button to return to Sermons]

Based on Mark 10:46-52

The text is:

Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him over!" They called out to the blind man and said, "Don't be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you." The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.

Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Master, I want to see!" Jesus told him, "You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith." Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

O God, our tower of defense against the devil and all his hosts, shore up our faith on the foundations Your Son has laid. Do not let us put our trust in what we do or say but in Your Word, in Your Son. Warm Your church with a holy fire, and purge it until only what is pure remains.

We bless You, Lord, for giving us devoted men like Luther, who saw You clearly in Your word, who were not blinded by fear, superstition or human opinions. And make our own faith as courageous as theirs that we may be their heirs and Your children.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Yea, yea, may it be so: that the name of God will always be hallowed among us. This is not going to be an easy task; we are by nature spiritually blind. This spiritual blindness makes us beg that we might see; it is the yearning of the soul for the freedom in Christ. However, our lives do not always show this yearning.

We are often sitting by the wayside, just waiting for something to happen. Sometimes, we are content to sit in our blindness. If the whole world is content, why should we not be also? That is just the way it is in this world. I might just as well keep quiet; who is listening anyway? If I cry too loud, someone is going to say ‘Keep quiet. You are disturbing me!’ If Bartimaeus would have felt that way, the wonderful things that happened to him would not have happened at all. The opportunity would have passed him by; he would have sat at that gate begging until the day of his death. He did not keep quiet and neither should we. He received the attention of Jesus, and so shall we. He received his sight, and so can we.

Luther found himself in the same type of situation as we do today: begging for the mercy of God, to receive spiritual sight. The church had taken away the light of the Gospel and imprisoned man in the darkness of human reason. Even history calls that period of time the Dark Ages. Dark it was, for more reason than one, for man was not longer free, but under complete bondage, being told what to do, what to believe, how it was to be or not to be, and don’t ask any questions, and do not attempt to change the status quo; this is the way we like it.

This is just like the individual who does not know any better can go through life and let the light of his eyes grow dim. Today, we all want to see and see clearly, cataracts are removed, implants are performed, all that we might see.

If this is so important to mankind, why also should we not want to see ever clearly in a spiritual manner? It shall happen only as one comes to know fully Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the grace which the Father has bestowed through Him. To confess Christ comes from the knowledge of the Son of God, what you see and hear: the blind see, the dumb speak, the lame walk. We do not look for another. This is the One!

‘Your faith has saved you,’ and immediately he received his sight. Luther often describes in his writing the experiences he had groping around for the answers – until the Spirit opened his eyes as he read the scriptures, as he placed his trust in the grace of God. For by faith in God through His grace observed in the scripture, he gained his spiritual sight which the world, the church or his human reason could not give. He found this only as he turned to God and His word. May we also find our spiritual sight in Jesus today as He stops to ask us what we want!

Confess your faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed. Be it to you as you believe. Your faith has made you whole. Behold your salvation, Jesus Christ your Lord! Follow Him joyfully with the firm resolve – ‘I cannot do otherwise. God help me.’

Amen and amen.