The Way Of The Cross The Way Of The Heart Episode 6


I continue with the podcast series called “The Way Of The Cross The Way Of The Heart” walking with Jesus as He travels toward the cross. In “Episode 6” I am in Mark 10:32-52 where James and John ask Jesus for the positions of being on Jesus’ left and right when He comes into glory. They are blind to how blind they are. Then Jesus heals Bartimaeus who is a blind beggar and know how blind he is and calls out to Jesus to help him see.

 

Mark 10:32-52

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

 

Phil. 2:6-8

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

Psa. 34:18

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

 

Matt. 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

This is a recording from the Kingdom Life radio program with Kenny Hebert on WLPV in Greenfield, MA. On this program, “The Healing Of Blind Bartimaeus “, Kenny looks at the story of when Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus and how Jesus responds to the cries for mercy and calls Bartimaeus to himself to heal him.

Compassion’s Enemy

This is the fifth teaching in the series titled, “Knowing Jesus”. This teaching is titled, “Compassion’s Enemy”, and looks at how Jesus and the disciples relate to a man born blind. In this interaction between Jesus and His disciples about the blind man, we see the enemy to compassion is judging which blinded the disciples from seeing the blind man from the Father’s perspective and from seeing what God was doing.

The Way Of the Cross The Way Of the Heart Part 6

In this message “The Way Of the Cross The Way Of the Heart Part 6” Pastor Kenny called us to be like Bartimaeus and throw aside the things that have blinded us from seeing Jesus for who He really is and that have also sidelined us from joining Him on the road He is on.

The Way Of the Cross The Way Of the Heart Part 3

In this message “Way Of The Cross The Way Of The Heart Part 3” Pastor Kenny reminds of of the dangers of having a hardened heart. It corrupts and distorts our perception of things, it leads to self deception where we justify and do things we should not do, it  blinds us to the people God loves and cares about, and blinds us to who we really are as God’s image bearers who are supposed to be bringing the blessing and hope of the Kingdom to the world we live in.