Sunday
School Lessons
Commentary by Walter Albritton
May 25
God Rewards Bold Faith – If We Are Bold for the Right Reason!
Mark 10:32-52
Key Verse: Jesus said to him, “Go;
your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed
him on the way.
--Mark
Boldness in faith may
be prompted by a desire for power or by a desire for the grace of God. James
and John wanted advantage for themselves – choice positions of power in the
coming Kingdom. Obviously, they were out to lunch when Jesus taught the
disciples about servanthood.
Blind Bartimaeus, on
the other hand, felt a great need for
mercy. He was convinced no one else could help him. His only hope was the
Messiah, so he turned boldly to Jesus. His great need awakened in him a great
faith.
The self-seeking of
James and John may nauseate us but it does not really surprise us. We see it
all the time – in ourselves and in others. We are all tempted to curry favor
with those in authority, in the hope that we may gain an advantage over others.
Our churches are
sometimes torn apart by dissension and discord as otherwise good men and women
struggle for power to “run” the church. Often “the old guard” leaders are
reluctant to share their authority with newcomers. Sadly, in some churches new
people still feel like newcomers twenty years after joining.
The “power brokers” in
some churches act as though God has called them to protect their church from
change. Their divine mantra is “We want everything to remain the way it has
always been.” New ideas are squelched –
all in the name of Jesus.
One pastor told me,
“My years in this church have been the hardest years of my entire ministry.
There is a constant struggle for control among my leaders. My ‘Baby Boomers’
have the worst attitude – they insist on having their own way, no matter what
others think.”
Those whose goal is to
control the church have made a crucial mistake – they have forgotten that
Christ is the Head of His Church. Worse still, they have forgotten that he has
called us to serve others, not “lord it over” others.
This was the lesson
James and John learned. Their grasping for favor caused immediate dissension
among the disciples. The unity of the small band of men was broken by anger and
envy. Instead of serving others in love, they were squabbling among themselves.
Lest we judge James
and John too harshly, we must admit that we also forget our calling to live as
servants of others. We too engage in petty struggles for power rather than
finding simple ways to serve others without fanfare.
Perhaps the story of
blind Bartimaeus is linked to this incident with James and John for a reason. Who
had the greater blindness – Bartimaeus or James and John?
At least Bartimaeus
realized he was blind and needed help. James and John were blind to the nature
of genuine discipleship, but did not realize it. They were blind to their
mission in life as disciples of Jesus. Though they walked in the presence of
the Light of the world, they could not see the truth of Jesus’ teaching.
Bartimaeus was not
timid. With bold faith, he cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus stopped, engaged
Bartimaeus in conversation, and met his need. His boldness in faith was
rewarded as he recovered his sight.
Whose example shall we
follow? Surely that of Bartimaeus. However, before we act boldly in faith,
making our requests known to God, perhaps we should ask the Lord to reveal to
us wherein we are blind. Then we may demonstrate bold faith for the right
reason.
Open our eyes, Lord,
that we may see daily ways to live in the world as servants, not rulers, of
others! + + + +