A Candidate For Salvation
Luke 18:35-43
May 24, 2020
Luke 18 has been quite an interesting chapter.
We have seen contrast after contrast and picture after picture.
Examples of those who are prime candidates for salvation
And examples of those who are not.
And that may seem like a strange way to put it.
Isn’t every lost person a candidate for salvation?
• Every lost person is in need of salvation.
• Every lost person has the opportunity of salvation.
• But not everyone is a candidate for salvation.
WHY?
Because they don’t see themselves as one who needs salvation.
Take for example Jesus warning in Matthew 7
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
• This of course is on the heels of Jesus message about not judging.
• He says to first “take the log out of your own eye so that you will see clearly to take the spec out of your brother’s eye”.
• However, He also gives this warning about casting your pears before swine.
The idea is that not everyone will hear it.
Not everyone will value the truth simply because it is the truth.
And you cannot argue people into the Kingdom of Heaven.
We studied the Old Testament prophecy last week in which Isaiah asked:
Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
John referenced that same verse as a fulfillment of the people of Jesus’ day:
John 12:37-38 “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?”
What we have learned is that there are certain attitudes
That make a person a prime candidate for salvation
And there are attitudes that make a terrible candidate for salvation.
Those attitudes are clearly laid out for us in the Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-8 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Jesus showed us there who is a candidate for salvation.
• Those who know their spiritual poverty.
• Those who hate the sin that made them that way.
• Those who are submissive to whatever is required for salvation.
• Those who long and hunger for salvation.
• Those who understand the value of mercy.
• Those who have no ulterior motives.
• Those who understand the necessity of peace with God.
Those are the attitudes of salvation.
But
• A person who thinks themselves to be spiritually rich
• A person who does not hate their sin
• A person who is rebellious to the call of God
• A person who doesn’t desire righteousness
• A person who sees no need or value in mercy
• A person who is hypocritical in their religion
• A person who is worried about peace with God
That person is not a candidate for salvation
Simply because they do not think the need it.
And Luke 18 has been a chapter that
Has really SHOWN US THE DIFFERENCES between the two.
We can think of that PERSISTENT WIDOW
• Who wanted justice so bad that she continued to return to the judge even though he was unrighteous.
And at the end of that story, Jesus drove His point home by asking:
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
That widow was a picture of the type of attitude Christ was looking for.
SHE HAD FAITH.
We can think of hat HUMBLE TAX COLLECTOR
• That contrasting story of the two men who went up to pray.
• The Pharisee however was not a candidate for salvation because he thought himself to be spiritually rich and had no need for mercy.
• The Tax Collector was a picture of spiritual poverty and humility as he could only beg for God’s mercy.
Again Jesus made the point:
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
That Tax Collector had the attitude Christ was looking for.
HE HAD HUMILITY
We can think of those PARENTS BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN
• The parents wanted their children blessed.
• The children were helpless.
• The disciples didn’t like it.
• But again we saw candidates for salvation.
In fact Jesus said:
Luke 18:16-17 “But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
But those children demonstrated the attitude Jesus was looking for.
They were DEPENDANT
It is the person who understands that they need someone else
To do for them what they cannot do on their own.
And then we saw the story of that RICH YOUNG RULER,
• He was not a candidate for salvation.
WHY?
Because he was rich.
(And he put far too much value not just on his earthly riches,
But also on his spiritual accomplishments)
He wasn’t willing to leave it all behind for Jesus.
Luke 18:24-25 “And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
However Luke contrasted him with THE DISCIPLES who did leave everything to follow Jesus.
They were DESPERATE
But again I remind you of this journey Luke has taken us on.
Really throughout his gospel,
Luke has continued to draw this hard line
Between those who see the need for Christ and those who do not.
Now I remind you of all those stories here in Luke’s gospel because
Luke is about to give you one of his greatest examples.
(Really he’s about to give you two great examples)
• The first is the blind man who Mark calls Bartimaeus
• The second is a rich man you know as Zaccheus
This morning we look at the first.
This blind man.
He is one of, if not the best, description
Of a salvation candidate that we see in the Bible.
In fact, those attributes that we highlighted in the stories in Luke 18;
THIS MAN HAS THEM ALL.
He serves as a living picture and illustration
Of precisely the attitude needed if one is to be saved.
And we are grateful for such pictures.
• For if you don’t come to Christ like that widow, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like that tax collector, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like those children, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like the disciples, you can’t come.
• And if you don’t come like this blind beggar, you can’t come.
