​HANG IN THERE: The blind leading the blind - May 31, 2026

​HANG IN THERE: The blind leading the blind - May 31, 2026

 

INTRODUCTION

 

1.    Darkness is all around us.

 

Life is hard. Times are tough. Heartache and pain are not unusual, they are normal. 

 

We talk about hope a lot. As a matter of fact, as I was sitting at home working on this sermon, I was scanning the TV listings for the evening, and one of the movies showing on that particular day was, Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Despite all the talk about hope, assurance of hope is not so easily found it seems. Last week, we listened as Job mourned the absence of God even as he searched and hoped for God’s presence and justice. Today, we have the story of blind Bartimaeus, who himself has lived a life full of hopeless difficulties. So where’s the hope?

 

Mark 10:46-52 NIV

 

“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

            Mark 10:46-52 NIV

 

As we search for that answer, let’s put ourselves in Jericho for a moment. Have you ever been on a trip where you had been gone from home for several days, living out of a suitcase and separated from your friends and family? The day comes for you to head back home and you are so excited. And then you find out your flight has been delayed or worse yet, cancelled! If you’re anything like me, you get really antsy and anxious when something like that happens.

 

So here we are, traveling with Jesus. A huge crowd is following him as we make our way out of Jericho and toward Jerusalem. It’s hot and dry and dusty and we are all just excited to be on the road again. And then someone begins shouting from the roadside. It’s annoying, a nuisance, like your flight has been delayed. As Jesus turns to the voice, your anxiety level increases; no wonder everyone in the crowd is trying to “shush” this beggar hunkered on the side of the road. This is not on the schedule. We don’t have time for this. Can’t we just get on with it and get to Jerusalem? All the discouraging comments would be enough to quiet the hopes of any of us. But not Bartimaeus!

 

I. THE HOPE OF FAITH

 

Mark lifts up the story of blind Bartimaeus because Bartimaeus is a model we should all imitate. We all come to places where we feel more hopeless than hopeful. And often, in the midst of that, we reach out to God and yet feel as if there is no help. It is then that we should yell all the louder; that we should cry out to God all the more! And this is exactly what Bartimaeus does! The story of blind Bartimaeus is not important so much because Bartimaeus was healed of his blindness, but more because Bartimaeus had the type of faith that heals. We can hope for many things, but until we seek God in faith, those hopes are nothing but empty vessels.

 

So here is Bartimaeus. Sitting by the roadside begging, simply trying to get by; and yet, all the while clinging to a hope that he might one day see again. Then he hears a crowd coming near. Can you imagine the excitement that must have welled-up in Bartimaeus’ heart when he realized it was Jesus coming his way? So Bartimaeus cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Bartimaeus was so overcome with excitement and hope that he most surely did not even notice the grumblings of the crowd now gathered around him. “Who does this guy think he is? He’s a nobody; a nuisance; he doesn’t matter! Get him quiet, we need to be on our way to Jerusalem!” Bartimaeus was a man who had obviously heard about Jesus. He had heard about the miracles Jesus had been performing. And here comes this great man; he may never come this way again. This was Bartimaeus’ big chance! So, Bartimaeus hollered for Jesus! Bartimaeus wasn’t going to let anything get in his way, he was determined that he would speak to this man who heals! We are all given the opportunity that Bartimaeus was given. Jesus came his way. And Jesus comes our way. This was Bartimaeus’ time to reach out in faith and hope, or let Jesus just pass on by. So Bartimaeus decided to take action and he cries all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And then, Mark tells us, Jesus took notice. Jesus stood still, the story says, and he called Bartimaeus to him. Let us be reminded, when we call out in faith, Christ will hear us!

 

You see, when we have hope, when we want things to turn around and be better in our lives, we have to pursue that with everything we’ve got. We cannot just sit idly by, lift an occasional prayer asking that things may change, and then expect that a magic wand will be waved and all will be right in the world. We have to seek to know God in Jesus Christ more and more, and then we have to listen actively for the approaching crowd that signals the coming Messiah. And when we are moving forward in the faith and the naysayers begin to boo and hiss in our ears, telling us to be quiet, we cannot stop calling out for Jesus! And through this all, we have to believe, really believe that Jesus can help us. Such was the faith of Bartimaeus, who caught Jesus’ attention; such is the faith which gives substance to our hopes.

