Good morning. Welcome to Catoctin Covenant this morning and our worship will continue through Luke Chapter 18. Today, we're going through the Gospel of Luke. And so if you have your Bibles, turn to Luke Chapter 18, verses 18 through 43. We'll read this entire section. I would remind you, this is the infallible, inerrant word of God. We will focus on verses 18 through 43 this morning, and the title of the sermon is The Wealthy and the Needy and the Kingdom of God. Let us hear then with reverent care the word of God as it's read. Luke 18, beginning in verse 18. No one is good except God alone. You know, the commandments do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother. And he said, all these I have kept from my youth. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, one thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come. Follow me. But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, looking at him with sadness, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? But he said, What is impossible with men is possible with God. And Peter said, See, we have left our homes and followed you. And he said to them, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers and sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life. And taking the twelve, he said to them, See, we're going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging and hearing a crowd going by, inquired what this meant. They told him Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. And he cried out, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more. Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped. And commanded him to be brought to him And when he came near, he asked him, What do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me recover my sight. And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight. Your faith has made you well. And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you for the word of God and we thank you that you speak to us. We ask that as your people, your shepherd of your sheep, as the shepherd of the sheep, as your sheep of your pastor, we pray that the great shepherd who is seated on your throne in his resurrected, ascended, glorified state, that this exalted Christ would speak to his people through the word. In Jesus name, amen. The more I travel interpretively through the Gospel of Luke, I'm reminded of two things. I'm reminded of how much grace we're all in need of to bear, to hear, to understand, to obey the teaching of Jesus Christ concerning his kingdom. I'm reminded of how much grace we all need, how much we are all reliant upon his grace. I'm also reminded of how little many of us Many evangelical Christians, many confessing Christians, how little we really understand the teachings of Jesus. Many times we're taken back and shocked by what seems to be so audacious at times. Even the disciples in this passage say, who then can be saved in light of his teaching? Perhaps as you've gone through the Gospel of Luke, as I have, you've also responded, who then can be saved? It's an important point of the Gospel of Luke. One of Dr. Luke's goals in writing his gospel to Theophilus is to reveal that the kingdom of God is for all who believe, but that the following of Jesus Christ is impossible without the initiating, powerful, chain-breaking, and mighty work of the Holy Spirit sent from God. The powerful work of God that is impossible for man. but possible for God, the powerful work of God, of turning men from their sins to the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to understand that we should always be reminded that God's grace, this amazing and powerful grace, is available for all of God's people by faith, even as we've learned in the past few sermons, even those who have little faith. The God's grace is available, but it's easy to be safe and secure. It's easy to be at ease in Zion, in the visible church. It's easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we are actually doing better in the Christian life than we are. Notice the story of the rich young ruler. He is a man considered pious in his community. He's a notable church-going man. He's a real pillar of the religious community, as was the Pharisee in the last sermon. But he thinks he's committed to God and that he keeps God's commandments in his own estimation of himself. That is, all these commandments I have kept since my youth in his estimation of himself. He's righteous before God. But as we remember from the reading from Revelation three, when the Lord, the risen ascended Lord, spoke to the churches. He said to them, you say, I'm rich. You say I've prospered. You say I need nothing, not realizing you're wretched, you're pitiable, you're poor, you're blind and you're naked, sobering. So let's be reminded as we approach this, that the rich young ruler is a notable, pious man in the community. And so in light of the larger context of Luke's gospel, what is Luke teaching? What is he recording? Jesus's words. Why is Jesus teaching this particular passage? Remember back in Luke. 1817. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, like a needy child, like a dependent child. Shall not enter it. Notice the text, the people in the crowds that are following Jesus at this point in his ministry are very diverse as he is approaching Jerusalem, you'll be reminded. We've been told that his disciples, especially the ones who will become his apostles, are with him. The Pharisees are listening, we learned from last chapter. There are people with children, as we learned from the previous verses. And there's a wealthy ruler that is also following him. The first man described in the story today is described as a ruler. This ruler was a rich Jewish magistrate or civic leader who was known for his piety. He would have had high status and influence in his culture. And so he had just heard Jesus speaking of entering the kingdom like a child. And so in response to that, he seeks to better understand how a person in his position is supposed to enter the kingdom. That's why in verse 18, the ruler asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He begins with good teacher, the address of good teacher. But if you notice in the passages, we'll see the good ruler gets off on the wrong start from the very beginning. What must I do? The conversation begins and the wealthy man, the rich man here, condescendingly calls Jesus a good teacher. The man was flattering Jesus rather than speaking the truth about how he really felt or thought about him. You see, the rich young ruler is concerned with his social position. He thinks highly of himself and he's approaching the Lord of glory as if he has the power and status to define his teaching and instruction. Doing this in ancient society by saying good teacher was like saying my good man or another person calling another person, sir, but not necessarily because of respect, but because with hopes that an equally nice and flattering statement will be returned to the person. It's a similar modern power game between men where one person says something complimentary implying the approval of that person because they think they're persons of status. And then desiring to have that same kind of compliment returned. For instance, you're a gifted man. The compliment of flattery we say, well, thank you, but you're the real gifted one. The expected return compliment of flattery is expected. by this man from Jesus. That's why he says good. In addressing him as good teacher, the rulers engaged in a word game because of his status. He seeks to define the Lord of glory as to whether he is good or not. And he asked him, good teacher, how do I receive eternal life? And this eternal life that he knows about was the eschatological blessing, an expectation of those who would inherit the promises to Abraham. The rich young ruler is asking the Lord, essentially, how can I be assured that in the final resurrection, spoken of in Daniel 12, 2, that we read earlier, in that final resurrection, how do I know that I will inherit the promises to Abraham? That's what he's asking him. And so Jesus responds, not in kind, with more flattery, saying, you're the good man, you're a rich ruler. You're an important man. He doesn't respond that way. No, he responds with a theological point. He's very God centered and not man centered in involving himself in the power games of men. He says no one is good except God. Quoting the Psalms, particularly Psalm 34, eight and the Chronicles, when praise is given to God, oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His steadfast love endures You see, Jesus doesn't respond in the social greeting or custom of the day. He rather teaches theologically that only God is good. And the implication here, that you may notice, is that if He is indeed good, then He is indeed God. But the implication that Jesus is making here is a bit different. If you really mean what you say, He's saying to the ruler and calling me good, and then I am a good teacher, then one should follow the teacher's instruction. as I'm about to do, as as he's about to do. See, Jesus is not denying his divinity here, saying that only God is good. And that means he's not or that he's not one with God. He goes on to command the rich ruler according to the commandments as only God can do. But he has no room for someone who would just flatteringly address him. Without truly submitting to his lordship as the great teacher and rabbi, who is indeed good and God. And so he says, you know the commandments in verse 20. You want to know how to inherit eternal life? You know the commandments. Jesus calls the ruler specifically to keep the commandments. He says, I specifically want you to understand the commandments. Look in verse 20. You remember them. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not false. They're false witness. Honor your father and your mother. He would have been taught the teaching of Moses back in Deuteronomy 27 with regard to curses for obedience to the law and blessings for for for curses for disobedience and blessings for obedience to the law in Deuteronomy 27 26. Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of the law by doing them. And all the people shall say Amen. He would have been taught this in synagogue. And so Jesus is saying, you know, listen to the law. What does it say? So Jesus is answering the ruler essentially by saying that those who will inherit eternal life will be those who are committed to and known by living by God's commandments. Jesus says to his disciples in other places in the Bible, if you love me, keep my commandments. Now, if you'll notice in Jesus's quoting of the law, he's specifically quoting the second table of the law. You remember the second table of the law teaches the duty that God's people have to our neighbor and the duty that shows forth our love for God and man through concrete disobedience. And so Jesus is pointing him to how he can love his neighbor in order to show forth that he is a member of the kingdom