THE reader will no doubt agree with me when I say that every soul has his last chance of receiving the gospel of God’s grace.
When he gets that last chance we know not, but how often do souls wake up to the bitter discovery that they have had their last and lost it!
They can vividly call back to mind the moment when Christ was presented to them, when, so to speak, Jesus of Nazareth passed by. Yet they sat still in indifference with their mouths closed; just one feeble cry would have brought Jesus to their deliverance.
If you turn to Mark’s gospel (10:46-52) you will find an illustration of the offered gospel of today and how a wise man will treat it. Bartimæus was blind naturally, and he knew it; and not only so, he knew that there was One and only One, living amongst men, who could meet his need.
No doubt he had heard that Jesus had made the dumb to speak and the lame to walk. Devils had been cast out by Him and the dead raised! Then why not the blind see?
At all events Bartimaeus did not mean to miss his first opportunity of gaining the blessing he had long waited for. His need was too great to trifle with such an opportunity. Therefore when once Jesus was near enough, he would cry loud enough.
What a wise resolution for blind Bartimæus to arrive at; for had he not come to that conclusion when he did he would never have received the blessing at all.
Do you say, Why? Well if you carefully study your Bible you will notice that Jesus never passed that way again. It was Bartimæus’s first and last chance. What an opportunity! But what tremendous consequences would have resulted through missing it.
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, from whence He never returned, for there He was crucified; so it was now or never for Bartimæus.
Did he know it? No, certainly not, but he pleads as though he did. The crowd tried to hush his cries, but he knew that they did not feel his need as he felt it, and therefore he only cried the louder. Then what happens? “Jesus stood still.” What a spectacle! The Creator of heaven and earth stands still and listens to the voice of a blind beggar! What love! “Bring him to me,” says Jesus; and at that command Bartimæus was hurried into the presence of the Son of God.
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” says Jesus to him. Do you think that Bartimæus was long in giving Jesus the answer? Nay, friend. Although he was poor, and his sole occupation begging for a living, he seems to forget his need in that respect. His whole mind is fixed upon his greatest necessity―his blindness.
Therefore he says, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Then came those sight-producing words: “Go thy way; thy faith hath saved thee.”
Now, dear reader, just consider your position before God. If unconverted, you too are blind.
You were born blind, and have in one way or other been begging from the world all your life for something to satisfy you. Up to the present moment you have gained nothing permanent, and your needs are just as great today as ever they were.
Perhaps you think you are not blind, but God’s word says you are if you have not seen yourself a lost sinner and Jesus your Saviour.
We are not naturally in a great hurry to view ourselves in a proper way by studying God’s opinion about us. We think we are not so bad as Scripture brands us. It is only when we get a glimpse of our degradation before God that we are convinced that there is no more hope of blessing in us than Bartimæus had in his own powers to get eyesight. Then we find we must turn to another if our case is to be met, and that the only One we can turn to is Christ.
But how often we are hindered from obtaining God’s blessing at once by some trivial thing which we cling to! We allow small objections to rise in our hearts. The devil comes along with some paltry tale, as with the crowd to Bartimæus, who cry, “Hold your peace.” As much as to say, “Jesus does not want to bother with you!” But this is only a piece of the devil’s craft. The needy sinner is just the man Jesus came to save. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” So that immediately you feel your need of Jesus, He is your nearest, your truest Friend.
The more the crowd endeavored to stop the cry of Bartimaeus, the louder he cried; he did not mean to be balked in his purpose. Here was the chance of a lifetime, and the chance was too valuable to miss.
Well, the faith of that blind man was rewarded.
The crowd came to a halt, and, although Bartimæus could not see it, the attention of one and all was centered on him. The hearts of many in that crowd beat high; there was, no doubt, purpose written in the face of Jesus was it not a moment of importance in His life also―Son of God, yet a servant of all?
In a moment the voice of Jesus responded to that beggar’s cry, for the Lord could not delay an answer to a cry like that. His ear was ever open to hear a needy one’s cry, and in quick response He said, in effect, Bring him to life.
Do you think Bartimaeus was long in going to Jesus? Not he. All that hindered him in his progress he would fling aside. “Casting away his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.”
Now, reader, when this picture is studied, you must admit that the wisdom and discretion of Bartimæus were of the greatest importance to him. He did the right thing at the right moment.
But have you ever thought of the condition of every sinner, or, to come a little closer, of your own condition pictured here?
If you are unconverted you can only be compared to this blind man sitting by the wayside begging, only with Jesus passing by without your heeding Him.
You know He is passing by, for this country is filled with preachers who proclaim it. Yet you allow some little thing to balk your blessing. Even one of the devil’s whispers is enough to seal your lips. But unless you wake up to the fact that, one by one, your chances are slipping by, you will one day look back with bitter remorse to the moment when Jesus passed within your reach and you kept your mouth shut.
Oh, may that mouth of yours be opened at once! The ear of Jesus is waiting for the cry, “Have mercy on me.” Will you not partake of His mercy? Nothing is too hard for Him.
Do you say; “I am too bad for Jesus to take any notice of me”? Do you think Bartimæus had a thought like that? He knew he was a beggar, and the Person of whom he asked a favor was none other than the Son of David, King of Israel, yet that did not hinder his request being made.
Weigh these things in the balances of justice―justice to your own soul. Is salvation not worth your immediate attention? Mercy’s door stands open wide today, but a day is coming―and that not far hence―when that door will be shut forever. “When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath, shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know ye not whence ye are” (Luke 13:2525When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: (Luke 13:25)).
“Jesus gently whispers
To thy longing soul,
‘Down I came to save thee,
Came to make thee whole;
Wilt thou now be pardoned,
Wilt thou be set free?’
Yield thine heart to Jesus
While He waits for thee.”
F. A. P.