 

Russell Davis was a 10-year-old boy who knew a hope that went beyond this life. He had fought cancer for 4 years when he wrote this note to his best friend.

 

Dear Brian, How are you doing? I’m alright in the hospital but a little sleepy. I know that you worry about me some but don't worry too much. Also if it will help you feel better you can come see me if you have time. When I die, if I do soon, don’t worry 'cause I'll be somewhere special in Heaven. And sooner than I know it you’ll be up in Heaven with me, 'cause a thousand years on earth is a minute in Heaven. I know you'll miss me when I’m gone, but just accept it like you did with your uncle. My mom will give you something of mine so you can remember me always. So don't worry too much. Love, Russell.

 

Three days later, Russell asked for a sip of water and said, “I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad” And he went home to be with the Lord.

            Jeff SIMMs, Sermon Central, June 8, 2003.

 

II. THE ACTION OF FAITH

 

Bartimaeus, full of hope, cried out in faith, and sure enough, Jesus acted! “Call him here,” Jesus said. So the crowd, which now seems to have had a change of heart, recognizes that because of Bartimaeus’ faith, something amazing is going to happen and they tell Bartimaeus to get up because Jesus is calling him. Then, Bartimaeus gets up and goes to Jesus. But it’s not just like Bartimaeus eases up in his blind state and stumbles over to where Jesus stands. No. Bartimaeus jumps up, he springs from his place by the roadside, and he throws down his cloak as he moves quickly toward Jesus. 

 

Bartimaeus threw down his cloak! Do you know what that means? Certainly, cloaks were meant to keep people warm in Jesus’ day. But for the beggar, the cloak was more than a piece of cloth by which to stay warm. It was the way money was collected; kind of like we use a hat or a guitar case or a milk jug today. So for Bartimaeus to throw that aside is huge! Again, Bartimaeus is exhibiting a great faith. Bartimaeus so believes that his hopes will be fulfilled by Jesus, Son of David; that he will no longer be blind, that he will no longer need to beg by the roadside in order to maintain his existence. Bartimaeus doesn’t need that cloak anymore to collect money because Jesus is going to heal him!

 

III. THE COMMITMENT OF FAITH

 

Do we have that kind of faith? Do we believe so strongly that Jesus Christ will fulfill our hopes that we willingly, perhaps even joyfully (?), toss aside that which keeps us from following Christ with everything we’ve got! This is the kind of faith through which we can have hope. Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus expresses exactly the possibility for which Bartimaeus has always hoped! “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks blind Bartimaeus. It’s as if Jesus is asking Bartimaeus a whole slew of other questions: Do you, Bartimaeus, want to give up begging? Do you want to have to live differently, to work for a living, to have no reason to sit by the roadside whining at passers-by? But Jesus’ question does not deter Bartimaeus. “My teacher,” says Bartimaeus, “let me see again!” Bartimaeus wants the new life; not only his sight, but the chance to follow Jesus. That, my friends, is true hope, a hope grounded in deep faith; a hope which looks beyond the self to Jesus and Jesus’ very hopes for our lives; a hope which aspires first to follow Jesus fully and completely, and only secondly to pursue our own dreams.

