Telling the story of Bartimaeus

Children are running and playing in a small lot in front of their school.  When I enter through the gate they stop what they are doing and run to meet me.  Their little dirty hands reach out to shake my hand or give me a high five.  They walk along beside me as we enter a small school room where we cram in about 50 children.  We sing two songs and then I welcome them to our time of learning about Jesus.  I asked the children to close their eyes real tight while I counted to 10.  They opened their eyes and I asked them what they saw, some said nothing and others said darkness. I asked them to imagine what it would be like to live in darkness all the time.  Today’s story was about Bartimaeus and he was blind. He sat by the roadside begging for money from the busy people who hurried in and out of Jericho during the day.  Then one day he heard excited voices and the sound of many feet.  He knew it was a big group.  Bartimaeus asked those close by what was going on and they told him that Jesus was coming to Jericho.  Bartimaeus was so excited because he had heard about Jesus and knew that he had healed people before.  He knew if he could get to Jesus then he would be healed from living in darkness.  He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  The people around him became angry and told him to be quiet but Bartimaeus paid no attention to them and kept shouting.  When Jesus heard Bartimaeus calling, He immediately stopped walking and asked the people to bring Bartimaeus to him.  Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted from him.  Of course, Bartimaeus said, “Lord, I want to see.”  Jesus said, “Receive your sight.  Your faith has healed you.”  All of a sudden, Bartimaeus could see!!  He began to praise God!  The Bible also says that the crowd was so excited for Bartimaeus that they also began to praise God.  It also tells us that from then on Bartimaeus followed Jesus.  Jesus had shown mercy to him by taking away his blindness and saving him from his sins.  

You and I are also born in the darkness of sin.  Living in sin is like being in darkness because you are apart from God and can’t find Him on your own.  We all deserve to be punished for our sins.  There is nothing we can do on our own to get rid of the sin in our lives.  Jesus is the only one who can save you from your sin.  God sent his son Jesus to die on a cross because of our sin.  Jesus is perfect and didn’t deserve to die but He willingly bled and died so that you could be forgiven when you believe in Him.  That is God’s mercy!  Three days after Jesus died He came alive again!  He is the promised Savior and He is the only one who can save you from the darkness of your sin.  If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, your sin still separates you from God.  God loves you and wants to save you.  If you will just admit you are a sinner, believe in Jesus, and confess your sins you can be saved from the punishment of your sin.  God will save you, not because of anything good you have done but because of His mercy.  Will you believe in Jesus today as the only one who can save you?  Stop living in darkness like a blind person and open your heart up to Jesus and accept His free gift of love and forgiveness.  

The Bible says that the crowd praised God along with Bartimaeus.  Join me in rejoicing over about 45 older kids who heard this same story a bit later and decided to repent of their sins and follow Jesus!