and heir to all of Abraham's riches. And so the rich young ruler responds to him in verse 21, all these commandments. I have kept from my youth. Like the Pharisee in the passage last week, the law had not humbled the wealthy man, this man had not realized honestly before the law of God just how little he loves his neighbor as himself. Rather than being humbled and broken by the law, the wealthy man thinks he's kept all the commandments from his youth. Now, understand, it was commonly thought in Jesus's time by some of the rabbis, based on the teachings of the Talmud, that it was possible to keep the whole law of God. You see, that was in Philippians 3, 6, the Apostle Paul's prior estimation of himself As regarding righteousness, according to the law, Paul says, I was blameless. This man is thinking the same thing. Now, this was before the Apostle Paul's conversion when he wrote that. But we should reminded that Israel was to keep the covenant perfectly in order to gain or merit eternal life. Like Adam, though, Israel failed miserably in keeping the covenant throughout redemptive history. In fact, the minute the law was given, Their first recorded worship service was not worshiping Yahweh, but a golden calf. They got off to a terrible start, even as a collective people, after they had said all of these things we will do in light of the commandments. They get off to an idolatrous start. After the blood was shed, the covenant was cut with God. It says they sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, worshiping an idol. Like all other Israelites, this wealthy ruler was also a covenant breaker before God's law. He had not lived perfectly according to the law in word, thought, and deed. Remember, Jesus explains the reason for the law in the Sermon on the Mount when he exegetes it and says that the law is concerned with a person's heart. It's not just outward behavior. That, as Matthew 5.48 says, if you would be perfect, then you could gain eternal life. The law's purpose is to show that we cannot be perfect, and yet this ruler truly thought he had kept the commandments from his youth. You see, like the Apostle Paul, you remember he later realized after he had been spiritually regenerated by God's grace, he realized that the law's purpose was to make him realize how much of a sinner he was. And that he didn't cry for merit, but for mercy. You remember in Romans 7 that we read earlier, Paul said later, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said thou shall not covet. But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. And so Paul understood after regeneration, after God had done an initiating work of grace in his heart, that the law's purpose was to bring him to the end of himself. and find his hope in Christ. So Jesus seeks to reveal to this rich young ruler the fact that he was not only idolatrous toward his possessions, but he was covetous toward material gain, and he was greedy. So he breaks both the first table of the law by being idolatrous against God, as well as the second table of the law by being greedy and stingy. And so Jesus says, one thing you lack, I can't help but hear Paul's words in Romans 3 23 that all have fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus is literally saying one thing that you fall short of in your obedience. Verse 22, a. He commands him. Sell all that you have. Command distribute to the poor command and you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus. is using three imperatives or commands to make his point clear to the rich young ruler. All that you possess, sell. Give to the poor and follow me. Jesus is telling the rich ruler to have a huge yard sale or an asset liquidation sale where all the proceeds go to the poor. And this will demonstrate that he loves God and his neighbor as himself. Jesus, knowing that the rich ruler does not love his neighbor as himself, nor does he love God because his riches take first priority in his life. Jesus, in light of this, commands him to show forth the keeping of God's commandments through obedience by selling all that he owns and distributing it to the poor. And he says, if you do this, you'll have treasure in heaven. Now, we have to understand here. Jesus is not saying that all rich people should rid themselves of their possessions and holdings. But if the possessions and the holdings possess and hold people in bondage to sin and cause them to disobey God's commands for taking care of the needy, then they must sell, distribute to the poor and follow Him. It's the thing that's preventing them from following Him, then they must do so. See, this was this particular man's call to repentance for his lifestyle and trust in riches and mammon rather than God. This was this man's particular call to repentance. And Jesus says in verse 22b, come follow me. He commands him again, he says. Your possessions own you, you're enslaved to your riches. And of course, the man shows his unregenerate state by not doing what Jesus commanded him to do, and he shows his unregenerate state by not following him. His wealth defined him, not merely socioeconomically here in this world, but his wealth was his eternal hope as well. He had put his hope in riches. He trusted mammon rather than God. We want to be reminded here of Christ's commands to follow him. We're reminded here of God's love and the commands that Christ gives to those who have ears to hear. Christ commands to do these things, particularly with regard to this rich ruler. The command to do them does