Lord, Have Mercy on Me!

Lord, Have Mercy! Jesus, Son of David, Have Mercy on Me! The cries of those who knew their desperate situation knew where to turn and because of their faith, He turned to them with the mercy for which they appealed.

On the Most Remarkable Journey, we see Jesus heal the blind, deaf and mute. We see Him cast out demons, feed thousands, and calm raging seas.

The journey almost seems too remarkable to be real.  To many, it wasn’t. For many, it still isn’t.

But to Blind Bartimaeus, it was His life story, his testimony. Jesus’ journey intermingled with his and he threw off his cloak to follow Jesus.

Near the end of Mark 10, we read the story of a man who was blind, Bartimaeus. His life was lived as a castaway. Some versions say he was by the wayside. He was not only blind but was a beggar. He was waiting for Jesus and not being able to see His arrival, He must have sat anxiously listening for His departure.

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47 (NIV)

Son of David, Have Mercy on Me!

Bartimaeus recognized two things for sure. He knew that the Promised Savior, The Messiah that was to come was the Son of David. He also recognized his own desperate situation.

Bartimaeus is acknowledging Jesus, not as the son of a carpenter or Jesus of Nazareth. But Jesus, the Son of David.

We see in 2 Samuel 7 the covenant that God made with David to establish His throne and His Kingdom forever through the line of David. If you haven’t read that story it is a beautiful exchange between a Master and His son. I would really recommend it.

Bartimaeus is referring to this same covenant that was made so many generations before. Jesus is the Promised King that so many were waiting for.

Bartimaeus wasn’t looking for redemption from Rome like so many others. He was looking for his Healer, his Redeemer, his life Rescuer.

Lord, Have Mercy on Me!

Although blind, Bartimaeus saw his own situation very clearly. He was not only blind but he was a beg to survive.

Sometimes it takes coming to this desperate place to recognize the only thing left to do is seek the face of Jesus and that is exactly what he did.
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As Bartimaeus was shouting out many were trying to quiet him. This caused his to shout all the more. Jesus was followed by a large crowd. Bartimaeus probably felt it necessary, to be heard over the crowd, to shout.

He was also not going to let a few naysayers quiet his request. He may have never thought the day for healing would come and now The Ultimate Healer has walked right into His town. This was not a man they were going to quiet.

All the more he shouted, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48)

Throw Off Your Old Self

Jesus stops and has him called over. Cheer Up, Bartimaeus! They told him. Today’s your day! (Mark 10:49) Get Up! He is calling you!

Throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. This was his day. The day his life would change for good. Bartimaeus throws off his old self. His beggar’s wardrobe is tossed aside and is replaced with a new lease on life.

What do you want from me, Jesus asks him. “Rabbi, I want to see!” He declares.

We don’t know how long he had been blind. What we do know is Jesus shows him mercy. He gives him his sight. Not only does he see the world, he stands looking face-to-face with his Redeemer.

Your Faith Has Healed You

Jesus’ response was the same to Bartimaeus as it is to us today. “Your faith has healed you.” (Mark 10:52)

What do you want Jesus asks? I want to see!

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” John 9:39 (NIV)

Yesterday, I had someone ask for proof to my believing in Jesus. I told him, I was lost but now I am found. I was once blind, but now I see. Then he proceeded to tell me that because I believe in Jesus, I am blind to the truth of this world.

Quite contradictory to what the Bible says. The Bible tells us Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind and to those who think they see clearly will become blind.

I’m sure Bartimaeus could testify to a life lived in darkness. A life before he met Jesus on the road that day.

While there may still be naysayers to try and keep those quiet who are calling out to Jesus, the Son of David, Jesus still opens the eyes of those whose faith heals them. Jesus still allows us to throw off our old cloaks and run to him.

Follow Jesus

Many of us may not be able to physically relate to the blind beggar Bartimaeus, at first glance. But as we take this journey with Jesus, we see that our story is exactly the same.

We are in a desperate situation. Our sin has us chained and begging for hope and mercy. It holds us captive to the thoughts and ways of this world.

Thinking we are fine and can ourselves be our own redeemers just leaves us blind and eternally destitute. These thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth.

We, too, often find ourselves begging and crying out to the Lord. Lord, have mercy! Don't leave us in this condemned life. We ourselves cannot fix this situation. We cannot seek enough truth apart from who Christ is and who we are in…
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Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world. The reason that many stay blind is that we are required to recognize our need for Him.  We are required to profess Him as Lord and come to him for His grace and mercy.

It doesn’t end there. We have to turn from our ways. Shed off that old self and follow Him.

Bartimaeus was healed. His faith saved him. And he immediately followed Jesus.

