Sermon at Parkside Baptist Church, March 22, 2015

This morning Gail and I went up to visit the congregation at Parkside Baptist Church in the Florence area of Omaha.  I was invited to come up and provide pulpit supply while their Pastor was away for a few days of vacation.  Parkside has a smaller congregation but a beautiful little sanctuary.  They have some wonderful stained glass windows that were well lit today and were just beautiful.  Gail forgot to start recording the sermon today until it was well underway and so she decided to just skip trying to record it at all.  In the absence of any video, I've attached a copy of the manuscript to the end of this blog post.

I spent a little bit of the day working on some artwork that I recently received a commission to complete.  The commission is for one large painting and another extremely large wall sculpture.  Today I was working on the pieces that will be attached to the front of the sculpture.  I will be working in earnest on these pieces for the next three weeks and, therefore, my goals for getting my bodyweight down a bit will have to wait.  In fact, I will be lucky to even get in a couple of workouts in the next three weeks.

Our Landlord at the Gallery has been kind enough to agree to let me use an empty bay in the shopping center in which to assemble and make the final preparations of the wall sculpture. The piece is simply too large to work on in my normal studio space.  Fortunately, the customer that I'm creating the art for runs a trucking company and they are going to provide a truck to haul it from the space to their home for installation.  It's always fun and exciting to take on these bigger pieces, but they do present logistic and physical problems that more normal sized pieces do not.

I don't have too much more that I can share at this time, so I will end this blog post here.  Please do read through the manuscript of the sermon today, it was very well received by the good people at Parkside Baptist.

May you all be well and richly blessed.

In His Grace & Love,
Roy

Sermon March 22, 2015 – Parkside Baptist Church

Good morning, my name is Roy Karlen my wife Gail is here with me this morning and we are both very happy to have this chance to be with you all today.  We regularly attend Benson Baptist where I also help with the Sunday School program.  But, both Gail and I very much enjoy visiting different churches and we admittedly have a special fondness for smaller congregations.  So we both thank you for the invitation to come and have this time to worship with you this morning.

Please let me tell you a little more about who I am.  My wife Gail and I own Leonardo's Art & Prints which is an art gallery and custom framing shop located at 120th and West Center Road here in Omaha.  I am a graduate of Cotner College's “Educating Lay Ministry Program” or ELM.  ELM is a three-year program here in Nebraska designed to train lay people to take on roles in formal ministry.  ELM is a multi-denominational or ecumenical program with students from the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ and, of course, the American Baptist Church.

Stained Glass at Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

In addition to my ELM training, I studied for a number of years with Jesse Brown who was my mentor.  I'm sure that at least a few of you were acquainted with Jesse.  After Jesse's death Bob Molby took over the formal role as my mentor but, I have also received spiritual and personal guidance from Dick Peterson, Susan Gillies, and Kathy Brown, as well as others.

I will confess that I am not necessarily a smooth nor an eloquent preacher, rather I consider myself more of a teacher than a preacher.  In all of my sermons, there is an element of teaching thrown in with the sermon.

The verses we're going to be looking at in just a little bit concern the healing of blindness.  Of course, we find this metaphor in the Gospels in several places.  And the metaphor doesn't necessarily mean we are completely blind but that we cannot see adequately or correctly.  In order to see properly we need adequate light.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Not long ago my daughter was having problems with her car and we decided that it was time to get her a different used vehicle.  One of the cars, I went to look at the gentleman selling it told me that he had repaired the hood and the front fender.  The car was parked in the shade and where it was the repairs looked very good.  So I asked to drive it and when I had completed the test drive I parked the car in a different location.  The man asked me to pull it in where it had been and I told him I wanted to see the car out in the full sunlight.  Well, of course with adequate light, I could see that the paint on the hood and fender did not match the rest of the car.

It looked fine in the shade, but in the fullness of the light it was obviously not.  The difference in the light changed the way I saw the car, just as the light of God changes the way we see the world.