 

So Jesus heals Bartimaeus saying, “Go; your faith has made you well.” That’s it! Bartimaeus’ greatest hope has been fulfilled! Yet again, this is Bartimaeus’ chance. He can head back into the village of Jericho and look for work; he can fashion himself a house and get on with life. Jesus gives him the freedom to “Go.” But Bartimaeus doesn’t go anywhere! Instead, Bartimaeus “follow[s Jesus] on the way.” Bartimaeus continues to show his deep belief in the Savior of the world, his profound faith in the Messiah, a faith that allowed his hopes to be fulfilled, his life to be transformed. You can almost imagine this one-time blind beggar staying close to Jesus as they climbed the road toward Jerusalem. He probably drank deeply of every Word that Jesus spoke. He probably took in every visual impression along the way. And a little while after this he may have been one of the ones to witness Jesus on Palm Sunday; to see his Savior go into Jerusalem. Bartimaeus’ new eyes probably also took in the Crucifixion on Calvary and the resurrected Jesus and the exciting, Spirit-filled Pentecost!

 

He may have even been part of the leadership of the early Church, holding meetings in Jericho. Our faith grows as we follow Jesus and call out to him because Jesus calls back. Jesus will call back and when he does we must spring up, leaving our old lives behind, throwing our cloaks to the side. And when we tell Jesus that we want to see, that we want to be made whole, that we want our hopes fulfilled; if we do this in faith, Jesus will say to us: “your faith has healed you.”

 

Then, in gratitude for what Jesus has done for us we give him our unswerving loyalty. We deny ourselves and follow him into a whole new existence; an existence where we learn more and more every day how much we really are loved, how much we really do matter, how in Christ our hopes are not empty vessels! It may take a while. We may have to yell over the discouraging drone of the thronging crowds. But we should not hold anything back. Things might be tough, but if we call out in faith, Christ will hear us, and Christ will respond! Let us not lose hope!

“Hope” by Anonymous

 

It’s magic and it’s free.

It’s not in a prescription. It’s not in an IV. 

It punctuates our laughter, it sparkles in our tears. 

It simmers under sorrows, and dissipates our fears. 

Do you know what Hope is?

 It’s reaching past today. It’s dreaming of tomorrow. 

It’s trying a new way. 

It’s pushing past impossible. 

It’s pounding on the door. 

It’s questioning the answers. 

It’s always seeking more. 

It rumors of a breakthrough. 

It whispers of a cure, a rollercoaster ride of remedies, unsure. 

Do you know what Hope is? 

It’s candy for the soul. It’s perfume for the spirit. 

To share it, makes you whole.

            Davon Huss, Sermon Central, November 26, 2007.

 

CONCLUSION

 

The hope of faith.  The action of faith. The commitment of faith. Bartimaeus is a wonderful, imperfect example of how we all are and should be.  We are all flawed and “less than” until Jesus comes into our lives. 

With Jesus, we are never “less than.” 

 

“The blind leading the blind” has always been used in a negative sense; let’s follow Blind Bartimaeus and find the Way to the Master. 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

5-24-26 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

 

​HANG IN THERE: Darkness Disappears in the Light - May 24, 2026

​HANG IN THERE: Darkness Disappears in the Light - May 24, 2026

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Hang in there.

 

Survival.

 

Life is hard.

 

Job 23:1-17 NIV

 

“Then Job replied: “Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say to me. Would he vigorously oppose me? No, he would not press charges against me. There the upright can establish their innocence before him, and there I would be delivered forever from my judge. “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.”

            Job 23:1-17 NIV

 

Let me begin by acknowledging that this is a difficult passage to hear, as is much of the book of Job. We have a tendency in our modern world to like things to be nice and clean; neat and easy to understand; joyful and upbeat. Job is really none of those things. We tend to try and make Job manageable by focusing on the “patience of Job,” it is even a modern-day cliché; but Job is far more complex. Job does much more than merely exhibit patience. The book of Job is messy, complicated, and even depressing at times. Yet, this is precisely why Job is so important. We balk at the idea of being angry at God. We look at God as an ever-present, ever-loving being, and when all we feel are emptiness and sadness, we are afraid to talk about it because somehow this seems to be an inappropriate front to God. We have this general idea in our heads that we are being disrespectful if we cry out that God seems totally absent from our lives. And yet, this is precisely what Job does, and the passage we heard a few moments ago is a prime example of that. Job gives us permission to feel bitterness in the face of injustice. Job allows us be upset and to cry out when God seems absent. But Job also tells a story of faith; a faith which does not falter in the face of the greatest trials. And like Job, we must keep the faith no matter what we face.

