10-27-24 “Take Heart and Get Up!” (Reformation Sunday)

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“Take Heart and Get Up!”

(Reformation Sunday)

I want to start with a funny story. There was a Christian who fell in the ocean, and he couldn’t swim. When a boat came by, the captain yelled, “Do you need help, sir?” The Christian calmly said, “No, God will save me.” A Little later, another boat came by, and a fisherman asked, “Hey, do you need help?” The Christian replied again, “No, God will save me.” Eventually, the Christian drowned and went to heaven. The Christian asked God, “Why didn’t you save me?” God replied, “Fool, I sent you two boats!”

We sometimes misunderstand God’s work, even though we believe in God, much like the Christian in the story. God can work through the people around us, and even through our pets and plants. So, keep your minds and hearts open to sense God’s work and presence. To believe in God is to trust that God makes things happen that we cannot. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). If you earnestly hope for something, it will come true. Even though it may take longer than expected, if you don’t give up, God won’t give up. Faith is trusting that God will make things happen. If it hasn’t happened yet, you might think that your faith is lacking. But what does having “little” or “great” faith mean? Jesus spoke about having little faith in the Gospel of Matthew.

One day, the disciples, who had failed to cast out a demon, asked Jesus why they were unable to do so. Jesus answered them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). According to these words, if we have “little faith” like a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for us. However, we know there are many things that are impossible “for us.” Is it because our faith is too small? If so, how can our faith ever be big enough?

Today is “Reformation Sunday,” observed on the last Sunday of October. It reminds us of October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation. This movement led to the formation of churches such as the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist denominations. In today’s scripture, we see the blind man Bartimaeus, who received his sight through faith. Through Bartimaeus, we might find a way to reform our own faith. So today, I will talk about how our small faith can be enough to revitalize both our ministry and our lives.

Imagine the blind man Bartimaeus. He was a beggar, sitting by the roadside every day, begging for his daily food. He could hear what people were talking about as they passed by. One day, he sensed something different. There were more people than usual, and they were talking about Jesus. Hearing about Jesus, Bartimaeus thought that if someone would bring him to Jesus, he might be healed. However, no one cared about him; they simply passed him by.

But then, a chance presented itself. As Jesus and his disciples were about to leave the city of Jericho, Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by. As soon as he realized it was Jesus, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people around him scolded him, telling him to be quiet. But Bartimaeus didn’t want to lose this opportunity to regain his sight. This might be his only chance, one that might never come again.

If you were Bartimaeus, what would you do? Would you stop? Would you give up? No, you wouldn’t stop. You wouldn’t give up. Neither did Bartimaeus. He cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Among the many people, Jesus may not have been able to see him as he sat by the roadside. But Jesus stopped, stood still, and finally heard him. Then He said, “Call him here.” And the people said to Bartimaeus, “Take heart; get up; He is calling you.”

Can you imagine how Bartimaeus felt at that moment? He couldn’t see anything, and a large crowd had gathered around him. How could he possibly go to Jesus? Yet he didn’t think about “how.” Immediately, he sprang up and ran toward Jesus. He didn’t care about throwing off his cloak, which might have been the only one he owned. He sprang up and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replied, “Let me see again!” Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately, he regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

What can we learn from Bartimaeus? We see his urgent shouting because he knew he couldn’t give up his only chance. He faced many obstacles and difficulties. He had physical challenges—he couldn’t see, and he couldn’t go alone. He had material concerns—he likely worried about daily food, clothing, and shelter. Perhaps, he also experienced emotional struggles: hopelessness, depression, and desperation. We assume he lost his sight at some point in life, as he said, “I want to see again.” He may have spent time asking, “Why me?” He was a man surviving day by day, begging for food on the streets.

Among all these difficulties, his biggest obstacle might have been the people around him, those who blocked him from going to Jesus and didn’t want him shouting. To reach his goal, he gave up his daily begging for food; he cast aside his only cloak. He didn’t care about the people who tried to block or scold him. His primary goal was to meet Jesus. For Bartimaeus, receiving Jesus’ mercy was an urgent matter.

What about you? What about your faith? In order to meet Jesus and receive God’s mercy, are you willing to give up what is most important to you? How urgent are your prayers? Why not ask for God’s mercy? Perhaps, like Bartimaeus, Jesus is standing still, waiting to hear you. Who knows—this might be your only chance to receive God’s mercy.

Let’s focus on Jesus a little more in our everyday lives. If we can’t hear Jesus, perhaps it’s because we are too busy to sense Him. Even though Jesus may be asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”, we often don’t say what we need because we are too busy complaining, or sitting in hopelessness and depression. Listen closely: “Take heart; get up; He is calling you.” It is time to ask for God’s mercy. Even though there are people who may block you from hearing Jesus’ call, are you missing His voice because you are overthinking the “how” and “why?” Trust that God will provide the way, and rise to receive His mercy!

Are there others around you who need God’s mercy? Are you, perhaps, blocking them from coming to Jesus physically, emotionally, or spiritually? If so, it’s time to say to them, “Take heart; get up, God is calling you.” Now is the time to receive God’s mercy! Don’t miss the chance God is giving you. Open your hearts and minds to sense His presence! It is time to take heart, get up, and hear God’s calling. It is time to ask Him for His mercy. Thanks be to God. Amen!