Before we go any further though, let's please go before the Lord in Prayer:

O' God we desire your presence with us here today.  Lord, still our restless spirits, that with quiet minds and reverent hearts we may hear your voice and genuinely worship you.
Prepare our minds and hearts O' God, that through your word, read and proclaimed, Christ may come to dwell within us, and ever rule over our thoughts and affections as the Lord of our lives.     AMEN

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Today we're going to be looking at a bit of scripture found in the Gospel of Mark.  As you all may be aware, the Gospel of Mark is accepted by the vast majority of Biblical Scholars as the earliest of the four Gospels that are found in the New Testament.  The exact date of its composition is unknown and the estimates of its age do vary, however my personal opinion is that the book dates to sometime shortly after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke were likely written around a decade later and the Gospel of John was probably completed very near to the end of the first century AD.

The verses that we will be taking a closer look at this morning are found in the Gospel of Mark 10: 46-52.  In this story, we find Jesus on the way to Jerusalem to observe Passover and to face his destiny with the Roman Empire and the Jewish Leaders.  With that let's listen to these verses and then we'll examine the verses themselves as well as those verses that frame them.

Mark 10: 46-52 - Jesus Heals a Blind Man
46 Then they came to the town of Jericho. As Jesus was leaving there with his followers and a great many people, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many people warned the blind man to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Tell the man to come here.”
So they called the blind man, saying, “Cheer up! Get to your feet. Jesus is calling you.” 50 The blind man jumped up, left his coat there, and went to Jesus.
51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Teacher, I want to see.”
52 Jesus said, “Go, you are healed because you believed.” At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the road.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Okay, now let's unpack this just a little bit.  Jesus and his followers are leaving Jericho on the way towards Jerusalem.  Here along the road a blind beggar learns that Jesus is passing by and he cries out to Jesus repeatedly, even though the crowd tells him to be quiet.  The blind man is persistent, and ultimately it pays off for him.

For a moment let's consider this man's name 'Bartimaeus'.  Often in scripture there is a message hidden in the names utilized.  Now when we see a name that begins with 'Bar', it means in Aramaic 'the son of' whatever name follows.  We see this here and we'll see it again later in Mark Chapter 15 where we encounter 'Barabbas'.  Pilate offers up to the crowd the choice to set free either Jesus 'the son of God' or Barabbas, Bar 'the son of' Abba 'Father'.  Barabbas 'the son of The Father'.  Now Barabbas is considered to be a man of violence here in scripture and of course we know Jesus was a man of peace and non-violence.  It is thought by some scholars that Barabbas may well have been attempting to lead, or was at least participating in a revolution of sorts against the Romans.  Given the choice between the peaceful 'Son of God' or the violent 'son of The Father', the people choose violence.  A very telling event, but one for another sermon on another day.

'Bartimaeus', what does this name mean in Aramaic?  Well again 'Bar' is son of and 'Timaeus' in Aramaic means unclean, impure, an outcast.  This blind beggar crying out to Jesus is the son of the unclean, the child of impurity.  Rejected, marginalized and ignored by society, but not ignored by Jesus.  Bartimaeus' name is so important that it is even translated within the scripture itself, 'Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus'. Jesus summons him to his side, and what does the beggar do?  He jumps up and hurries to Jesus, leaving his coat behind.  This is an important detail, he left his coat behind.  Now obviously, it would be difficult if not impossible for this man to find his way back to what is likely his only source of protection from the elements.  Leaving his coat behind is a great display of faith, faith that Jesus could and would heal his affliction.

Generally, when we're contemplating scripture it is advisable to consider the verses that directly follow and those which directly precede the verses we're studying.  Now immediately after these verses we find the 'triumphant entry' into Jerusalem.  I'll be very careful and not tread too far as that's for next week, when we celebrate Palm Sunday and Jesus procession into Jerusalem.  But that's what we find immediately follow this passage, the entry into the city and the beginning of the chain of events that would forever define Jesus' ministry.
What do we find preceding our chosen verses?  Well let's back up to the passage that was read earlier as our scripture verses for today.  Mark 10: 13-16

Jesus Accepts Children
13 Some people brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch them, but his followers told them to stop. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was upset and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.

Now in Jesus' time, children were not regarded the way children are today.  They were to be honest a marginalized component of the society.  Certainly, they were not supposed to impose upon a teacher such as Jesus.  Just as in the story of the blind beggar, we have a marginalized section of society seeking out the blessing of Christ.  And just like our earlier story here an attempt is made to prevent them from having access to Jesus.  But what we find in both stories is Christ calling out to those deemed lesser by society and calling them to him.  In one he heals and in the other he blesses, but in both his behavior and attitude towards them is frankly unexpected by society.

