Pastor Pusch

Last week I delivered a message on the subject of Spiritual Blindness. I took my text from Mark 10:46-52, where Jesus gave sight to blind Bartimaeus (a familiar story to you no doubt.) Though a blind beggar, Bartimaeus was no dummy. He knew who Jesus was prior to His arrival. This is evident in the fact that when Bartimaeus called out to Him, he used a messianic titled, “Son of David“, that title caught Jesus attention. This is an amazing story of the faith of Bartimaeus and the grace of our Lord. 

For the sake of this blog post, I want to focus on the one particular interaction within this passage. I have always been intrigued by the question presented to Bartimaeus from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When Bartimaeus was brought to Jesus, Jesus asked a truly invaluable question, “What do you want me to do for you?” The question, though great, was simple and Bartimaeus responded in like manner, “I want to see.” The rest of the passage tells us that Bartimaeus, because of his faith, “immediately” received his sight and followed after Jesus. 

What Do You Want Me To Do For You?
What a question! What would be your answer? If the Lord Jesus Christ were standing right before you in the flesh and ask you the same question He asked of Bartimaeus, what would be your response (knowing that you would still have to live out the remainder of your life here on earth)? What would be your answer in view of eternity? 

I asked a close friend of mine what his response would be and he said that he would like to see all of his grandchildren serving the Lord. Obviously, that was a good answer. What made it a great answer is that this friend of mine lives every day with a debilitating disease and has struggled with it for several years. In conversations past, he would tell about days when MS gets the best of him and when it takes away from his daily activities. What makes this answer great is that had nothing to do with the temporal and all do to with the eternal. 

Perhaps your answer would be different. I once posed this question to a congregation of believers, and some of the responses were simply amazing. Some answered with health, others, money, and some with other “stuff”. The real questions involved are: What is sickness or disease in view of eternity? What is the value of money in view of eternity? What are houses and lands worth in view of eternity? Better yet, James wrote in his epistle, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). 

Personally, I hope my answer would be same as Bartimaeus, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Bartimaeus was a changed man that day. Mark records that Bartimaeus left his beggars clothes behind. He not only knew that Jesus could help him, he knew this encounter would change his life for all eternity. He would no longer need his beggar’s clothes. Bartimaeus did not just become a “sighted” beggar, he was changed. He left his former way, picked himself up, and he followed after Jesus. 

While I may have the ability to see physically, I want a vision that seeks to know Christ more and the ability to view this life in light of eternity and to see the world as He sees it.

Lord, I am an open book in your sight and yet I try to hide from you as though you could never find me; as if I had privacy while consumed in your presence. When I consider the reality that you truly see all and know all, it’s humiliating, and places me in a most vulnerable position. In your presence, Lord, I am undone and yet you love me and fill me full of your grace and mercy. Lord, you are my only ray of hope in this world. Help me to live and grow in your grace that sustains. You are all I need.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me; and lead me in the way of every lasting” ps 139:23-24.

Overwhelmed.

Dickens wrote, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times… it was the season of Light, it was the season of darkness… it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

It seems that over the last year my family has experienced both sides of the emotional, mental, and physical spectrum that Dickens penned in the opening line of his classic title  A Tale of Two Cities. However, to bring the last 12 months to summation, I would have to say, we experienced the greatest of times showered only by the grace of God.

June 2009 proved to be a trying time in our family as we had to take our daughter Jovie in for surgery to repair her cleft palate. While Jovie was clueless to the situation, Rena and I were charting new and unexpected territory. This was perhaps the most difficult process to endure. We had complete confidence in Jovie’e care, but it was still my little baby girl who had to suffer. I cannot even begin to tell you how much joy and happiness Jovie Madelyn has brought to our home. We released Jovie into the arms of the surgeon with indescribable feelings swinging back and forth between hope and despair. Today, Jovie is doing extremely well and has not experienced any further problems. Grace.

July 2009 we learned that Jovie was going to be a big sister. Overall we were excited about receiving another gift of God, but it would be a complete lie if I told you that we did not experience feelings of another kind as we wondered whether or not we were ready for child number 2 after all we have experienced with number 1. Today, we are within 6 weeks of delivery, and words would fail to describe the great anticipation we feel as we wait for the arrival of Jovie’s little sister. Grace.

September 2009 taught us unforgettable lessons. Two seizures landed me in the hospital for a series of tests that brought forth darkening results. After reviewing the results, doctors wasted no time scheduling surgery. After surgery, recovery was a challenge. From anxiety to full mental breakdown, I experienced everything in between. Thankfully I have been taken off the medications that caused such instability. The pathology reports all came back the same week of surgery. Today, all is well. What was thought to be a low grade brain tumor with malignant activity is no longer. I am taking 1 medication with little to no side effects (for only 6 more months) and to this day all of my scans have come back clean and clear. A miracle for sure. Grace.

It is not like we have not seen God’s hand at work in our lives before, it just 2009 has been a year like none other. Words fail to describe how grateful we are as a family. God continues to mold us and shape us. He has given us new perspective and we enter 2010 with great anticipation thankful for all that He has done and will continue to do. While 2009 brought with it great trials and heartache, I can say for me, it was indeed the “best of times.” Grace.

“And the God of all grace…will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 5:10-11

Blessings,
PastorPusch