not imply that he has the ability to do them. You see, just because Christ commands it doesn't mean he has the ability to do them, to be able to perform them in response. But the commands of Jesus are to make him and all who have ears to hear understand That if these commands are to be performed, they're to be performed by someone else in their place. Someone who can indeed perform them. Because sinful man has an inability to do so. If one is truly a kingdom disciple, then they will realize that the power to obey God's commands are not found inherently within the person, but in Christ Himself. That's the point Christ is making here. That if you are a true kingdom disciple, then admit it, rich young ruler, that you have no power to obey God's commands. You must find the power within Christ. And so notice the text in verse 23. It was a very sad day. The rich man went away very sad, very sad, deeply distressed. It's the same sadness that's described as downcast in one soul in the Psalms. This is the same sorrow that Jesus felt in his soul on the cross. This man is sorry, but he's not repentant. He is merely full of worldly sorrow that he can't repent. It would have been better if the man repented than for him to be merely full of worldly sorrow that leads to death, as Paul calls it in 2 Corinthians 7. The man is deeply sorry, but he's not repentant. Why? Because he was very wealthy. Verse 23b, it's because he loved Mammon before God. The man is very sad that he cannot comply, that he cannot see and enter the kingdom of God that's found in Jesus Christ. The man is very sad that he cannot respond in obedience, and this implies that he knows it's the right thing to do. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so sad. The man was filthy rich or extremely wealthy, and this was his stumbling block, humanly speaking. See, Jesus has taught many times throughout Dr. Luke's gospel, throughout his ministry and other places. He's taught us of the importance of avoiding idolatry. and the importance of avoiding any unwillingness to part with possessions. You remember what he said back in Luke 12, 32? He said, Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourself with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches or no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be. He says in Luke 14, 33, listen to this very negatively. Well, don't listen negatively, but he says it very negatively, says. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has, that is, he possesses cannot be my disciple. You see, we remember from past sermons, and I'll just say this briefly as a review. Jesus does not tell people to rid themselves of wealth because becoming a monk or an ascetic, depending on the giving of others. He doesn't tell us that we should do that, as if that's an ideal lifestyle of the kingdom to live in sackcloth and ashes. Even if we were living in sackcloth and ashes with nothing, we could still be idolatrous and greedy in our hearts. And so Jesus says the people are to Get rid of wealth to avoid two things. Idolatry, as I've said, loving mammon more than God and stinginess. Rather than godly generosity, hoarding one's wealth and not taking care of the needy and poor that are right under their noses in the covenant community. We're to be good stewards of all that God has given, as I've said, Abraham and Job were rich. They weren't condemned for it. Riches can be God's blessing. But as first Timothy six says, there is great, great, great responsibility before God that comes with riches. Many people's riches will prevent them from looking to Christ for salvation. Many people's riches will prevent them from trusting God with everything that belongs to them, and they will suffer everlasting torment for their lack of faith in Jesus Christ. But again, remember, it's not only the rich who are condemned here. The law is addressing the rich and the poor Here all have fallen short of God's glory. It just happens to be a rich ruler here and not a poor one. See, we need an internal change that is only possible by God. You see, just because someone would be willing to give up everything he owns does not mean he could merit the kingdom. It's not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is pointing to the man's inability so that in Christ, in his kingdom, He might be granted the ability to live righteously and obey the commandments. As George MacDonald one time said, it is not the rich man only who's under the dominion of things. They, too, are slaves who, having no money, are unhappy for the lack of it. The money the one has, the money the other would have, is in each the cause of an eternal stupidity. It's true. But this man is rich. Clarification, Jesus is not teaching here that to sell everything is to earn salvation in the kingdom of God. Jesus is not teaching salvation by merit or obedience. You see, the commands here for the man to sell that he could not is to show the man and all for all those disciples and crowds to see that this man could not obey God's law. He could not love his neighbor as himself without Christ and his help. The command that Christ gives this man is that he might become like a little child, realizing his neediness before God. And so he might see and enter. So rich man who has sight does not see or enter the kingdom of God. And the response is by Jesus. He said to in verse twenty four, he says, how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven. How difficult is it? How difficult is it? It's easier, verse 