August 14 -Lesson: Matthew 20.29-34

Sermon Title: Scratching the Itch

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HUMOR
One of the sisters who ran Sacred Heart parochial school in San Francisco used to give her second graders an exercise. She would ask them to draw a picture of what they would like to do with Jesus if he would decide to come and be with them for one day. The kids seemed to like this assignment and would come up with some interesting responses.

But perhaps none so interesting and illuminating as the little girl who came up and said, Sister, my drawing is almost finished. But I have a question to ask. Sure, what is it? The little girl replied, Sister, how do you spell Bloomingdale's?

INTRODUCTION:

There was a woman who ordered a rabbit from a pet store to be delivered to her home. The owner of the pet store hired a delivery boy, giving him the rabbit in a cage and the address written on a piece of paper, which he placed in his shirt pocket.

The delivery boy placed the rabbit and cage in the back of his pickup. Occasionally on his way to the woman's home he would check the address in his pocket to make sure of his destination.

Driving a little too fast he hit a bump in the road so hard it threw the cage and rabbit out of the back of the pickup. The cage hit the ground with such force, it sprang the door open and the free rabbit escaped to a nearby field.

The driver, now outside the truck, began to laugh, and laugh and laugh. A passerby stopped and, seeing the driver was okay, asked what was so humorous.

"Look at that crazy rabbit," the delivery boy replied. "He is running across that field with no idea where he is going, for I have the address right here in my pocket." (1)

  1. You have an itch.

    1. What are you scratching?

    2. Where are you going and why?

    3. How are you going to get there.

  2. Bartimaes has an itch.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. I heard a comment by Pope Benedict XVI on the radio and was intrigued enough to look it up to see what he said, which was:

"...The Western world,...is a world weary of its own culture. It is a world that has reached the time when there is no longer any evidence of the need for God, let alone Christ, and when it therefore seems that humans could build themselves on their own. In this atmosphere of a rationalism closing in on itself and that regards the model of the sciences as the only model of knowledge, everything else is subjective. Christian life too, of course, becomes a choice that is subjective, hence, arbitrary and no longer the path of life. It therefore naturally becomes difficult to believe, and if it is difficult to believe it is even more difficult to offer one's life to the Lord to be his servant." (2)

    1. Is the Pope's analysis accurate?

    2. I believe that to a remarkable degree it is.

  1. J. B. Phillips put it another way:

    1. He said that all we need to do to contrast the way of Jesus and the way of everyday and everybody is to look at how the beatitudes of many ordinary people might read:

Happy are the pushers, for they get on in the world.
Happy are the hard-boiled, for they never let life hurt them.
Happy are they who complain, for they get their own way in the end.
Happy are the blase, for they never worry over their sins.
Happy are the slave drivers, for they get results.
Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world, for they know their way around.
Happy are the troublemakers, for they make people take notice of them.

    1. People who know where they are going, but don't know what they will find when they get there.

    2. Do we need more than this?

    3. If we look hard and long enough, what we may discover is the way to a deep and abiding, long-lasting peace.

  1. The secret of success is to be found in this incident in the life of a blind man and Jesus.

    1. He was sitting bedside the road.

    2. Jesus is passing by.

    3. He cries out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David."

    4. The crowd sternly ordered him to be quiet.

    5. The disciples, though not mentioned, also wanted him to keep silence.

    6. He will not be silent.

    7. Jesus tells him to come to him.

    8. Jesus asks him what he wants.

    9. He want to receive his sight.

    10. Moved with compassion, Jesus touches their eyes and they are opened.

    11. Immediately, they regain their sight and follow him.

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  1. From this story we derive the Bartimaeus Principles

    1. You must call on the One who has the power to heal and reform.

7"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, NRSVA).

    1. You must refuse to stay put

  1. There is an old camping song which illustrates this maxim.

O you can't get to Heaven (Leader)
O you can't get to Heaven (Group)
In a rockin' chair (sing twice in a row)
'Cause the Lord don't allow (2)
No lazy bones there

  1. You have to get up out of your chair

    1. You must refuse to slow down.

      1. How are you going to catch up with Jesus?

      2. He invites you to come it doesn't take a lot of speed, but movement in the right direction.

    2. You must refuse to shut up.

5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs, (Luke 11:5-8, NRSVA).

    1. You must be willing to follow.

Jesus Calls Me, I must Follow

Jesus calls me--I must follow,
Follow Him today;
When His tender voice is pleading
How can I delay?

Chorus

Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord,
Follow ev'ry passing day;
My tomorrows are all known to Thee,
Thou wilt lead me all the way. --

Jesus calls me--I must follow,
Follow ev'ry hour;
Know the blessing of His presence,
Fullness of His pow'r

Chorus

Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord,
Follow ev'ry passing day;
My tomorrows are all known to Thee,
Thou wilt lead me all the way. --

Jesus calls me--I must follow,
Follow Him always;
When my Savior goes before me
I can never stray.

Chorus

Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord,
Follow ev'ry passing day;
My tomorrows are all known to Thee,
Thou wilt lead me all the way. --

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CONCLUSION

  1. "Look at that crazy rabbit," the delivery boy replied. "He is running across that field with no idea where he is going, for I have the address right here in my pocket." (3)

  1. Some people in life act like the rabbit.

    1. They have been freed, but run aimlessly because they do not know where they are going.

    2. So they do not find what life or God has to offer.

  2. Some people act like the delivery boy.

    1. They stand and laugh.

    2. They have the address in their pocket.

    3. What good is it if it is not used?

  3. You need more than Lanacane.

1. Ken Lutgen, North Cross United Methodist Church, Kansas City, MO, in Sugared Water or Apples?

2. Pope Benedict XVI, Meeting with Diocesan Clergy of Aosta, Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Parish Church at Introd (Aosta Valley) Monday, 25 July 2005

3. Ken Lutgen, North Cross United Methodist Church, Kansas City, MO, in Sugared Water or Apples?

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