Personal Reflections

In 1 Peter we are told to, “Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have in you.”

1. What is your answer?
2. Are you able to explain this hope?
3. What is the hope and why do you cling to it?

If you don’t feel like you have a clear answer, maybe writing it down and getting your head around it would be beneficial to you.

If you are encouraged by this study, please consider sharing it via social media.

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs to comment and share*

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Most Remarkable Journey: Lord, Have Mercy! appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Testimonies and Business

Welcome to Week 2 of The Most Remarkable Journey: Jesus Among Us. I am so excited that you are journeying with us. This week we are going to discuss two different times Jesus’ parents took Him to the temple as a child. We will discover the testimonies of two devout believers and Jesus’ first declaration of Who He is. 

This is an awesome journey. As believers, I don’t think there is any journey more important than discovering that of Jesus. It tells us who He is. It tells what He is about and tells who we are in Him.

Last week, we took the journey with Mary from conception to the moments when she laid eyes on her newborn King. Her Savior that she sang praises to in her Magnificant had finally arrived.

This week, we will continue in Luke 2 verse 21 and travel to the end of the chapter. 

Walking in Obedience 

Mary and Joseph had to take this journey in faith. Up to this point in their lives, The Messiah was someone they only hoped for. The one they had read about in the Scriptures and their hearts longed to rescue them. 

God’s people hadn’t heard from Him in over 400 years. The state of their religious system was legalistic at it’s best. They had been the remnant holding on to the promises that were spoken of in the prophets and because of that, God showed favor on Mary. 

Joseph and Mary continued to be obedient after Jesus was born. They followed the law that was laid out before them generations past. Eight days after their baby boy was born, they brought Him to the temple. They had Him circumcised, according to the law.  They named Him Jesus which means Yahweh saves, just as the angel had directed them to do. 

Then when it was time for them to go to the temple for the purification offering, according to the law, they took with them two doves as a sacrifice for their firstborn son. (Leviticus 15:14)

The Testimonies of Simeon and Anna

Simeon

As we jump into Luke 2:25, we meet a man in Jeruselum. At first glance, this story may seem somewhat insignificant. We soon find out this is one of the first testimonies of Christ as Savior. 

The angels declared Him Lord, the shepherds sang of His glory, the magi, whom they have not yet met brought gifts for a king but we know little about them.

We learn in these verses of Simeon’s character. 

Simeon is a devout and righteous man. He was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Isreal. (Luke 2:25) He was holding onto the hope that so many had lost. Simeon had a dream in his heart. A longing to see the Messiah before his life was over.

This little dream became Simeon’s reality. The Holy Spirit came upon Simeon and revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah or Anointed One. 

The day that Mary and Joseph came to the temple to present their firstborn to the Lord and bring their sacrifice, the Spirit led Simeon to the temple. (Luke 2:27)

Simeon Took Baby Jesus into His Arms

I want to take a break to let some reality soak in here. Simeon and all of God’s people were waiting for this moment. Although many had drifted into a religious system while others just kept their faith alive. Because of Simeon’s longing in his heart and showing favor with God, He fulfilled Simeon’s greatest desire.

Can you imagine, the Messiah that you have waited for your whole life all of a sudden appears, not only in your presence but in your arms. (Luke 2:28)
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This is one of those moments that I ponder. As a mother, this had to be one of those moments that Mary treasured in her heart. Simeon could die a peaceful man. His eyes had seen the Savior of the World. His heart’s deepest desire fulfilled in baby Jesus. We don’t know how long Simeon lived but we know he died at peace relying on God’s faithfulness to His people.

Simeon Praised God and Claimed Him as Lord in this Declaration and Testimony

29“Now Lord, You dismiss Your servant in peace,
according to Your word.
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples,
32 a light for revelation of the Gentiles,
and glory of Your people Israel.”
33And His father and mother were marveling at the things having been spoken concerning Him.

34And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed
for the falling and rising up of many in Israel,
and for a sign spoken against—
35and a sword also will go through your own soul—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:29-35 (BSB)

Anna’s Testimony

God had fulfilled the law in these two testimonies. According to the law, it was necessary for there to be two witnesses for something to be true. (Deuteronomy 17:6)  I love that these two had not only the character to be reliable witnesses but they had the longing in their heart for this day. 

Anna was a prophetess that had lived at the temple and day and night she would fast and pray.

She comes along just as Mary and Joseph are talking with Simeon and she begins praising God and she talked to everyone about this Savior that had come to rescue Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38)

The testimony of these two is very significant. They testified to Christ being the Anointed Savior that they had been waiting for. They testified the His purpose while on earth.  They revealed God’s plan for this to not only be for Isreal but also for the Gentiles.

