Pastor Ed Newton shares biblical principles found in the story of Bartimaeus at Convocation

Liberty University welcomed Community Bible Church (San Antonio) Pastor Ed Newton to Convocation on Wednesday, where he preached about Jesus’ healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus.

Newton provided an in-depth study on the Bible story found in Mark 10:46-52. In this passage, Bartimaeus hears Jesus walking the street and begs him to heal him, ignoring the protests and rebukes from those around him. After Jesus heals him, Bartimaeus chooses to follow Christ with his life.

Newton highlighted three points that Christians could glean from the passage and apply to their own lives.

First, he recognized the spirit of desperation that Bartimaeus demonstrated. Noting that ancient Israelites often equated physical ailments as punishment for sin, Newton stated that Bartimaeus had little friends or financial support. He was ignored and even reproached for his pleas for help.

He shared a relevant anecdote about a social experiment he did in which he hid his identity and pretended to be a homeless man visiting the church he was pastoring. While most of the congregation ignored him, two individuals — a volunteer at the church and his sister — cared for him. They sat with him during the service and told him that they would help him find food and a place to live.

“I have never felt so seen or loved,” Newton said in speaking about the encounter. “We have to see people the way Jesus sees them. Bartimaeus was unseen until he saw Jesus, and not when he saw Jesus with his eyes, but (when he) saw Jesus with his heart.”

Second, he spoke about the single-minded desire that Bartimaeus had to be healed. He did not allow the people around him to distract him from the healing power of Christ and begged Him for mercy.

The third principle that Newton highlighted from the passage is that Jesus stopped what he was doing to help. He did not ignore or berate Bartimaeus like everyone else but instead had compassion on him. Instead of placing all of his attention on his eventual death and resurrection, Jesus took time to show love and care for the beggar.

“Jesus was on his way to die for you and me, but Jesus stopped. Is there anybody in the house of God today that would say, ‘Spirit of the Living God, I’m so desperate for you. Nothing can fix my situation. Nothing can fix the day except for you’? I need you to know that we’ve got a Jesus who stops.”

Born to two underprivileged and deaf parents and growing up in government-subsidized housing in Orlando, Fla., surrounded by handicapped individuals, Newton said that he has had a lot of experience interacting with those who are disabled. One specific neighbor was blind and would walk 2 miles to the grocery store to pick up food. Newton remembered asking the man how he could shop without sight, and the man stated that he had memorized the layout of the store. This fact stuck with Newton throughout his life and showed him how blind individuals are meticulously calculated. This provided insight about Bartimaeus’ faith.

“When Jesus called Bartimaeus and said, ‘Come here,’ the Bible says he threw away his garment,” Newton said. “I’ve spent time and grew up with blind people, they would have never thrown a garment to the side, especially when you’re broke, you’re a beggar, you’re blind, and you’ve been branded as the object of God’s punishment. But instead, he throws the garment aside. If he did not believe what was going to take place, he would have counted the steps to the garment.”

Bartimaeus fully trusted Christ’s healing power to the point where he did not worry about misplacing his garment because he knew that in a few moments he would see. His actions demonstrated the faith that he had in who Jesus was and what He could do.

Newton concluded his message by showing that Bartimaeus followed Christ after his miraculous recovery instead of leaving Jesus to pursue his own desires with his new sight, and Newton questioned whether modern Christians would do the same.

“Could it be the very fact you don’t get what you want… is because Jesus knows that if He gives it to us, we won’t follow Him because we just want what’s in His hands, not what’s in His heart?” Newton asked, calling for Christians to fully embrace Christ with their lives.

Newton is slated to speak at Campus Community Wednesday evening, held in the Vines Center at 7 p.m.