 

We begin today a series on hope. I think to really talk about hope; about the importance of hope in our Christian journeys, and about having hope, we have to acknowledge that there are times in our lives when things are so bad it is as if all hope is lost. So we begin today with Job, who was in such a situation himself. As we know, Job is hit with one trial after another. And in the passage we hear this morning, Job is at his wits end. He admits a bitter complaint. Job acknowledges a heavy hand, despite his groaning. Job expresses his desire to go before God in trial, desperate to be free of his many difficulties, but laments that even this is not possible because he cannot find God; God is absent. Job cries out that his heart is faint and he is terrified. I think we all have at least a sense of what Job is feeling; perhaps at times such feelings have been more prevalent than at others, but it doesn’t change the fact that there are times when we desperately need God and it seems as if God simply is not there.

 

I believe we are all familiar with Mother Teresa; known the world over for her work with the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in the slums of Calcutta, India. By all measures, she was and is an exemplar of the Christian faith. But as we began learning after her death in 1997, Mother Teresa’s faith was not as rock-solid as outward appearances would indicate. Like so many who seek after God, Mother Teresa struggled in the midst of great doubt, wondering about the presence of God. In 1979, three weeks after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for her work, Mother Teresa wrote in a letter to a spiritual confidant, “Jesus has a very special love for you. [But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see,--Listen and do not hear – the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak…I want you to pray for me – that I let Him have [a] free hand.” In personal letters and writings, Mother Teresa spoke of “dryness” and “darkness.” In a lament to Jesus, Mother Teresa wrote, “When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven – there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. – I am told God loves me – and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.” At times, she was even driven to a doubt about the existence of God. This spiritual pain seemed to persist through much of Mother Teresa’s life and ministry. 

 

I. LIFE IS FULL OF DARKNESS 

 

            A. Darkness is everywhere.

 

The truth is we all have periods of “darkness” in our lives. We all face the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. Or we agonize in watching a loved one suffer. Some struggle themselves in the face of overwhelming illness or disease. Parents worry about their children; sons and daughters worry about their parents. Families break and marriages dissolve, leaving nothing but stress and depression in their wake. Such darkness in our lives is compounded when we cry out to God for help and for comfort and find no response, no reprieve, no respite from the agony. How can there be hope in the face of such hardships?

 

            B. There is hope in the darkness.

 

All is not lost. There is always hope. But hope is nothing without faith. You may recall the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 begins this way,

 

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

            Hebrews 11:1 NIV

 

Faith brings assurance to hope. Our hope lies in the future, but it is mere optimism if we do not have faith in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. As difficult as it may be; in the “darkness” of our lives, we must seek to maintain our faith in God and hold fast to it. As we heard this morning, even as Job laments the absence of God, he forges ahead, persisting in his search for God. “God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.” Job says, “Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.” Job is persisting in his faith. Despite the darkness cloaking his life, Job declared that he would not be silent, that he would continue to cry out for God. When we are relentless in our faith, we can hold on to hope.

 

Mother Teresa, too, continually sought after her faith even in the darkest despair. She found ways to live through her spiritual struggles, and she never abandoned her belief or her work. That is our task too. If you are like me, then you have wondered how Mother Teresa maintained her belief and forged ahead in her work in Calcutta. Throughout her life and career, Mother Teresa had spiritual advisors and confidants. In perhaps her darkest hour of doubt, her spiritual advisor, Joseph Neuner, told her three things she desperately needed to hear, and things that we need to hear too. 

 

1.     Rev. Neuner told Teresa that there is no human remedy for the “darkness” we sometimes find ourselves in. 

2.    He told her that feeling Jesus is not the only proof of his being there, and that her very craving for God was a sure sign of God’s hidden presence in her life. 

3.    And finally, Neuner advised Mother Teresa that the absence she sensed was a part of the “spiritual side” of her work for Jesus. 