I'm going to skip over for the moment the story of the 'Rich Young Man' and first look at Mark 10: 35-45

Two Followers Ask Jesus a Favor
35 Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us.”
36 Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37 They answered, “Let one of us sit at your right side and one of us sit at your left side in your glory in your kingdom.”
38 Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I must drink? And can you be baptized with the same kind of baptism that I must go through?”
39 They answered, “Yes, we can.”
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the same cup that I will drink, and you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through. 40 But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the other ten followers heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “The other nations have rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their power over the people, and their important leaders love to use all their authority. 43 But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. 44 Whoever wants to become the first among you must serve all of you like a slave. 45 In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

One could argue that the Apostles are just as blind as poor Bartimaeus, perhaps even more so.  The Apostles have been literally walking side by side with Jesus and yet here they are concerned with where they will sit in the Kingdom to come and not about serving people here in this world as the world was then and as it is still today.  Immediately however, Jesus puts them straight and with no uncertain terms.  Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, and he calls those that claim to follow him to do the same.

Let us now go back to the verses about the Rich Young Man.  Mark 10: 17-22

A Rich Young Man’s Question
17 As Jesus started to leave, a man ran to him and fell on his knees before Jesus. The man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to have life forever?”
18 Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. 19 You know the commands: ‘You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. You must not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’”
20 The man said, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these things since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

Let's contrast this 'Rich Young Man' with our poor soul 'Bartimaeus'.  In both stories, we have a man seeking out Jesus.  Both have requests to put before him, one seeks salvation and the other sight.  In both cases Jesus gives them exactly what they ask for yet to surprisingly different results.

Bartimaeus, the 'Son of the Unclean' leaves behind even his coat to join Christ on the road headed to Jerusalem.  This man who is clearly an outcast and 'impure' recognizes Jesus for who he is and joins his procession.  And again, the story leaves us to believe that he has left behind his coat, likely his major worldly possession.

Now the 'Rich Young Man' by his own profession has obeyed all the laws and commandments since he was a child.  He is certainly ritually pure and if we can believe his confession he is without sin.  Yet, when told what he needed to do to have riches in Heaven, he could not follow through.  Unable to let go of what he has in this world, he turned and walked away, leaving behind Jesus and the gift that had been offered to him.

My late mentor Jesse used to like to say that Jesus never asked us to worship him, but he did repeatedly ask us to follow him.  Here in these two stories we find one man who is specifically asked to follow who declines and another who seems to take it for granted and just joins right in with the procession towards Jerusalem.  And of course it is important to note that it is the unclean man who has faith and follows and the pious man, the man who is accepted by society who falls away.

These are all stories with unexpected elements in them.  Children who recognize Jesus for who he is, the unclean who are crippled and marginalized willingly following Christ, the Apostles allowing their egos to get in the way of understanding Christ's message, and a man who claims to be extraordinarily pious unable to let go of his worldly wealth to gain treasures in heaven.
As we read these stories we have to ask ourselves, are we going to focus on the things of this world, our egos, our possessions, our status or position... or are we going to open our eyes as Jesus commands and then join the procession into Jerusalem on our way to Palm Sunday and beyond.  For you see the message in the story of Bartimaeus isn't only about seeing, more importantly it's about faith and doing.  Rising up and following Christ all the way to Jerusalem.

God bless you all and again, thank you so very much for asking me to come and worship with you.

Let us close with a prayer.

Dear Father, Abba, we come to you humbly, and freely accept the grace that you provide to us, grace given despite our sins against you in thought, word and deed.  Lord, we thank you for your love and forgiveness and we cherish above all else our relationship to you, we also thank you for the relationships that you have blessed us with in our families, our friends, our fellow believers and all our fellow human beings.  Truly, all are a part of your grand design and creation.  Dear God, let us always be mindful of your directions in this world and let us be your hands and feet in this place.  Father, we look forward to the day when through your direction all shall be reconciled to you and to each other.
We pray this in your most Holy and Blessed name, AMEN.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo