“AND JESUS STOOD STILL” (Mk. 10:46-52)

March 23^rd, 2003

 

Int.   The Sun stood still by the words of a feeble man....'JOSHUA"

 

A.      (Josh 10:13)  "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day."

 

b.       Here, He who made the sun, stood still at the feeble   words of a  'BLIND BEGGAR'.

 

c.       Jericho:    Gill remarks: " Where Christ met with Zacchaeus, and converted him"   Gill again: "Which followed him out of that city, to go with him to Jerusalem, being but ten miles off:"

 

WHEN JESUS CAME TO STAY By Charles Alexander

 

One sat along beside the Hi-way begging,

His eyes were blind, the light he could not see;

 

He touched his rags, and shivered in the shadows,

Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee.

 

When Jesus comes, the tempter's power is broken,

When Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away;

 

He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,

All is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

 

So men today, have found the Saviour able,

They could not conquer passions, lust and sins,

 

Their broken hearts had left them sad and lonely,

Then Jesus came and dwelt  Himself  within.

 

When Jesus comes, the tempter's power is broken,

When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away,

 

He takes the gloom and fills the life with Glory,

For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

 

CONSIDER SEVEN THINGS ABOUT THIS MAN

 

I.       WHO   HE   WAS.

 

          A.      WE   KNOW   WHO   HIS   PARENTS   WERE....(Romans 5:12)

 

Joseph Hart wrote:

When Adam by transgression fell,

And conscious, fled his Maker’s face,

Linked in clandestine league with hell,

He ruined all his future race:

The seeds of evil once brought in,

Increased and filled the world with sin.

 

          B.      HE   WAS   BLIND....(2 Cor 4:4)  "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

 

                   1.       Miracle Revival:   "Many  years ago, a  visiting  evangelist  appeard  on the  radio  program of  a  local  church.   As  a  reminder  not  to  speak  in  haste  concluded  by  inviting  the public  to  the  beginning  revival  meeting  by  saying,  "Come to our revival meeting where the blind hear, the dumb see, the deaf walk, and the lame talk".   

 

                             a.       This word   “Blind”   is  found 15 times in (Jn 9:)

 

2.                          Thomas Reade's,   "On Christian Privilege" , said:  Man is naturally blind to his real condition, as a  guilty, condemned sinner. Enjoying   the   pleasures  of time, he never inquires   after   those   of   eternity.

                  

                   3.       The problem   is:   "GOD  SENT  JESUS  INTO  THIS  WORLD  AND  WE SPAT  IN   HIS  FACE."

 

                   4.       Man’S problem  is like the Jews of old: (Luke 19:14)  "But his citizens hated   him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us."

 

                   5.       One of the blights of Palestinian society was blindness  created  by heat, dust, sunlight, and  oph/tha/l/mia.

                  

                   6.       Van Duren says: "More miracles are recorded as to the blind man than any other disease. One of palsy, one of dropsy, two of leprosy, two of  feaver.   Three dead were raised, but Four blind were restored to sight.   Isaiah alludes oftener to curing the blind than any other form of disease."

 

                   7.       A pastor went into the pulpit one Sunday morning wearing a pair of new  bifocals. The reading portion of the glasses improved his vision considerably, but whenever he looked through   the top portion of the glasses he got dizzy. He explained to the congregation that the new glasses were causing problems, then said, "I hope you will excuse my continually removing my glasses. You   see,   when   I   look   down   I   can   see   fine,   but   when I   look   at   you,   it   makes   me   sick."

 

                   8.       Bring Them In  "A  missionary  physician  in  one  of  China's  hospitals  cured  a  man  of cataracts.  A  few  weeks  later  forty-eight   blind men came to him from one of Chinas wilds, each holding a rope held in the hand of the man who had been cured. He had led them in this way, walking in a chain 250 miles to the hospital.”

 

          C.      CONSIDER THE PICTURE BEFORE US.

 

                   1.       Mr. Roberts in Gray and Adams says:   "Here is a picture teeming with Eastern life. See that blind man seated under a shady tree "by the highway;" he has occupied that place from infancy. Travellers who are accustomed to pass that way always expect to see the blind beggar; and were he not there, they would have a sense of discomfort,  and anxiously inquire after the cause of his absence.  So soon as he hears the sound of a footstep he begins to cry aloud   'THE BLIND! THE BLIND! remember the BLIND!"

 

                             He  knows   almost  every  man's  voice,  and  has  always  some  question  to  ask in reference  to  the  family  at  home.   Should   a  stranger  be  passing, he inquires, "ATH-AH", that is,   'WHAT  IS  THAT?" Those who cannot walk are carried to their wanted  place,  as  was  the  man who was 'LAID DAILY AT THE GATE OF THE TEMPLE, WHICH IS CALLED  BEAUTIFUL," to ask alms of them that entered the temple."

 

          D.      HE   WAS   A   POOR   MAN  ----(A beggar if you please)   (Vr. 46)

 

                   1.       "If Jesus thought enough of this man to stop and stand still; then no one present has any excuse for going home lost.”

 

"Tis perfect poverty alone  

That sets the soul at large;

While we can call one mite our own

  We get no full discharge.

 

But let our debts be what they may,

 However great or small,

As soon as we have nought to pay,

 Our Lord forgives us all."

 

                   Ill.       THE OLD SLAVE PREACHER SAID HIS SERMON HAD THREE POINTS TO IT

 

                             a.       This man was blind.

                              b.      This man was blind in both eyes.

                              c.      He couldn't see a lick.

 

          E.       ALL   MEN   OUTSIDE   OF   CHRIST   ARE   BLIND   TO   THE   GOSPEL

                  

                   1.       Men have been blind since the fall in the garden.

 

2.                          John the Baptist said:  (Mat 3:10)  "And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

 

                   3.       An “modern artist” painted a picture of what he called Jesus this week and had him with tatoo’s on his body.  What blasphemy!