25, for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Sometimes I've heard that this needle, eye of the needle, refers to a gate in Jerusalem. There is really no evidence of that. I think that's a rumor and biblical interpretation today. I've believed it too at times. But as I was doing the research for this, it seems that this is a hyperbolic Let me say it one more time with syllables. Hyperbolic imagery. It is imagery that is exaggerated to make a point. Let me try to show you that. The image of the eye of the needle is simply that. It's imagery. Jesus is using the stark image of a camel, the largest animal that lived in Palestine. And he's saying that this large animal is going through a teeny, tiny eye of a sewing needle. So if you can imagine the camel trying to squeeze his way through this teeny tiny hole, even if he could get his head and his neck through, he couldn't get his two humps through. He'd have a hard time with the two humps. If you can see that, can you? All right. Picture that. You see how hard that is? That's how hard it is for those who trust in their wealth to squeeze their way into God's kingdom. Wealth can shrink the door of the kingdom down to an impassable peephole. The self-focused security of the wealthy is a padlock against kingdom entry. That's what he's saying. Jesus is using the imagery to express the sheer impossibility, humanly speaking, of pulling away from the gravity of wealth in order to embrace a kingdom in which status distinctions are irrelevant because of God's grace and mercy extended to all sinners. You see, this wealthy man of social distinction, he couldn't see or enter. It's impossible, humanly speaking. And of course, as we should respond, if we're hearing Jesus rightly, verse 26, the disciples say, who then shall be saved? Notice that the question there in verse 26, the question is in response to entering the kingdom of God, And you notice that it's worth noting that that's synonymous with salvation and being saved. Jesus, the disciples are asking, how then can you be saved? That is, how can you enter the kingdom? And the response to Jesus to this shocking imagery causes all of us to be grateful by God's grace. Is it what is impossible for men is possible by the power and grace of God? Mark says, In his gospel, he describes the response of the disciples to this saying as astonishment, amazement. You see, some in ancient Israel, some of the rabbis had taught the people that you could be rewarded with eternal life for being rich and doing good to the poor. It was a common assumption with some of the rabbis. Some of the rabbis taught a kind of health and wealth gospel where riches showed forth God's blessing on a person's life. And so this is in this is shocking to the disciples who then can be saved. This is contrast to what we've heard. Jesus. Jesus is saying riches do not get one into the kingdom of God, in fact, for Jesus, riches can handicap and hinder one's entrance into the kingdom. First Timothy 617. Paul says to Timothy, as for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty. Not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. You see, what is impossible with men is possible with God. All mankind has a sinful ability to respond to God's commands, whether they're rich or poor. But by God's Holy Spirit, this can be possible by God's power. You see, when sinful mankind looks to Christ for mercy, As we're about to see with the blind man, you can find the power and the ability to love God and neighbor as yourself. Not perfectly. That's why we need a substitute. Christ lived the law perfectly. And so in response, in verse 28, the disciples say, we have left all to follow you. And Jesus confirms them in their discipleship. Why is that there as a response? Because he says we have Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples again, and he says in verse twenty eight, we've left everything to follow you. They have. And a disciple of Jesus Christ in his kingdom, as we've learned many times throughout our sermon series, is a willingness to part with all even family relations. to leave everything to follow Jesus without hindrance. And so Jesus says, yes, you are truly my disciples. He's telling them he assures them in verse 30. And because of this, you'll receive a greater inheritance than you can imagine because of your faith in me. Are you trusting God like a child? Are you dependent, helplessly dependent upon God for all that you need like a child? Are you trusting in your riches And so in verses 31 to 34, Jesus goes on to remind the people why he's going to Jerusalem. He says, disciples, remember that everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished in verse 31. Why these verses in this context before the blind man's healing? Why these verses in this context after the rich young ruler goes away sad? Just this the hope of the humiliation and suffering of Christ, where it will seem that the kingdom of God has been defeated and destroyed when Christ is upon the cross in Jerusalem, when he's betrayed by a disciple named Judas, when he's handed over by the Jews to the Gentiles for crucifixion. Nevertheless, the hope is that the third day he will rise. But still, what's the point of this in this context? Why here? Think about it. The rich ruler put his trust in his social position, his riches, his own glory, if you will. This glory and important position of exaltation in the present age prevented the rich ruler from seeing and entering the kingdom of God. In contrast to this