Questions From Jesus: “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?” (Part I)

Sermon Title: Questions Asked by Jesus – What do You want from Me?

Good News Statement: Jesus asks us questions to grow our faith

Summary: The questions Jesus asks us are not meant to tear us down but rather to build us into the disciples and church his creation needs

Preached: Sunday, October 4^th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Mark 10:46-52 Today’s scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark. While in Jerusalem, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, calls upon Jesus to heal him. By his faith, Bartimaeus is healed. But in the process, Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Let’s read Mark, Chapter Ten, Verses forty-six thru Fifty-two. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

 

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher,^[a] let me see again.” ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

The Word of God, for the People of God; And all God’s People said, “Thanks Be To God.”

 

 

 

Introduction:

Throughout his ministry here on earth—approximately 3 to 3.5 years as indicated by John’s timeline in his Gospel which explicitly mentions at least three different annual Passover feasts—Jesus asked about 307 recorded questions across the four Gospels. The Gospel of Matthew records 91 questions, Mark records 67 questions, Luke records 96 questions, and John records 50 to 53 questions.

Jesus enjoyed asking questions, but he also had a knack for not always providing an answer. It is noted that of the 183 questions asked to Jesus, he only answered three of them. Do you know which three he answered? First in Matthew 22:23-40 and Mark 12:28-31, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest to which he answered directly by quoting the greatest commandment to love God and neighbor. Second, when asked how to pray in Luke 11:1-4, Jesus answered directly by sharing the Lord’s Prayer. Third, when the high priest asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” while on trial in Mark 14:61-62, Jesus directly answered by saying, “I am.” Keep in mind, although Jesus only answered three questions directly that doesn’t mean he ignored the other 180 questions. He heard those questions, just like he hears your questions, and answered them in way that was most beneficial to the one asking the question. Said another way, rather than acting as a simple “answer man,” Jesus used questions and counter-questions to provoke deep thought, challenge motives, and inspire spiritual transformation.

Today, we continue asking Jesus questions. Most of the questions we ask Jesus deal with suffering, personal pain, and the reasons behind tragedy in the world. For example, the most frequently asked questions are as follows: “Why do bad things happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do I feel alone? Are you disappointed in me? Why do you love a broken world? Why is there so much evil? Who gets to go to heaven? What is heaven like? And How can I serve you better?” Be honest with yourself, have you ever found yourself asking Jesus any of these questions? Do any of them resonate with you? For me personally, I have found myself asking “Why do bad things happen? Why did this happen to me? And How can I better serve your mission?”

For the next couple of weeks, I want us to spend some time thinking about some of the questions that Jesus asked his followers and those whom he was healing. Out of the 307 questions Jesus asked, Biblical teachers often highlight seven major, profound questions. Those questions include: “What do you want me to do for you? Who do you say that I am? Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Who touched me? Do you believe I am able to do this? Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? And Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Each week will explore one of these questions and discern what it is that Jesus wants us to glean from his words. So, what question is Jesus asking you?

 

Body:

Asking questions is nothing new to humanity. As a matter of fact, asking questions is part of life. According to research conducted by A More Beautiful Question, Time Magazine, and Harvard Business School, we humans are prone to asking questions from early stages of development and well into adulthood. It has been suggested that young children aged two to five ask on average 107 questions per hour (roughly one every 33 seconds), with total estimates reaching up to 40,000 to 70,000 questions during this developmental span. Upon entering school asking questions drops drastically. Studies by psychologist Susan Engel, a senior lecturer at Williams College, found that elementary school children ask only two to five questions in a two-hour period, shifting from frequent inquiry to passive compliance. Moving forward, studies have proven that adults generally ask an average just 10 to 20 questions per day. Lastly, Harvard found that “people who ask more questions, especially follow-up questions, are better liked and perceived as higher in responsiveness by conversation partners.”[1]