 

                   4.       Some refer to ALMIGHTY GOD as   'the man upstairs'.

 

          F.      THE   PROBLEM   IN   OUR   TEXT...  (They told him to be quiet)

 

1.                          They had never been blind. 

 

                             a.       Jesus was accompanied by a large group of pilgrims who were also traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 

                   2.       They knew   nothing   about   his   deep   poverty.

 

                   3.       "He began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me."  

 

                             a.       Gill remarks: " He did not call him Jesus of Nazareth, as the common people did, but Jesus, the son of David, a title of the Messiah; nor did he ask for money, but for mercy;"

 

G.               NOTICE THE RESULTS OF HIS PLEA.   

 

                   1.       .(JESUS  STOOD   STILL)   

 

                             a.       He   was on the move when He was interrupted   here. (Vr. 33-34) 

 

                             b.       Though   normally on the move, He "went about doing good."

 

                             c.        His was the love that didn't wait to be sought. (Luke 19:10)

 

d.                                   He stopped on the way to the Cross long enough to give sight to this poor blind beggar. (Mk 10:33-34, 49)

 

                                      (1)     Jericho had produced in ages long gone by a Prodigy of faith among her harlots, and now she shows us a wonder of grace among her beggars.

 

e.                                    He had a baptism to be baptized with and was straightened until it was accomplished, but He paused for this beggar.

 

f.                                    The   Lord   stands   still today   whenever   a   man   realizes his blind condition and calls on Him for mercy.

 

                   2.       Pilate with all his powers could not cause Jesus to stand still.

 

                   3.       Herod who controlled vast armies couldn’t do that.

 

                   4.       The Mighty Roman Soldiers couldn’t cause Jesus to stand still.

 

                             Ill.      Instead,  they fell backwards.

 

                                      a.       (John 18:6)  "As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground."

 

                   5.       "Amid the Hosanna’s,  Jesus stood still, holding up the multitude of  followers in (Vr. 46)

 

                             a.       (Mark 11:9)  "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:"

 

          H.      WHAT   CAUSED   JESUS   TO   STAND   STILL   ON   THIS   DAY?

 

                   1.       It was like the woman with the issue of blood...”.Jesus felt virtue go out of Himself.”

 

                             a.       (Mark 5:30)  "And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?"

 

                   2.       It was like when the Greeks came seeking Jesus.

 

                             a.       (John 12:20-21)  "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: {21} The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

 

II.      CONSIDER WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR HIS PEOPLE.

 

          A.      CONSIDER THIS QUESTION.

 

                   1.       If you knew that He would stand still today; would you call on Him?

 

          B.      CONSIDER   SOME   HINDERANCES   TO   COMING   TO   CHRIST.

 

                   Ill.      A great revival of religion took place in some of the American States about the year 1773. Many were brought to an acquaintances with God by faith in  Christ. Two of these, a white man and a black man, meeting together, began to speak concerning the goodness of God in their souls.

                             Among other things they were led to inquire how long each other had known the salvation of God, and how long it was, after they were convinced of their sin and danger, before each got a satisfactory evidence of pardoning mercy.

                             The white man said, “I was three months in deep distress of soul before God spoke peace to my troubled and guilty conscience.” But it was only a forthright,” replied the black man, “From the time I first heard of Jesus, and felt that I was a sinner, till I received the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins.”

                             “But  what  was  the  reason,”  said the white man, “that you found salvation sooner than I did?” “This is the reason,” replied the other: “You white men have much clothing upon you, and  when Christ calls, you cannot  run  to Him; but we poor negroes have only this (pointing to the mat or cloth which was  tied  around  his  neck), and when  we  hear  the call, we throw it off instantly, and run to Him.”

 

          C.      CONSIDER  WHAT  THIS  MAN  DID  AS  HE  APPROACHED  JESUS.

 

                   1.       He cast away his old garment. (Vr. 50)

 

                             a.       Matthew Henry says: "Those who would come to Jesus, must cast away the garment of their own sufficiency, must free themselves from every weight, and the sin that, like long garments, most easily besets them.  ( Heb. 12:1)"

                  

                   2.       Gill says:  "Such  who are effectually called by the grace of Christ, of which this man was an emblem, hate the garment spotted with the flesh; and: put off the old man,

 

                             a.       “These also cast away the garment of their own righteousness, it being as fig leaves, a spider's web,  filthy rags,  and  a beggarly robe, as this man's was; and come nakedly  to  Christ, for righteousness, and renounce their own in point of justification, that being an hinderance to their coming to him for his.

 

          D.      NOTICE   THE   IMMEDIATE   BEHAVIOR   OF   THOSE   THAT   GO   TO CHRIST.

 

                   1.        Mr. Gill again says     “Being enlightened by Christ, follow him as their leader and commander, as the captain of their salvation, as the shepherd of the flock, as their guide and forerunner, as their pattern and exemplar, and as the light of the world: him they follow and imitate, in the duties of morality, in the way of public instituted worship, and in Gospel ordinances; as baptism, and the Lord's supper”

 

Away to the country of sunshine and song,

Our songbird has taken her flight,

And she who has sung in the darkness so long

Now sings in the beautiful light.

 

Conclusion:   Oh, that Jesus might be passing by someone in this building today.

 

“Since still Thou goest about to do

Thy needy creatures good;

On me, that I Thy praise may show,

Be all Thy wonders show’d.

 

“Behold  me  waiting,  in  the  way,

For Thee, the heavenly light;

Command me to be brought, and say,

‘Sinner,  receive  thy  sight.”