worldly way of thinking, true kingdom disciples are to be like their Lord in denying social status and giving up all to follow Jesus, including one's own life. So Jesus is reminding his disciples that although he's the king of glory, although he is the one with the great position as the one equal with God, he must suffer great humiliation and suffering and weakness in this world, even to be spat upon by sinners. He will be despised, he'll be betrayed, he'll be rejected. And that's the furthest thing from the mind of the rich young ruler to ever have to experience. You see, and because the disciples are associated with him, even though they many times talked about their greatness, Lord, who's the greatest amongst us? In fact, they talk about that in Luke 9 and 22 in two places where Jesus is talking about his death. What sparks their thoughts is who's going to take his place, not in the right way, but as the greatest. See, to be identified with Jesus Christ means that we cannot live and think like the rich ruler. We must be humble. We must be despised sometimes, betrayed, rejected, even martyred if God calls us to it. We must be humbled in reliance upon God's grace. And the mission of Jesus in the end would seem like a failure when he's on the cross. When the rich young ruler, perhaps, and especially other rich and important people in society were wagging their heads at this crucifixion, say, he saved others. Why can't he save himself? Yet the disciples don't understand this yet, and neither do we sometimes. We don't understand that, like the disciples, we're a bit dull of hearing and seeing. We can't understand how we can be sons of the king and yet suffer. We don't understand how we can be sick when the kingdom promises healing. How can we be killed for our faith and preach and hope in a resurrection? See, Jesus turns things upside down with His teaching. And paradoxically, we realize that through meekness, suffering, and humility is found greatness, life, power, exaltation in Christ. Not merely social status. That's why Jesus mentions it here. Because we, like the disciples, are slow to understand what He means. Humiliation. I thought you were calling us to greatness, Lord. I am. But exaltation must be preceded by humiliation. Glory must be preceded by weakness. You must follow me. A person who submits to God's sovereignty, what matters to God is not social position or wealth or riches. What matters to God is a humble and contrite heart before his holy throne. And so. A person who calls upon God for mercy, Even though he realized he doesn't deserve anything from God, we see this in the blind man who catches Jesus as he passes by. You'll notice in verses 35 to 43. I won't spend as much time on this story, but I want to use it by way of contrast, which is the reason I think it's here in this context. The blind man sees Jesus and says, Jesus, have mercy on me, son of David. And Jesus shows him his kingdom. You remember the messianic mission of Jesus was to be seen by the world in one aspect of his kingdom. Manifestation was to be seen by the world that the blind would receive their sight. And so, in contrast to the wealthy, rich men with loads of money, there was a needy man with nothing begging at the roadside. No pomp and circumstance had ever characterized this man's life. Only darkness and groping around for survival and reaching out to stingy and self-centered men for hope and help for a little food. He might have even reached out to this rich ruler at one point. The blind man is needy. He's not self-satisfied. He's not self-dependent. He's not self-possessed as the rich man. In modern descriptions, this is the man The homeless man, the homeless blind man who approaches you in the subway in New York. This is the homeless blind man who startles you and your family as you're rushing to meet your reservation in your favorite posh restaurant in Washington, D.C. This is the dusty man. This is the man with the unkept hair, with the grocery cart and all his belongings in it, tied together by some rope he found along the way. This is this man. Where he comes from and where he's going, only God knows. This is the man that the rich ruler would have no time for. This is the man who would not be called good by the rich man, as in good man. There would be no complementary power games. He just wouldn't care for him. The blind beggar would mean nothing to the rich ruler because of his social status. He'd never understand. It would never be possible for him to think that this was somehow a brother of his, a neighbor he should help. Why doesn't he just get a job? You bum. I've worked hard for what I've got. And yet the Lord of Glory serves him. I wonder which one of these men we are. We often think, what is it going to do good? What good is it going to do? I should say, throw a couple of nickels here and there to help mercy for this kind of man. He'll never change. What's interesting to note here is that the impossibility to change that's impossible, that's possible with God is not with the rich young ruler, but it's which this man. You see, we should be reminded the smallest acts of mercy done in Jesus's name and interpreted rightly can be embedded and burned into the memory of others who are desperate in need. Nothing is impossible with God. Do you believe that nothing that is even our lack of compassion and our stinginess can be changed by God's grace? Did you know that? Nothing is impossible, even our stinginess. If we can be changed by God's grace, why are we