Now, in case you are wondering, by doing a quick Google search, one can find out some of the most frequently asked questions by adults. Here are just a few: “What time is it? What’s the weather today? What’s for dinner? When are you going to be home? How do I get to [insert location]?” Have any of you ever asked those questions before? Did any of you ask those questions just this morning? Digging a little deeper, I came across a list of five philosophical questions that many people ask throughout their life: “Where did I come from? Who am I? Why am I here? How should I live? And Where am I going?” From these questions, Doug Vos proposes that people will ask four basic questions related to life: “Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with the world? And How can what is wrong be made right?” Furthermore, Vos suggests that the ultimate question that humans contemplate is “What is the point of life?” Essentially, “Why do we exist?”[2]

As humans asking questions is part of life. They help us understand who we are, what is happening around us, what our purpose in life is, what the day could be like, provide us with information, and lead us to a deeper understanding of what has caught our interest. Believe it or not, we aren’t the only ones asking questions. History is riddled with people asking questions; and one person in particular asked approximately 307 questions, was asked by those around 183 questions, and who directly only answered three questions. This person is named Jesus. For the next few weeks, we are going to explore seven of the most famous questions that Jesus asked to the disciples and followers, and contemplate how those questions are still prevalent today. This week, we explore the question “What do you want me to do for you?” So I ask you today, what do you want Jesus to do for you?

 

Movement One: Understanding the Scripture…

Too many people today feel that their life is headed toward a crash. Their life feels like two trains headed directly toward each other and there is really nothing they can do to stop it from happening. For them, a crash seems inevitable. The crash may be a personality crash in a marriage or at work. The crash may be a financial crash or an employment crash. Whatever it is, for them, life seems to have come unglued and untracked. They feel as if they are “partly on track” and “partly off track.” The final decision of where they will end up is yet to be decided.[3]

In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus gave us an example of a man who must have felt the same way as many of us when things keep “crashing,” but who had his life turned around by the power of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Jesus showed us how one man’s life was miraculously changed when he encountered Jesus. By giving us this story, Jesus showed us how our life can be turned around if we come to Jesus Christ. If we are able to honestly and truthfully tell Jesus what we want him to do. Now remember, coming to Jesus is the beginning point, both in these verses and in our daily life. The man in the story was named Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus was a man, by any account, who had very little going for him. Mark tells us that Bartimaeus was stranded on the outskirts of Jericho. He may have even lived on the streets. There did not seem to be any changes on the way in his life. There did not seem to be any way for him to break the cycle. He really did seem to be destined to remain on life’s disabled list for all of his life, facing crash after crash after crash.

Let’s notice what caused Bartimaeus’ problems. First of all, Mark told us that Bartimaeus was blind. I cannot begin to fathom being blind. I can’t imagine being unable to see a picturesque sunset…a starlit night…or the smiling face of a child. Mark leads us to believe that Bartimaeus had been blind for some time. We also know that Bartimaeus was poor. Because he was blind, he could not work, he had to depend on others. All Bartimaeus could do was to sit along the roadside, begging, hoping kindhearted travelers would spare him a few coins, that a “good Samaritan” would stop by to help him. In all honesty, we could say that Bartimaeus’ future looked gloomy. His life seemed hopeless. Bartimaeus was a man who simply survived. No enjoyment. No happiness. No success. No peace. No joy. No healing in sight. Bartimaeus’ major concern in life was simple survival. That is, until the day a special passerby, Jesus, came along. Jesus gave Bartimaeus something money could not buy…a gift that would change his life forever. Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted, rather needed to survive which is why he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Now, what can we learn from Bartimaeus? What can we learn from him that will help us get plugged in to the plan that God has for our life? How can we have the confidence to tell Jesus what we need him to do in our life? How can we move beyond merely surviving and start thriving? I want to share with you three ways.

 

Movement Two: God Provides for Us Opportunities…

First of all, to move from surviving to thriving, we must learn to CAPITALIZE ON THE OPPORTUNITIES GOD PROVIDES FOR US. Bartimaeus did just that. Look back at the scriptures. Once Bartimaeus discovered that Jesus was close to him, he shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Now, what do you think triggered that request? Was he simply begging as he had always done? How did he know of Jesus’ miraculous powers? How did he know that Jesus was coming? After all, he couldn’t see Jesus. Maybe he felt Jesus’ presence? I don’t know for sure, but however he knew about Jesus, Bartimaeus sensed that he had an opportunity to get help and he acted upon the opportunity. Bartimaeus pleaded with Jesus. Little did he know that this request would turn out to be his best request ever! Bartimaeus capitalized on the opportunity placed before him by God.

