This transcript was generated by whisper.ai. Welcome to our last day of looking together through Mark chapter 10, day 5, verses 46 to 52 today. These verses tell us the story of Jesus' encounter with a man, a blind man, but they also challenge in us a new kind of faith. Listen to what happened, beginning in verse 46, "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 the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me! ' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me! ' Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him. ' So they called the blind man, 'Cheer up, on your feet, he's calling you. ' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus, 'What do you want me to do for you? ' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see. ' 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you. ' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. " As we look at this story together, what Jesus did for this man, I want you to notice first of all where this happened. It happened at Jericho. Jericho is close to Jerusalem. Jesus is getting closer and closer. This is a neighboring town about 15 miles from Jerusalem. He's getting closer and closer to the cross. And we see here that a large crowd is leaving the city. The reason is not only that they're following Jesus to see what Jesus is doing, but they're also going to the Passover. The Passover celebration is about to happen in Jerusalem. The city is about to swell in size with all these people coming in to celebrate the Passover. And Jesus is on the road with all these people heading toward Jerusalem for the Passover. It's somewhat like the crowded airports and roads on Thanksgiving or Christmas in our culture. They are all going the same place at the same time to celebrate. And in this huge crowd with all this excitement, there's a man that's shouting out, "Jesus, have mercy on me. " First of all, you just can't help but love Bartimaeus. He just keeps shouting it out. People tell him to be quiet. People tell him, "God can't help you. " People tell him, "Jesus doesn't see you. He's not there. " But he just keeps shouting it out. And Jesus hears him. Anytime somebody tells you, anytime somebody tells you that Jesus Christ does not want to meet your need, they're caught up in their thinking and not in God's thinking. Jesus says, "Call him. " And so they called him. And Jesus then asked them a question. And this question to me is at the core of our faith. Jesus says, "What do you want me to do for you? " How would you answer that question? You're standing before Jesus Christ. What do you want me to do for you? This man knew. He'd been blind and he couldn't see and he was having to beg. Now, he could have said, "Jesus, I want you to give me a lot of money. Jesus, I want you to give me a better place where I can beg so I can earn more money. " But that's not what you ask Jesus Christ. You ask Jesus Christ to do what only he can do. I want to see. What do you want Jesus Christ to do for you? Where do you want to see where you haven't seen? How do you want to see this world in new ways? Where do you want to have strength to do what only God can do in your life? Who do you want to love that you haven't been able to love before? What do you want Jesus Christ to do for you? You see, these last two weeks, as we walk through Mark 9 and Mark 10, we've been walking through the two chapters that precede the last week of Jesus' life. As we go to Mark 11 next week, we're going to begin his last week on this earth. And in these two chapters, Jesus has been teaching us as his followers what it means to follow him. But in the end, it's all going to come down to this question. What do you want him to do for you? Do you want him just to make you more successful? Is that your total dream? Do you want him just to make life a little more pleasurable for you? Is that your total dream? Or do you want him to empower you to live a life that makes a difference in this world? Do you want him to empower you to love people in a way that only he can love? Jesus has been teaching us as his followers. And this school that we've gone through these last two weeks, there's no written test for this school. The final exam is found in the way that I live out my everyday life, the things that I ask of God and the way that I live for God. And by the way, the things that I ask of God are going to result in the way that I choose to live for God. If I'm asking God only for selfish things, I'm trying to live a selfish life for him. The more I ask God for servant-type things, the more I'm going to serve him in my life. Jesus in these two chapters has been teaching us as his followers. Learn, he says, through experiences, through questions, through failure, through relationships, through confrontation, through conversation, through experience, the experience of the transfiguration, we've learned that Jesus is our teacher. Through the questions that the disciples asked about Elijah, we've learned that the cross is the goal of Jesus. Through the failures that we saw that these disciples faced, we've learned that the power is God's alone. Through the confrontation that Jesus faced with the Pharisees, we've learned the love that is in God's plan for our lives. God plans for our lives because he loves us as his people. And through the conversations throughout these two chapters, we've seen it again and again and again. We've learned it again and again and again. The choice to serve, the humble choice to serve, to be like Jesus. First will be last. Greatest will be servants. The final exam is found in the way that I live my everyday life. Jesus does not ask us to write out a 500-word essay about how to enter the kingdom of God and then check all the words to make sure that they're right, all the grammar, and then okay, great, you did super. Now he asks us instead to depend in faith and humility upon a God through whom all things are possible. He asks us instead to share with the world that it isn't some hidden wealth that makes us Christians, believers, it's a childlike trust that's available to all. And he asks us, here's the test in my life, probably yours too. He asks us to serve others with the joyful knowledge that that is exactly what Jesus would do. I want to live that kind of life, but I don't have the strength, I don't have the power to live that kind of life. I don't know about you, but I'm tempted to be selfish every day of my life. I want to live for me every day of my life. I want to get done my agenda every day of my life. I want to be more comfortable every day of my life. I want to make things work for me every day of my life. That temptation is constant. So how do I get past that temptation to live this kind of life that Jesus is talking about? Only through his strength, only through his power, only through the cross and the resurrection and the relationship that I have with him. So let's ask for his strength and his power right now. Jesus, protect me from trying to live the life of faith on my own energy. Help me to never try to live the life that you've given me to live in a selfish way. I'm never going to get there. Instead, help me to depend on you like a child. Help me to have the humility to know how much I need you today. And God, as I turn my life over to you, whatever the temptations in my heart, I know Satan's going to throw temptations at me. Whatever the temptations, I ask for the strength to live a different kind of life. The kind of life that depends on you and faith. The kind of life that lets others know that faith can be real in their lives. And Jesus, the kind of life, I want to live the kind of life that joyfully serves. I want to live. Jesus, I want to live the life that does exactly what you would do. But I know, I know myself well enough to know I cannot do that on my own strength. I cannot do it in my own power. I need you, Jesus Christ. I need you today. Give me your strength. Give me your power. Help me to live life today in relationship with you. And then let these things happen, grow out of that relationship with you. I ask this, Jesus, in your name, amen. We'll see you back next week. Next week we begin the final week of Jesus Christ before his death and resurrection. This is the most dramatic part of the book. This is the part of the book where you and I see the heart of God, see the love of God, and see the power of God. We'll see you back next week.