So let’s look now at this new illustration of salvation in Luke’s gospel.
5 observations we can draw out of this text.
#1 HIS PITIFUL STATE
Luke 18:35
“As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”
Just to understand all that’s going on here in Jesus’ life,
Let’s develop this story a little.
• We saw last week that Jesus had determined to make His final trip to Jerusalem.
• They’ve tried to stone Him the last two times He was there.
• Recently He raised Lazarus from the dead, and that event sealed the deal and they are plotting His death.
• But none the less, motivated by love, our Lord is heading to Jerusalem to give Himself up for us.
He is on that journey, and He is “approaching Jericho”
When you moved from Galilee toward Jerusalem,
• Typically the Jews would travel on the East side of the Jordan river (so that they didn’t have to go through Samaria)
• And cross back over just north of the Dead Sea.
From there it was about a 20 mile walk to Jerusalem, but it was hard.
• The Dead Sea is over 1,400 feet BELOW sea level.
• Jericho is 800 feet ABOVE sea level.
• Jerusalem is 3800 feet ABOVE sea level.
• In short, you’d clime around 2000 feet in a 6 mile walk to get to Jericho
• And you’d clime about 3000 feet in a 14 mile walk to Jerusalem.
The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was intense.
It was filled with rocky crags narrow paths.
It was dangerous as the story of the Good Samaritan makes clear
But for Jews coming south for the Passover it was a well-traveled area.
And that is why this blind man is here.
• Both Matthew and Mark mention two blind men
• Mark names one of them as Bartimaeus (probably prominent in the church)
• No doubt Bartimaeus is the main character and thus the only one Luke mentions.
But Bartimaeus is here by the road in Jericho.
• First because it was a high traffic area and good for begging.
• Second because travelers often had more money on them than those at home.
• Third Because Jericho was a lower elevation it was often warmer than Jerusalem.
• Fourth because a certain bush grew in the region that was believe to help with blindness.
It makes sense why he’d be here.
But in order to grasp the pitiful state
You also need to understand the cultural perception towards the blind.
The blind were not cared for, they were considered cursed.
The general consensus was that their blindness was a result of sin.
This would have especially been true in Bartimaeus’ case
For in a moment he will ask, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
Indicating that he was probably not born blind, but rather became blind.
Remember the disciples discussing the blind man in Jerusalem?
John 9:1-2 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
And remember after Jesus healed that man that he got into an argument with the Pharisees about Jesus.
John 9:34 “They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.”
Bartimaeus was in a pitiful state.
He was a blind beggar.
“a blind man was sitting by the road begging.”
And just so we are clear, you need to understand that
Bartimaeus is a perfect illustration of every lost man.
• We are all born entirely in sins.
• Apart from Christ we are all spiritually blind.
• And we are all totally helpless to do anything about it on our own.
• If we are to receive anything it will only be through begging.
That was Bartimaeus.
But on this day, grace is about to arrive.
His Pitiful State
#2 HIS PERCEPTIVE CRY
Luke 18:36-38
What a day this would prove to be, for we read:
(36) “Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”
No doubt he had heard plenty of travelers,
• Especially during this time as people were headed to Jerusalem for Passover.
But on this day, the crowd was much larger, much louder,
And presumably much more excited.
WHY?
They were with Jesus and Jesus was fresh off of raising Lazarus from the dead
And the crowds were at fever pitch levels.
Let me just give you a glimpse of the scene from John’s gospel.
John 12:17-22 “So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.”
• His popularity is through the roof.
• Excitement regarding Him is at an all-time high.
• Even the Pharisees seem deflated that the “the world has gone after Him”
• In the next day or two He’s about to have the Triumphal Entry where they
proclaim Him king.
The buzz of this crowd is different and Bartimaeus notices it.
“he began to inquire what this was.”
(37) “They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.”
It is interesting that Jesus is introduced to Bartimaeus with this title
Because in the very next verse we read:
(38) “And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
I’m sure you recognize the difference.
• They told Bartimaeus this was “Jesus of Nazareth”
• Bartimaeus calls Him “Jesus, Son of David”
The first title is accurate. Jesus was a man from Nazareth.
But the second title sees beyond the physical. It is a Messianic title.
Bartimaeus sees Him as God’s King.
And this is why we say that Bartimaeus had a perceptive cry.
In fact, it is apparent that this blind man saw what others did not.
Perhaps it was even his blindness which helped his perception.
For Isaiah also said:
Isaiah 53:2 “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”
• But Bartimaeus was not influenced by such physical evidence.
• What Jesus looked like meant nothing to him.
But not doubt Bartimaeus had heard about the mighty works of Jesus, AND THE EVIDENCE WAS CLEAR.
Jesus was no mere man. He was certainly the Messiah.
The crowd with physical eyes couldn’t see it.
This blind beggar saw it perfectly it.
You might ask, WHY he could see it when no one else could?
• And the answer is the same for him as it is for every other human.
• God revealed it to him.
Remember when Peter first confessed Christ?
Matthew 16:15-17 “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
And that is true for every man.
You don’t see unless God shows you.
Clearly, God had revealed to Bartimaeus what no one else could see.
• Jesus was the “Son of David”.
• Jesus was sent by God.
• Jesus was the Messiah.
Bartimaeus perceived that.
BUT THAT WASN’T ALL BARTIMAEUS PERCEIVED.
• Notice his request: “have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus also perceived himself.
And he sees himself as one at the mercy of another.
• How different that is than the perspective of the Pharisee.
• How different that is than the perspective of the Rich Young Ruler
There is perception and desperation here that is necessary for salvation.
He can’t do this on his own.
He is totally helpless and dependent.
He’s in the same boat as those children who were being brought to Jesus.
• He’s got nothing to offer…
• He’s got nothing to give…
• He’s got no ability to help…
AND HE KNOWS IT.
In short, he knows who Jesus is, and he knows who he is.
Very important if a person is going to be saved.
His Pitiful State, His Perceptive Cry
#3 HIS PERSISTENT REQUEST
Luke 18:39
“Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
You have to love this don’t you.
• It illustrates that blind beggars were viewed as a nuisance; cursed by God.
And so the leaders of the caravan “were sternly telling him to be quiet”
They weren’t messing around
They were serious.
This man was not getting to Jesus.
But don’t you love him…
“but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The word there is KRAZO
It is an onomatopoetic word (defined by how it sounds)
It means “to squawk like a bird”
• It was a shrill, loud, almost obnoxious cry like that of a raven.
• It was actually used to describe the cry of an insane person.
• Or the cry of a woman in labor.
It is how the Canaanite Woman (another salvation candidate) responded to Jesus.
Matthew 15:22 “And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”
The point is that this man is not to be denied.
Do you recognize his desperation? (of course you do)
Luke 18:3-5 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'”
Do you not also see the same mentality in those parents who kept bringing their children even though the disciples were rebuking them?
It is more than desperation, it is FAITH.
It is the belief that Jesus can and Jesus will.
No one could silence him.
No one could stop him.
He was a man in need of what only Jesus could offer
And Jesus was currently available.
This moment was not passing him by.
As noted,
• This was that Canaanite Woman.
• This was those 4 men who lowered their friend through the roof.
• This will be Zaccheus climbing that sycamore tree
• This is that woman fighting the crowd to touch the hem of His garment
• This is that synagogue ruler bowing down in front of everyone because his
daughter was sick
Do you see the faith here?
He’s all in
He is a pitiful man, who perceived that Jesus was near,
And he’s not about to let Jesus get away.
That is all of those characters we’ve seen in Luke 18 rolled up into one.
• It is that persistent widow who won’t quit coming
• It is that tax collector beating his breast and begging for mercy
• It is those parents and their dependent children coming despite a rebuke
• It is those disciples who left everything to follow Jesus
You see them all right here in this blind beggar.
And his faith, humility, dependence, and desperation pay off for him
Just as it did for all those other people in this chapter.
#4 HIS PARDON AND HEALING
Luke 18:40-42
“And Jesus stopped”
• That is certainly good news for a blind desperate beggar.
• He had gained the attention of the Son of God!
“and commanded that the he be brought to Him”
• Matthew’s gospel gives those familiar words: “moved with compassion”
• Of course He was; He always was
• It is the selfless love of our Savior.
• He is not so distracted by His mission of the cross…
• He is not so tired from His climb up the hill…
• He is not so puffed up by the crowds who are following Him…
HE HAS TIME FOR THIS BLIND BEGGAR BY THE ROAD.
And we are not surprised.
We remember the woman at the well
John 4:27 “At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?”
We remember that woman at the Pharisee house
Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
We remember Matthew and his friends
Matthew 9:11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”
We’ll see Zaccheus next week
Luke 19:7 “When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
But just because it is common for Jesus
Does not mean that it’s not still remarkable.
Kings don’t mingle with commoners
Kings don’t answer the requests of beggars
Even modern day leaders make sure their perimeter is protected by their guards and the only time they are going to talk to a blind beggar is if the TV cameras are rolling.
Jesus was the King, and He had every right
To send His heralds ahead of him
To clear the streets of this type of nuisance, BUT HERE HE IS.
BARTIMAEUS HAD FAITH, AND JESUS RESPONDED.
(41) “What do you want Me to do for you?”
Another remarkable thought.
“And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
Now, I know there will be some DETRACTORS who say,
• “Nope, Bartimaeus got it wrong. If he was truly humble he would have asked for forgiveness or salvation.”
They would say the fact that he asked for sight
Only indicates that he is no different from the rest of the crowds
Who also only wanted healing.
But that’s not Bartimaeus and you’ll see why.
Bartimaeus was described in verse 35 as “a blind man was…sitting by the road begging.”
What do you think he was begging for? (just on a normal every day basis)
• Do you think he was asking everyone who came by for sight?
• Of course not! He was asking for money, possibly food.
But that’s not what he asked for from Jesus.
His request indicates that He knows Jesus is different from everyone else.
But perhaps even that is not enough for us to declare his motives pure.
After all, plenty of others requested healing from Jesus
Who were not saved.
But Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus does show us the truth.
(42) “And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”
First Bartimaeus gets his sight.
• Clearly a miracle.
• Clearly a indication of Jesus deity.
• Clearly a Messianic proof
But that isn’t all Jesus gave him.
• Jesus also said, “your faith has made you well.”
“made you well” translates SOZO
Which is the Greek word for “saved”.
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Jesus verifies the purity of Bartimaeus’ faith
By not only granting him healing,
But by ultimately giving him salvation.
Like the tax collector from the earlier story, “this man went away justified…for everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This man’s faith paid off.
But if you want further indication of the genuineness of his faith,
LET’S LOOK AT THE LAST POINT.
#5 HIS PASSION FOR CHRIST
Luke 18:43
“Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God;”
Bartimaeus did what the Rich Young Ruler would not do.
Bartimaeus did what the disciples had earlier done.
He followed Jesus.
Some might say,
• “Yes, but it’s not like he had anything to lose. He was a beggar.”
• It would have been way easier for him to follow than the Rich Young Ruler.
But to make that judgment is to not see the whole picture.
• It is true that he had nothing to leave at the moment
• And in that sense his cost was far less extreme than that of the Rich Young Ruler.
But let me ask you.
• Do you think as a man who had formerly seen, and then gone blind, he might not have a few things on his list that he’d like to do if his sight was ever restored?
• Do you think he might not have some memories of things he like see again?
• Do you suppose there’s a life he’d like to return to?
• Do you suppose there’s a “bucket list” of sorts?
His cost to follow Jesus was not in possessions,
His cost was in dreams and in ambitions and in future plans.
And let me tell you, that is a real cost too.
Laying your future at the feet of Jesus
Is every bit as much of a cost as laying your past there.
AND BARTIMAEUS DOES.
He found Jesus, and He was all in.
And as you look at his life you see a wonderful picture of salvation.
He encompasses all the attributes of all the other examples put together.
Faith – Humility – Dependence – Desperation
He had it all
The question this morning is what about you?
Luke has clearly laid it out for us over the last several weeks.
• There are those who have no faith.
• There are those who are not humble.
• There are those who are self-reliant.
• There are those who are not desperate.
AND THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT CANDIDATES FOR SALVATION.
Salvation is for the pitiful, it is for the perceptive, it is for the persistent.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Let me show you one other text that would fit well with this story.
After Jesus healed that blind man in John 9 and the debate broke out.
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
Jesus just laid out exactly what we’ve been talking about.
• There are those who are blind and the know it and Jesus came to give them
sight! He came to save them.
• And then there are those who are blind who do not know it, and there’s
nothing Jesus can do for them because they don’t think they need Him.
Which are you?
The necessary attitudes of salvation are clearly defined in Scripture,
And they must be yours if you are to be saved.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
If you know you are blind
And you know you need help
And you know Jesus is that help,
Then you can cry out to Him and He will save you too!
He always did, and He always does.
So if you are blind, and by God’s grace you know it,
Then follow the lead of Bartimaeus and cry out to Jesus.
• Don’t worry about the crowd…
• Don’t worry about their scorn…
• Do whatever it takes to get the attention of Jesus…
Romans 10:13 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