In Mark 10:17-31, Jesus told us about another man who was looking for an opportunity. In those verses, Jesus told us about a Rich Young Ruler. A Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus with several questions about life. Jesus presented him with an opportunity just as he did Bartimaeus. Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” Here was the opportunity: Jesus told him to sell what he had and then to follow him. Now, notice what happened to the Rich Young Ruler. Tragically, the young man went away sad. He refused Jesus’ offer. Why? Why would a person do such a thing? Why would a person turn from Jesus’ offer? The answer is painfully simple: to the Rich Young Ruler, temporary wealth meant more than eternal life. He wanted to keep what he had, what he owned, rather than follow Jesus. Jesus knew what the Rich Young Ruler needed, but the Rich Young Ruler thought he knew what he needed in life. He thought he could live a life without needing Jesus to help him.

How many times has God given you an opportunity to change something in your life, but you ignored it? How many times has God laid something upon your heart, but you dismissed it? How many times have you thought that you could handle a certain situation on your own but found out that you needed help? How many times has Jesus wanted you to do something for him but you chose not to listen? God gives us opportunities every day to change our life, to do something different, to take a leap of faith, but more often than not we dismiss it because we are too tired, too busy, too stretched thin and don’t feel worthy enough, don’t have the right credentials. However, God wouldn’t give you that opportunity if He didn’t believe you could do it. And that’s why Jesus repeatedly asks us, “What can I do for you?” We need Jesus to help us believe in ourselves to pursue the opportunity before us.

Here’s another example: Do you recognize the name Levi Strauss? Probably so. Levi Strauss really has become a household name today. However, his name is not known the way Mr. Strauss wanted it to be known. Like many other men in the 1840s and 50s, Levi Strauss went to California in hopes of making his fortune. He went to California to look for gold. Now, he did make a fortune, but not the way he had planned.

Strauss left his home with a load of heavy canvas fabric. Strauss planned to sell his fabric for tents and wagon covers. When Strauss set up his place of business, the first miner who came in said, “You should have brought pants.” Strauss, who had been in California for only a few days, had no idea what the miner meant. So, the miner explained to Strauss that there weren’t any pants strong enough to endure the arduous conditions of mining. What did Levi Strauss do? He immediately took the heavy canvas fabric that he had brought with him and made the miner a pair of work pants. Within days, Levi Strauss struck gold. Not the bright, shiny gold found in the ground or rivers, but the gold of opportunity.[4]

Today, before every one of us is a door of opportunity. Today, God could be calling you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Today, God could be calling you to recommit yourself to a walk with Him. Today, there may be a place of service in the church that God wants you to fill. Maybe God is calling you to a teaching position in our church. Maybe God is calling you to get involved in a ministry in our community. Maybe you know a lost person who needs Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and is now open to the Gospel. Listen to me. If you feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit, if God is placing an opportunity before you, you have two choices. If we follow the example of Bartimaeus, we will seize the moment! We will grab the opportunity! We will follow Him! However, if we follow the example of the Rich Young Ruler, we will allow other things to hinder the opportunity. Church, thriving means capitalizing on our God-given opportunities. What Bartimaeus needed Jesus to do was give him an opportunity to believe, to know that his life had a purpose, to accept that his life could be changed. If Jesus came to you today and asked “What can I do for you?” will you ask him for an opportunity that could change your life?

 

Movement Three: Minimize the Negative Voices…

Then, secondly, to move from thriving to striving, we must learn to MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE VOICES THAT DISTRACT US. Now, notice the crowd’s reaction when Bartimaeus cried out for help. Mark said, “Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet.” You see, the crowd had Bartimaeus stereotyped. In their eyes, he would never be anything more than a blind beggar. In their eyes, he would never be anything but poor. In their eyes, he would never be someone. The crowd thought that their question was fair: Why would this Rabbi want to waste his time with such an outcast? We do the same thing today, we judge people by what we see on the outside. Although we are told in Matthew 7:1 “do not judge,” we still do from time to time.

