하나님께 가까이 함이 내게 복이라(시편73:28)

October 24, 2015

American Baptist Seminary of the West.

Course: Preaching

Student: Hakizimana Appolinaire

Professor: Rev Dr. Samuel Park

Sermon on (Mark 10: 46-52)

The them: Jesus is calling

In two thousand, I was rewarded to attend pastors meeting, the meeting which was headed by our Diocesan Bishop. Although I was not yet a pastor, during that meeting Bishop called ten people who could remain and talk more with the Bishop after the meeting, me too I was called among of these 10 people. Then Bishop told us that he wants to ordain us as pastors in our Diocese, it was good news to us.

The Gospel according to Mark (10: 46-52), Mark is telling us the story of Birtimaeus, the blind man who called by Jesus. According to Jews tradition, the blind people, lame, leprosy one, were people who left behind by the community. Jews culture treats them very bad, there was no one to pay attention for their basic needs, worst these kinds of people regarded by Jews tradition to be a source of their problem, that it was because of their own sins or their parents caused them to have those kind of weakness on their body.

Such people including Bertimaeus, expect their daily bread from begging anyone who pass on the way or the roads. Can you imagine how Bertimaeus was looks like? Could you think about his clothes which he uses to wear? Can you think about his smell? He was very much tied person, hopeless and distressed. I strongly believe that, Bertimaeus never attend any event celebration, he never feels happy in his life, he doesn’t know something called smil.

But Bertimaeus knew about Jesus before he meet him 46-47, “when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” This was Jesus’ question to know how people call him. Now the blind man, is telling Jesus not just his name but even his Genealogy, and Identity “ Jesus of Nazareth the son of David”. Here it mean Jesus’ humanity” It doesn’t mean Messiah, because Jesus said that the Messiah cannot be the Son of David, since David calls the Messiah his king (Luke 20:41-44).

Brother and sister please don’t ask me, about how such hopeless person and low class knew about Jesus. But what we can learn from here, is that Jesus’ ministry was famously during the time of his visitation of Jericho. One of another evidence to prove about how Jesus was famous leader, it is this lager crowd which was moving with him. Can you guess about how many people were moving with Jesus? Me too I am not sure, but Mark gives us an example of Jesus crowd where he feed four thousand people (Mark 8: 1-10) and Five thousand ( Mark 6:30-44) without women even children included. Could you get the picture of Jesus crowd? In my understanding is that Jesus could have over than ten thousand people, who were moving around with him.

Brothers and sister our Lord Jesus is powerfully leader, great king, a king of the kings and Messiah. He is this great leader who came where Bertimeaus was seated and begging, even though Jesus has over than ten thousand people but he need even blind me. He is coming to you too, where you are stacked. It is good news to know that, Jesus is moving around to seek who is oppressed, and his intention is to transform his people and set them free, because he has mercy and he is able. Brothers and sisters Jesus has mercy to me and you and he is able to set us free.

People who told the blind man that Jesus is calling him (Mark 10: 49), are the same people who were telling the blind man to keep quiet, how these people changed and now they are conveying Jesus’ message to the oppressed one? Brothers and sister it doesn’t matter about who you were before, your important time is today. Jesus is calling you and me to convey his message to his people, because he has mercy to them. He want me and you to go out and bring homeless, widows, orphan, poor, sinner he ant to transform them and make them his flowers.

(Mark 10: 50) the blind man “throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.”He had great faith in Jesus that he has no more a need of this garment, he will not remain in the same place, he is not beggar any more , he is not blind man any more, since he called by Jesus and who has mercy on Him. Real after Bertimaeus being healed, he followed Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, me and you as prophetic preachers, we are called by Jesus to move around in our villages’ even outside to inform people about Jesus’ calling, and helping them to throw down, the garments of poverty, the garment of hopeless and distressing , the garments of sins, and receive mercy of salvation from Jesus. And as Jesus stopped and wait until Bertimaeus arrived to him and heal him, in the same way also Jesus is waiting until we bring our neighbors, relatives, homeless, windows, orphan and others to him.

Brothers and sisters Jesus is calling, he has mercy and his waiting for you and me’s responses to his calling. Be blessed in Jesus name.Let us pray