just slow to believe that others can be changed, too? So the blind man hears verse 36, he doesn't see. He hears some commotion. He's got great theology going on in his head. He understands theologically better than disciples and much better. He has much better insight than the Pharisees as to who Jesus is. Son of David, the one who's come, the Messiah, the Messiah, the messianic hope and blessing of Israel is here. He understands like Luke shows us in his genealogy from the very first third chapter where he says, this is the son of David. As the angel showed Mary and told her, this is the son of David who will rule eternally upon Jacob's throne. This man gets it. Son of David, son of David, have mercy on me. But they like we say, get out of here, go on, get move bomb. And what does he do? Relentless, persistent, like the widow we learned in the last week's parable. He's persistent, seeking after the kingdom. Will Jesus find faith on the earth when he comes? Yes, in a blind man, in a needy man. He cries out for mercy. And he understands Jesus's mission. If I go to this man, he's the son of David, I'm going to get my eyesight. And so Jesus tells him, he says, Son of David, a lot of theology in that. Son of David, I must seek you for mercy and I know you'll give me a sight. So Jesus passes by here and finds faith on the earth as this man who cannot see the people around him, nor can he see Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, because of God's grace extended to him, he can see more clearly the kingdom of God in Jesus than those who have sight. And so Jesus says, what do you want me to do for you? Recover my sight. Recover your sight, the man. Your faith has made you well. Your faith has saved you, as we've learned in other places. What this means is that Christ saves this man, not just merely in his eyesight. He saves this man, holy in body and soul, because this man believes that he's the son of David, who, although he will die, will be resurrected and ascended to God's right hand to sit on the eternal Davidic throne. as the greater son of David that was promised covenantally by God in Second Samuel, chapter seven. This man knows his Old Testament and he has eyes to see the kingdom in Jesus. The blind man receives the kingdom like a trusting, needy child. He believes that this one is the son of David, a formerly needy blind man. Without hope, without community, without help, this man finds hope in Jesus Christ, in the reconstituted Israel of David's greater son. This man has become a disciple of the kingdom and he will leave the little he has, his grocery cart or whatever it would have been. He'll leave that to follow Christ now and look forward to what? His great inheritance to come in the kingdom. For moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves cannot break in and steal. This man has found hope and salvation in the only place that it's available. Which of these two men were like a child, we're to ask? Which of these two men were like a child, not in the behavior, not in their thinking, but which of these two men were like a child in the way they trusted God and found his mercy in Christ alone? The blind man. The former blind man's name, we learn elsewhere, was Bartimaeus. The early church recognized Bartimaeus' great service to the church. After darkness and blindness for many years, perhaps since his birth, Bartimaeus saw unbelievable things. Church history tells us that the man who healed him, that is Jesus, that this Bartimaeus saw the healing, that he saw him mocked. and shamefully treated and spat upon for him, that this man who was healed actually saw Jesus flogged and killed. And this man who was healed was resurrected from the dead, saw this man resurrected from the dead. Bartimaeus saw these things. He saw God's kingdom and made them known in Jerusalem, according to early church history. Artimaeus was once blind, but now he could see and he witnessed the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Even in his crucifixion, he saw the kingdom coming with Jesus's death. Are you blind? Or can you see the kingdom of God? Are you the self-important wealthy or are you a needy blind man in need of God's grace? Are you the needy blind man in need of God's grace to make your impossible situation of never entering the kingdom, a possibility. It is possible with God, all things are, as we learned. Two men came to Jesus. The rich man walked away sadly from Jesus with nothing, dead in trespasses and sins. Formerly blind Bartimaeus walked away a child of the kingdom, a disciple of Jesus Christ, an heir to eternal riches. How will you walk away today? Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you for your grace and mercy in Christ, and we confess that we do not love you and our neighbor as we ought. We thank you that Jesus Christ has done this for us and his perfect righteousness is given to us. We ask that you would forgive us Help us, Lord, not to be lukewarm, as Elder Davis prayed earlier, as we were reminded from the sermon text from, or the text from our scripture reading from Revelation 3. Help us, O Lord, not to fool ourselves that we're rich and have all when we're to be pitied, and that we're really blind and naked and without cover of Jesus's righteousness before your law. Help us, O Lord, to know that in Jesus we find eternal riches Help all things, Lord, in this world. Do not distract us, but to pale in comparison to the eternal riches that await us in the kingdom to be revealed. In Jesus we pray. Amen.