Good morning, welcome, thank you for coming this morning.
Today’s message is titled: “Open My Eyes”
Last week I attended a convention in Orlando Florida. 25,000 people from around the world, representing the produce and flower business and supermarket buyers from all over America came to this event.
Peyton Manning gave the keynote address. In front of a huge audience he told his life story. Despite his amazing NFL career, Peyton shared that his beginnings were rocky and difficult. When he started playing for the Indianapolis Colts they were one of the lowest rated teams in the NFL.
His first year with the Colts didn’t go very well. Manning holds the record for most interceptions (28) in his rookie year, to this day.
Out of fear of getting sacked by these huge linebackers of the opposing defense, he got the ball out quickly on short plays often throwing into double coverage.
Meanwhile wide receivers on longer routes were open. He was blinded to the possibilities to make better plays. But Peyton didn’t see it in his rookie year.
After the first season Jim Mora, his coach told him to open his eyes, look for opportunities to find receivers that were open down the field.
He did, and from that point forward he found open receivers, resulting in completions and moving he chains down the field.
The rest is history, Peyton Manning in his amazing career set many NFL records including: 539 touchdowns, 72,000 passing yards, 200 wins and 5 MVP awards, more than any other quarterback in NFL history.
Today’s theme of “Open My Eyes” highlights two things, 1) eyes, and 2) eyes that they need to be open.
What does the bible say about opening of eyes?
Eyes are mentioned over 500 times in the bible, mostly in the Old Testament. But the four Gospels in the New Testament describe blindness and the opening of eyes more than any other place in the bible.
Of the 37 miracles recorded in those Gospels, there are 2 instances of blind men’s eyes being opened. The first healing took place in Matt: 9, with the sight of two blind men being restored.
The other instance where a man’s eyes are opened is described in Matt 20, Luke 18 and Mark 10: 46.
The man was once was blind, but because of an encounter with Jesus, he now could see. Only Jesus was able to open his eyes. This is what brings us to today’s reading in.
Mark 10:46-52 on page…………..
46They came to Jericho. As he, and his disciples, and a large crowd, were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately, he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Let’s bow our heads. Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find wisdom, and in your will, discover your peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In this setting in Mark 10, Jesus is leaving Jericho followed by a great crowd, on the pilgrim’s way to Jerusalem.
You may wonder where exactly Jericho is located. Jericho is North East of Jerusalem in the depths of the Jordan Valley, at an elevation of 800 ft below sea level.
Jesus passed through Jericho several times in his 3.5 year ministry. In Luke 19:1 we read how he inspired a local chief tax-collector named Zacchaeus to repent of his dishonest deeds.
The road between Jericho and Jerusalem is the setting for the “Parable of the Good Samaritan”. Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–93) wrote in his journals, that this road was about eighteen miles long.
A traveler would climb from an elevation of 800 below sea level to the Jerusalem at 2500 above sea level, in other words a serious uphill climb of 3300 feet in elevation change. (Buckhorn summit in Trinity County is 3200 ft).
Jerusalem receives about 25” of rain a year and has a Mediterranean climate. Jericho only receives 8” and is more desert like.
In fact, Jericho was (and remains) an oasis situated in the midst of a desert; because of the presence of the water source commonly referred to as “Elisha’s spring”.
Verse 46 says: As he, and his disciples, and a large crowd, were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, but right when they are about to leave Jericho and make the long hike through this dry arid land, a blind man shouts out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
To the Jewish people at the time, the term: Son of David, indicated that he was recognized as the anointed one, as the descendant of the King David. The messiah, who was foretold in Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
The word “Messiah” means “anointed one.” In Judaism, the Messiah is a King who will be sent by God to save the Jewish people.
The man was screaming, he was croaking. Have you ever heard a ravens croak? When we plant Iris bulbs in the field, the noses of the bulbs stick out of the ground. Often these huge ravens come out and pull the bulbs right out of the ground. Meanwhile, they have this persistent croaking scream.
So here this blind man was sitting there with this persistent scream: Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me.
He knows scripture by heartm and can’t help but think of Isaiah 42:6-7
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon, those who sit in darkness.
This man is truly showing his faith, and Jesus sees something in his heart that is open.
And here is a huge distinction, this blind man showed that he has faith, even though his psychical eyes are closed, his spiritual eyes, (his heart) is open and receptive.
Contrary to the Pharisees who walked around with eyes wide open, they were religious but they were spiritually blind.
Today there are people blinded by the truth of the gospel, blinded by sin, blinded by hopelessness, blinded by fear, blinded by anger.
In the process they shut down any contact with God.
But God, is God of love; his word came to Isaiah 42:16
And I will lead the blind, in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known. I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
Jesus asked the blind man, what do you want me to do for you. He asks that question of us today, but only when we talk to Jesus can he act. The man said teacher, let me see again.