 

II. WE ARE CREATED TO LONG FOR GOD

 

            A. Our need brings us to God.

 

Psalm 42:1-2 NIV

 

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

            Psalm 42:1-2 NIV

 

We were created to long for God. We are designed to desire God in our lives. God has made humanity this way. And when it seems that God is completely absent, this craving, as Neuner says, is a sure sign of God’s hidden presence in our lives. This longing becomes the basis for faith, and with this deep desire for God within us, we must forge ahead. If we are to maintain faith in the dark hours of our lives, it requires patient perseverance. 

 

            B. Keep on keeping on.

 

When John Wesley himself was in the throes of a period of doubt in his life, the German preacher, Peter Bohler said this to him, “Preach faith until you have it, then, because you have it, you will preach faith.” We must preach faith until we have it, so to speak. We have to be diligent in our prayer life; even if that means our prayers are full of laments in God’s absence. We have to study God’s Word through the Scriptures. We have to abstain from those things which distract our attention from God. We must follow God’s call and seek God’s will. Of course, none of these things are easy, but they are the building blocks of our faith and in turn our hope.

 

III. FEELING THE ABSENCE OF GOD POINTS US TOWARD GOD 

 

            A. Hunger and thirst are reminders.

 

Psalm 107:9 NIV

 

“for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

            Psalm 107:9 NIV

 

            B. Talk to God even if you are not sure He is there.

 

In the midst of everything, Job never stops talking to God, and neither can we. Job may not understand how God hears him, but it is a statement of faith that Job is able to voice even his pain and confusion to God. We are better off to rail against God as Job does, or cry out to God in pain as Mother Teresa does, than to turn away from God in our time of darkness. God has willingly entered into an hour of darkness on our behalf. God in Jesus Christ came to this earth and subjected himself to hatred, brutality, and even death, so that we might have hope. Will we shun that great act? We know God more fully because God incarnate walked on this earth. We know God’s love and grace more fully because Jesus not only taught us about God’s love and grace, he demonstrated it as well. Might we know God more fully even when God seems absent? In some way, we often come to know the meaning of a thing through its absence rather than its presence.

 

            C. Search with ALL your heart.

 

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

            Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

 

Think of it this way. A carpenter goes into his well-furnished workshop, complete with stacks of wood, containers of nails, and racks and racks of tools. As the carpenter focuses on the work of his project, he thinks very little of the individual items.  The wood, the nails, the hammer are simply taken for granted as part of the carpenter’s activity. But then, in the midst of his diligent work, the hammer breaks as the shaft snaps off at the head. Suddenly, the carpenter is acutely aware of the hammer. Once simply taken for granted, the image of the hammer, what it does, how essential it is to his work, are all vividly present to the carpenter precisely because of its absence. So it was for Job, who felt not the justice of God, and so longed for it even more. So it was for Mother Teresa, whose soul was empty, and so she prayed God’s hand at work in her life all the more. And so it shall be for us, if we hold fast to the faith as Job did and as Mother Teresa did. God’s love and passion are no less real to those who hold fast the faith than the hammer is to the carpenter. 

 

Psalm 63:1 NIV

 

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

            Psalm 63:1 NIV

 

God’s time is not our time. God’s ways are not always our ways. But we have known and experienced God’s love in our own lives; that is most likely the reason we are all gathered here this morning. And having known and experienced God’s grace and love, we can doubt its existence no more than our own reality. The Bible teaches us that if we meet the trials of life with the steadfast constancy of faith in Christ, life becomes infinitely more splendid than it ever was before. The struggle is the way to glory, and the very struggle itself is a glory. So, in those deepest, darkest hours of our lives, we can have faith because we already know of the reality of God’s love through Jesus Christ. When that darkness stretches on for weeks, or months, or even years, we must cling to that faith and strive after it. And in our striving after faith, we will find hope. All is not lost. God is at work in this world. God is at work in our lives. What a glory!

 

CONCLUSION

 

Life is full of darkness. We are created to long for God. Feeling the absence of God points us to God.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.