Luke 18:31-43
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy. It’s the simplest prayer you can pray or sing. Yet those two simple Greek words, or three simple English words, communicate more about God than we can imagine. We pray them at least twice in our liturgy every week. At the beginning of the Divine Service, we sing, “Lord have mercy,” several times. Then later in the service, just before receiving Christ’s Body and Blood in the Sacrament, we sing: “Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.” Kyrie eleison. The words roll off your tongue like you’ve been saying them your whole life. What do they tell you about who you are as sinner and who Jesus is as Savior?
First, we hear about Jesus taking His disciples aside to tell them what’s about to happen to Him. He will be handed over to the Gentiles, He will be spat upon and mocked, He will suffer as a common sinner, and He will die the death of a criminal. Then He will rise. This is God’s immediate future. Even though Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for over two years by this time, they still couldn’t hear what He had to say. They still couldn’t understand that Jesus’ death was the whole purpose of His life. The point of Jesus’ life was hidden from them. But it would be revealed in the faith of a blind man sitting alongside the road.
Before we meet this blind man, let’s pause here for a moment. How often is it that people come to church, attend Sunday School or Bible class for years or even their whole lives, and somehow miss the point? We like to think that just going through the motions is enough. But it’s not. God is very clear in His Word—going through the motions is not the same as faith. Remember, Jesus’ disciples had been with Him every step of the way. They had seen the healings. They had heard the teachings. Some had even seen Him transfigured before their very eyes, receiving a glimpse of divine glory. Time and time again He had predicted His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. This was the point! Yet Jesus’ disciples didn’t get it. They couldn’t believe that Jesus would eat and drink with sinners. They couldn’t believe that He was going to die. They couldn’t believe, even though it was right in front of their faces!
This is true in our own lives as well. How many of us know people—children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, cousins, even friends—who grew up in the Church? They came to God’s house. They heard the Word. They were baptized. They feasted on Jesus’ Body and Blood. Yet they never got it. They fell away from the faith. Like the seed that fell upon the rock or among the thorns from last week, many come week after week, but it’s like they are sitting in a different place. They don’t hear the simple truth of Law & Gospel: you are a sinner, and Jesus comes to save sinners just like you. It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Not too complicated. Jesus wants you to be in His house so that He can forgive your sins and give you His life. This was the message the disciples couldn’t get. This is the message that we sinners need to get again and again, week after week.
Let’s move on. Jesus travels on the road to Jericho. As He does, a crowd of onlookers follows Him. A blind man alongside the road hears the crowd and asks what’s going on. We learn from Mark’s account that this man’s name is Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus hears from the crowd that Jesus is passing by. When he hears this, Bartimaeus cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Kyrie eleison! It’s the cry of every sinner who needs Jesus. It’s the cry of every soul weighed down by the cares of this life, by the trials and sorrows we all face as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. It’s the cry that does not try to manipulate God or demand our own way. It’s the cry of faith. Lord, have mercy on me!
This blind man, upon hearing that Jesus was close by, cried out to the Son of David for mercy. And notice that this cry continued, even after the crowds tried to shut him up. Bartimaeus cried out because he knew that God would grant him mercy. He knew that God loved him with an everlasting love. He knew that God would hold him in the palm of His hand and would keep him forever. All the pressure from the crowds to shut him up didn’t matter. All the scrutiny from curious onlookers didn’t mean a thing. All the socially popular and politically correct pleas to be quiet did not deter him. He knew that Jesus would heal him. He knew that he would see new life in Christ. That meant more than fitting in with the crowd.
Lord, have mercy. What does it mean? It means first of all that Bartimaeus recognized Jesus as Lord. His faith came from hearing the message of Jesus—that Jesus is God and that He alone has power over life and death. Because of this, Bartimaeus can cry out to this Lord for mercy. He is asking that God not give him what he deserves. Bartimaeus knows that he deserves the blindness of his eyes just as we deserve the blindness and other bitter fruits that sin brings. But Bartimaeus prays that God would open his eyes in sight even as God opens our eyes of faith to see His mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Bartimaeus isn’t afraid to ask God for what he needs. Are you? Are you afraid to ask God for forgiveness? Are you afraid to ask God to be with you in times of trouble? Are you afraid that God will abandon you when you need Him most? Are you afraid that God’s ways and teachings will make you unpopular and unliked by people around you?
Don’t be afraid. Today we also hear the “great love chapter” from 1 Corinthians 13. It’s one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible. But what’s often missed about this chapter is that Paul is describing, not just any love, but God’s love. This is the depth of God’s love. His love is so deep and wide that it will engulf the sinner—you—in a flood of forgiveness. This love of God will put you back together when you are beaten and broken by sin and its oppression. This love of God does not look for the easy way out. No, God’s love goes the very hard road, the road to Calvary and death on a cross. That’s God’s love. That’s how far His love will go to save you.
Psalm 77(:14-15a) exclaims, “You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. You with your arm redeemed your people.” That’s who God is. And what’s the greatest wonder of all? It’s not that Jesus healed Bartimaeus’ blindness; it’s that He gives you faith. That’s the great miracle of God. He gives you the faith to journey with Him to Calvary and death, faith to receive the new life of His resurrection, all so that you may journey with Him to life eternal.
So we in the Church hold up the faith of Bartimaeus as a wonderful example to hear and follow. Bartimaeus didn’t try to make sense of things. He didn’t complain to God that his life was so miserable or that so-and-so had it so much better than he did. Blind Bartimaeus looked at Jesus and cried the only words that make any sense at all: Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
This week we begin our Lenten journey to the cross. This is a time of deep reflection for the Christian. This is the time when you need to look at your sin through the lens of the Law and realize the depth of your sinfulness and depravity. But this is also the time when you get to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. This is the time when we all learn to cry out with the Church of all ages: Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
It is no accident that we pray these words right before receiving Christ’s Body and Blood in the Supper. After all, it’s right here, at Jesus’ Holy Table, that we receive God’s mercy more than any other place. It’s here that God’s mercy is poured out for you in the cup of His salvation. Oh, taste and see how gracious the Lord is, blessed is the man who trusts in Him. Come to the Lord’s Table, and receive a foretaste of His mercy that knows no bounds. Amen.
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