Family Road Trip

The next time we see Jesus in Luke 2, His family is once again being faithful to the law and they travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. At this time in the story, Jesus is twelve years old and we will not see or hear from Him again until he begins His public ministry.

After the festival, which lasted 8 days, one day for Passover and seven for the feast of Unleavened Bread, the family returns home to Nazareth.  After traveling for a day, they realize that Jesus is not with them. 

Can we pause for another reality check? Imagine losing the Savior of the World. Can you imagine what was going through their minds?

If you are wondering how this could have possibly happened, most likely they were traveling with a couple hundred people. They were in a caravan of family and friends all heading home. They assumed that He was within their group and it takes them a days travel to discover that He is not with them. 

We see Mary’s rebuke and frustration in her response to Jesus. “Son, why have you done this, your father and I have been frantic looking for you.” (Luke 2:48)

I Am about My Father’s Business

We are going to end today’s study focusing on Luke 2:49 

“Why were you looking for Me?” He asked, “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Luke 2:49 (BSB)

Some versions read, didn’t you know I would be about my Father’s business. There are several points we can learn about Jesus in this interaction. 

• Jesus was not being disrespectful to His parents. Immediately after this, He went home and was obedient to them. He lived a sinless life.
• Jesus, for the first time, is verbally recognizing God as His Father. 
• Jesus, even at this young age was focused on His Father’s mission and continued to do so even to death on the cross.

There are times that we, like Joseph and Mary, are walking along the path and we get distracted. We lose sight of Jesus and being about His Father’s business. There are times we search for Him frantically. We get so wrapped up in what is going on in our lives that when we turn around we can’t seem to find Him. We want to know where He is and we begin searching in every worldly thing. 

Jesus was about His father’s business.

What was His Father’s business? Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) He came to be the final sacrifice for our sins. (Isaiah 53:5) As we see in Simeon’s response, He came to reveal the thoughts of many hearts. 

Are You About Your Father’s Business

Our testimonies can point to the fact that we are about our Father's business. Simeon and Anna's testimonies revealed that their lives pointed to Jesus.
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Mary and Joseph were young parents, responsible for the King of the World. I can’t imagine the stresses they felt to protect this child. They continued to be obedient to the law as they raised Jesus just as they had promised to do on that first night when Mary encountered the angel.

Our Father’s business doesn’t just take place in the temple or church. We are to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. That may look different for different people. Maybe it means right where God placed you in your family or workplace, you are to share what Glorious thing He has done for you. 

Personal Reflections:

1. Are you about your Father’s Business?
2. Do you have a clear focus on what that business is?
3. Do you have a method you use for sharing your testimony?
4. Have you ever written your testimony? If not, I would like to encourage you to do that today. I would love to hear it if you do. Please email it to me at youresewtrendy@gmail.com

Please join us in the conversation below. If you want to share your insight from these reflection questions, we look forward to hearing them.

If you are encouraged by this study, please consider sharing it via social media.

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs and comment and share*

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Most Remarkable Journey: Testimonies and Business appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

The Most Remarkable Journey: Jesus Among Us

There are many journeys throughout the Bible. You could study the story of Noah and his journey in the floating boat. Abraham leaving the home he knew well to move to a foreign land.  You could study Jonah’s journey from the rough seas into the belly of a whale. There is one journey, however, that tops the charts. It is the most remarkable journey of all time. This is the journey of Jesus.

As believers, it is vital to study Jesus’ journey and life because from it we learn His character, His heart, and His love for humanity. We see God in the flesh. The one whom our image bears (Genesis 1:27). We can see the person we are to emulate and worship. 

Over the next six weeks, we will be studying the people that Jesus walked and talked with. We will learn how to make lessons our own by reflecting on these stories. Each lesson will have takeaways to apply to our own lives. 

The Journey Begins

The first leg of the journey begins in these all so famous scenes.

First, Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, where He assures her to not be afraid. He tells her of the child she is about to have. The Son of the Most High God will soon be her firstborn. In awe and wonder, she inquires about how this will be.

Soon after finding out that she was having a baby she was to name Immanuel, she quickly rushed off to tell her pregnant aging cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the wife of Zechariah and the soon-to-be mother of John the Baptist.

What a beautiful encounter this is. Both Elizabeth and John, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, expressed their joy as the Mother of their Lord appeared.

Mary’s Song

Mary is so overcome by this joyous meeting that she speaks the words that today we know as Mary’s Magnificant or Mary’s Song.

What I love about this song is her humility in the news that she had received. Mary knew her object of worship was not herself. What an honor to be the mother of the Most High God.

