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Sermons for the 23th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25):

Mark 10:46-52 - Lord, I Want to See

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Mark 10: Helen Keller, so brave and inspiring to us in her deafness and blindness, once wrote a magazine article entitled: "Three days to see." In that article she outlined what things she would like to see if she were granted just three days of sight. It was a powerful, thought provoking article. On the first day she said she wanted to see friends. Day two she would spend seeing nature. The third day she would spend in her home city of New York watching the busy city and the workday of the present. She concluded it with these words: "I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you were stricken blind.'

As bad as blindness is in the 20th century, however, it was so much worse in Jesus' day. Today a blind person at least has the hope of living a useful life with proper training. Some of the most skilled and creative people in our society are blind. But in first century Palestine blindness meant that you would be subjected to abject poverty. You would be reduced to begging for a living. You lived at the mercy and the generosity of others. Unless your particular kind of blindness was self-correcting, there was no hope whatsoever for a cure. The skills that were necessary were still centuries beyond the medical knowledge of the day.

Little wonder then that one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah was that the blind should receive their sight. When Jesus he announced his messiahship, he said: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has sent me to recover sight to the blind."

The story this morning of the healing of blind Bartimaeus would suggest to us that there are three kinds of blindness.

1. The first kind of blindness is the blindness of Bartimaeus.

2. The second kind of blindness is the blindness of the disciples.

3. The third kind of blindness is the blindness of you and me.

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Advent Sermon Series

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Christmas: Christmas Eve & Day Resources

by Brett Blair

1. Christmas Eve: What Was Seen At Bethlehem - Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

2. Candle Lighting Sermon: A Great Light - Matthew 4:16

3. Christmas Day: No Room In The Inn - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

4. Candlelight Service (Long Version) - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

5. Candlelight Service (Short Version) - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

6. A Service Of Light - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) - J. B. Quisenberry

Advent: A Star, A Stable, and a Song

by Maxie Dunnam

1. Christmas Is on a Steep Hill � Luke 2:21-40

2. Who Are You Waiting For? � Isaiah 40:1-31

3. Miracles in Contrast � John 1:1-18

4. Such a Babe in Such a Place � Luke 2:1-7

5. A Star, A Stable, and a Song � Luke 2:1-7

Advent: All I Want For Christmas Is....

by James W. Moore

1. All I Want for Christmas is Hope - Isaiah 64:104

2. All I Want for Christmas is Peace - Luke 2:8-14

3. All I Want for Christmas is Joy - Matthew 1:18-25

4. All I Want for Christmas is a Savior - Luke 2:1-7

Advent: God Is Coming

By David Basic, Jeren Roswell, Brett Blair, and Mike Jackson

1. In the Meantime: Between the First and Second Coming � Isaiah 2:1-5

2. On the Threshold: From Law to Gospel � Matthew 3:1-12

3. Waiting � John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. The Gift of Me � Luke 1:26-38

5. What Do You Do When the Lights Go Out? � Isaiah 9:1-7

Advent: Won't You Let Him In

by James W. Moore

1. Won't You Let Him Into Your Heart? - Luke 2:1-7

2. Won't You Let Him Into Your Celebration? - Luke 3:1-6

3. Won't You Let Him Into Your Gift-Giving? - Luke 3:7-18

4. Won't You Let Him Into Your Christmas? - Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Advent: Let Us Go To Bethlehem

by James W. Moore

1. Let Us Go To Bethlehem And Find The Faith of Christmas - Lk 2:15-21

2. Let Us Go To Bethlehem And Find The Promise of Christmas - Mt 1:18-25

3. Let Us Go To Bethlehem And Find The Peace of Christmas - Lk 2:8-20

4. Let Us Go To Bethlehem And Find The Christ of Christmas - Lk 2:1-14

Advent: When God Comes with a Blessing

By John P. Jewell

1. Signs of the Times � Luke 21:25-36

2. Seeing the Good News � Luke 3:1-6

3. God�s Anxiety Reduction Plan � Philippians 4:4-7

4. When God Comes with a Blessing � Luke 1:39-55

Advent: Something's About To Happen

by Thomas Long

1. When Something Is About To Happen - Mark 13:32-37

2. What Do You Mean, 'Repent'? - Mark 1:1-8

3. There's A Man Going Around Taking Names - John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. Where's The Treasure? - Luke 1:26-38

5. Shepherds And Bathrobes - Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

6. They Also Serve Who Wait - Luke 2:25-40

7. We Interrupt This Service - John 1:(1-9) 10-18

Advent: How To Profit From The Prophets

by Maurice A. Fetty

1. How to Profit from Prophets - Luke 1:76

2. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin - Luke 3:9

3. Someone Greater Than a Prophet - Luke 1:33

4. The Long Loneliness - Romans 13:11-12

5. A Voice To Be Heard - John 1:23

6. The Unexpected Universe - Matthew 11:4-6

7. The Star Thrower - Matthew 2:9-10

8. The Inner Galaxy - Luke 2:6-7

9. The Second Naivete: Babies, Angels, Shepherds, And God - Phil. 2:8

Advent: The Perfect Gift

by Dr. Bill Bouknight

1. The Wolf and the Lamb Inside Us - Isaiah 11:6-9

2. God�s Best Gift in the Worst Times - Micah 5:2-5a

3. Mary's Revolutionary Song - Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

4. The Perfect Gift - Galatians 4:1-7

5. Naming the Divine Baby - Matthew 1:18-23.

eSermons.com offers thousands of illustrations like the one below:

What Is Unique About Christianity?

The story of Jesus sitting and debating the Law with rabbis reminds me of another debate that took place in a comparative religions conference, the wise and the scholarly were in a spirited debate about what is unique about Christianity. Someone suggested what set Christianity apart from other religions was the concept of incarnation, the idea that God became incarnate in human form. But someone quickly said, �Well, actually, other faiths believe that God appears in human form.� Another suggestion was offered: what about resurrection? The belief that death is not the final word. That the tomb was found empty. Someone slowly shook his head. Other religions have accounts of people returning from the dead.

Then, as the story is told, C.S. Lewis walked into the room, tweed jacket, pipe, armful of papers, a little early for his presentation. He sat down and took in the conversation, which had by now evolved into a fierce debate. Finally during a lull, he spoke saying, �what's all this rumpus about?� Everyone turned in his direction. Trying to explain themselves they said, �We're debating what's unique about Christianity.� �Oh, that's easy,� answered Lewis, �it's....

The conclusion to this powerful illustration and many more can be obtained by joining. Look for illustrations under Ephesians 2 to find this CS Lewis illustration.

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