Asking Jesus with faith, going to him with a specific request, with your heart filled with trust and surrender in him, like Bartimaeus, allowed the man to get his sight back.
Jesus restores his sight immediately and tells him in verse 52: your faith has made you well.
A few weeks ago I visited my daughter in Southern California. She wanted to visit the Harvest Church in Riverside California pastored by Greg Lauri.
This mega church has an auditorium of 3000 seats and host 3 services on a Sunday, 8am, 10am and 12.30.
We attended the 8.00 service, got there a little early, by 7.15 in the morning and were surprised by the number of cars already in the parking lot.
We visited the book store next to the sanctuary. By 8 o’clock the whole auditorium had filled up. Chairs had been set up outside with a huge screen for all those that couldn’t find a seat inside. The worship band sang some amazing songs and Greg Laurie gave an inspiring sermon.
In that book store I picked up one of Greg Laurie’s latest books titled: “The Jesus Revolution”. This fascinating book weaves Lauri’s biography with the amazing revival that took place in the late sixties and early seventies.
Hippies had tried to fill the emptiness of theirs souls with LSD and other drugs. But they couldn’t get the satisfaction and fulfillment they were searching.
They walked in darkness, but because of the redeeming love of God, the Holy Spirt started working in remarkable ways and set of a revival and spiritual awakening that spread throughout the Country in the early seventies.
On June 21 1971, Time Magazine put the Jesus Revolution on its cover with a depiction of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of thousands of hippies turned away from drugs. They converted, their eyes were opened and they became followers of Jesus Christ.
They adopted a life style, similar to that of the early Christians recorded in the book of Acts.
Paul wrote to those Christians in Ephesians 5:8: for at one time you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Two of those children were Greg Lauri and his wife Cathe. At one time they were hippies addicted to whatever drug that was available. But during this revival they were touched by the love and healing power of Jesus Christ.
They once were blind and now their eyes were opened.
Some of the fastest growing denominations in the USA, such as Calvary Chapel, Hope Chapel Churches, and the Vineyard Churches, trace their roots directly back to the Jesus movement,
Greg Lauri has organized Billy Graham style crusades for the last 3 decades. This summer 100,000 attended in Angel Stadium in Anaheim in one weekend, and over 10,000 came to Christ.
The book “The Jesus Revolution” concludes with the premise that all revivals of the past, be it the Great Awaking in 1730, the Fulton street revival of 1857, or the Jesus Revolution of the 70s.
They all were born, out of a desperate need of the people, a spiritual thirst and hunger.
One could argue that given the moral decay in today’s society, the opioid addiction crisis sweeping through America, and countless other examples, that perhaps, we are at the onset of a next spiritual awakening………….
Our opening hymn this morning was: To God be the Glory, this hymn was written by Fanny Crosby in 1875.
When Fanny was 6 weeks old, she caught a cold, and developed inflammation of her eyes. Mustard paste was applied to treat the discharges. This in turn damaged her optic nerves and blinded her for life.
Through her blindness she developed skills and flourished in talents that may have never been evident otherwise. She wrote a few more hymns like 8, 8,000 in all. As a matter of fact a publisher requested that she started using pseudo names so her hymns wouldn’t dominate the hymnals at the time.
Fanny Crosby was asked if she had a choice, would she have preferred a life without blindness. This is what she said:
No, “If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind…for when I die, the first face I will ever see, will be the face of my blessed Savior.”
Jesus is the source of our light. Eyes are useless without light.
See the beautiful tulips here this morning?
The bulbs came from New Zealand, they were harvested in January. Then the bulbs went into a warm room at 73 degrees for several weeks, They were then loaded into a sea container and shipped across the Pacific at 44 degrees for 6 weeks in total darkness.
Once arrived in Oakland they were trucked to Arcata. Then planted in plastic crates with soil and they went back into a dark cold cooler at 48 degrees.
When enough roots had developed, the temperatures went even lower to just barely freezing at 31 degrees, and they stayed there until just 3 weeks ago.
It is at that point that they came out of darkness, they finally saw the light. The great light conditions in Arcata California.
In the heart of winter, the light levels in Arcata are 3 times higher than in Holland. It is the light that helps grow these beautiful tulips. They couldn’t possibly have grown into this in the darkness.
Light is a necessity for life, so it is in our lives. There is no life in darkness. Let the light of Jesus shines through us.
Jesus said in John 12:35“ the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth you give to me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unlock and set me free.
The bible says in Matt 4:16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.
Friends ask Jesus to “Open Our Eyes”, and let his light shine
He said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Put your trust in Jesus; accept him as Lord and Savior, and we will no longer, walk in darkness. Follow Jesus and he will provide us with the light of life, of life eternal.
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Thank you
God Bless you,
Amen
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my goal in this life is to let my light shine. I hope that others can see that through all the sadness and the pain and heartaches that I have endured, I still have my faith and hope and love in my heart!!!