Many people would use this opportunity to post this big announcement on their social media News Feed. It would be the prime real estate to promote these new connections. Not Mary
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Not Mary, she went to a relative. One she obviously respected and knew would help guide her and share in her joy. One that would understand, to the best of her ability the significance of this Messiah.

Mary also knew her need for a Savior. Her song begins in praising God for who He is. A right perspective of a servant of the Lord. Her obedience to this calling is exemplary of one of God’s children.

Through Mary’s praises, it is obvious that she is familiar with the scriptures that were available to her at the time. Her song echoes that of Hannah, mother of Samuel and is filled with psalms.

Her Savior is coming, and she will have the glorious opportunity to usher Him into the world.

One Couple’s Journey

The next part of the story takes us on the journey with this couple, Mary and her betrothed Joseph. Although not known by anyone except their family and the ones in their small insignificant town (John 1:46), their name will be rung throughout history.

Mary and Joseph lived in a time where the Roman Empire ruled the land. By orders of Caesar Augustus, they were to go to the hometown of their families or tribes. Since both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, they returned to Bethlehem, the city where David was born.

They traveled through mountainous areas 70 miles to get to Bethlehem. She didn’t have any travel restrictions for this journey.

Natural Wonder

Do you ever wonder what that journey was like? I am the type of person that gets in a car to travel and all of a sudden, I have a million things to talk about. I wonder what their conversation was like. The pressures were already great in their lives. 

The Jews felt like this census was one more way for the Roman Empire to oppress them. To have them accounted for so they could be taxed. I wonder if they were thinking about this or as all new parents your focus turns to this new little bundle.

I wonder if Mary, like me, was contemplating which would be harder as a new mom, the delivery or the first few days with a newborn child. Was Joseph’s top priority and thoughts, like most men, focused on protecting and supporting his growing family.

Often times I think life was so different then but at the same time, there are things that are still the same. As humans, our emotions and thoughts had to be similar.

I wonder if the donkey stepped a little lighter and was more cooperative than usual. Did Mary’s heart savor the first cries of this most precious child. I wonder how much her mommy instincts took over knowing she not only had to protect her newborn babe but the Savior of the World.

I wonder if none of that mattered in the moment because, like all newborn moms, your heart is so overwhelmed with love that life’s worries disappear as you float on cloud nine.

That First Kiss

I remember kissing my newborns all day and night, literally. I was so excited to meet them and imagine the people they would become. As we gazed into each other’s eyes, we knew, the bond was like nothing we had ever felt. Love that we never knew until that moment.

And to look into the eyes of Jesus for the first time is something we can only long for but for Mary it was her song. Her longing was bundled in her arms being quieted by the beating of her heart or the gentleness of her voice.

A journey. One we can only read and wonder about began there lying in an animals feeding trough.

The King of the World began his journey is His earthen vessel 2000 years ago and we still talk about it today. This journey is the most remarkable, the most talked about, the most impactful and most debated journey known to mankind.
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Where Do We Go From Here

There are several things we can take away from today’s lesson – 

1. The benefit of being obedient even when it doesn’t make sense or seems beyond our grasp of understanding.
2. Praising God for who HE is. Our life is about the worship of our King and Savior. Mary, even at a young age, knew how essential this was. Her song begins with Praise. May our songs echo her heart.
3. God has a plan. He is faithful to His people and the mission of protecting them.
4. It was necessary for Christ to become flesh and dwell among us. It was also necessary that He remains fully God while becoming fully human.
5. Let God keep you in awe and wonder of who He is. Don’t settle for the things of this world when the decision to trust Him is eternal.

For the next 5 weeks, we are going to take this journey together. We are going to meet the people that Jesus walked and talked with as we journey through Jesus’ life here on Earth. I look forward to you joining us for this study.

I am so glad you are joining me and I hope you are encouraged by this post. If so, please consider sharing to encourage others!    

This week as we celebrate the life of this newborn king we celebrate a story that has been told through the generations. A life that is both scandalous and filled with hope. A story that is not insignificant by any means my hope is that you will be moved to see Jesus for who He really was. 

Personal Reflections

Please join us in the conversations below.

1. Do you ever wonder about the journey that Mary and Joseph took? What do you think your conversations were like?
2. If you have children, what was that first encounter like with your newborn? Besides not being in a stable, how do you think your experience was the same and how do you think it was different?
3. How do you and your family celebrate the birth of Jesus?

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party 

Linkup Party will run for the next two weeks. Feel free to link up to 4 posts during this time and I will see you again in 2018

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs and comment and share*

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

The post The Most Remarkable Journey: Jesus Among Us appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.