Here’s the good news. But the judgment from the people didn’t prevent Bartimaeus from doing what he wanted Jesus to do. This is why I appreciate Bartimaeus’ reaction. Did you notice what he did? Bartimaeus persisted. He would not give up. Mark said, “He shouted all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me.” First, mercy means showing active compassion, forgiveness, and kindness to people who are suffering or who do not deserve it. It often means not giving someone the harsh punishment or judgment they might deserve. What Bartimaeus wanted from Jesus was not healing per se, but rather mercy.  And Bartimaeus was not going to let a bunch of negative, critical, heckling bystanders rob him of his dream of receiving mercy through sight. He wasn’t going to let them rob him of finally being helped, rob him of being healed, rob him of being changed, rob him of receiving attention from Jesus. Nothing was going to prevent Bartimaeus from allowing Jesus to see him. I wonder if Jesus had this moment in mind when he wrote in his Beatitude that “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Bartimaeus was seeking mercy—forgiveness, grace, compassion, kindness, and redemptive love in his greatest time of suffering—and he wasn’t going to give up until he received that mercy. The judgment of the people wasn’t going to stop Bartimaeus from seeking Jesus.

There is a similar story to this found in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 17, we are told how David overcame the voices of opposition. First Samuel tells us that the Israelites and Philistines were getting ready for battle. As they were, David, the future king of Israel, brought food from home for his brothers. When David’s oldest brother Eliab saw him, he said, “Why have you come down here…” David also got the same response when he later volunteered to fight Goliath. Saul said, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him, you are only a boy.” However, despite their negativity, David would not give up. He insisted that he be given a chance to fight. And he did; and the rest is history.[5] Listen to me. We must never try to please those who would criticize us. Why? Simple. We will never be able to do so.[6] As you are criticized, as you face the negative crowd, follow the example of Bartimaeus and David and countless others who didn’t give up.[7]

Church, we will face criticism. We have faced criticism. People will tell us it’s not going to work, we shouldn’t do that, and we shouldn’t invest in that ministry. But truth be told, if we let the criticisms tell us what we can and cannot do, then we could be missing out on helping a lot of Bartimaeus’s in our community, we could be missing out on opportunities to make our church better, we could be missing out on simply sharing the message of Jesus Christ with someone who needs a little bit of Jesus in their life. The criticisms will happen. However, they shouldn’t keep us from doing what Jesus needs us to do. And what Jesus needs us to do is simply allow him to help us out and to truly consider his question to Bartimaeus: “What can I do for you?”

 

Movement Four: Exercise the Faith Available to You – What do you want…

Now, finally, if we are to move from striving to thriving, we must learn to EXERCISE THE FAITH AVAILABLE TO US. Notice, Bartimaeus’ boldness grabbed Jesus’ attention. His boldness and enthusiasm were almost impossible to miss. Now, let me quickly add, that we should make no mistake about it, the reason that Jesus healed Bartimaeus was not because of his boldness, but because of his faith. It was Bartimaeus’ faith that triggered Jesus’ healing power. Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “Go, your faith has healed you.”[8]

Bartimaeus knew how he wanted Jesus to help him. Sure he wanted to receive sight—to see again the colors of the world and to witness the face of the one who would forever change and save his life. But his want was much deeper. Sure he wanted to receive mercy during his suffering—compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and love. But his want was much deeper. Sure he wanted to have a new life, to prove his critics wrong, and to be restored. But his want was much deeper. And Jesus knew that. When Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51), he knew that Bartimaeus’s healing wasn’t about mercy or even receiving sight: it was about restoring his faith. It’s his faith, not his mercy, not his shouting, not his begging, that healed him. What Bartimaeus needed from Jesus was for Jesus to remind him of the faith that was within his heart. Once the faith made him well, Bartimaeus “immediately regained his sight” (Mark 10:52).

This moment reminds me of a story I once heard. A young man, who had worked for years on the railroad, wanted a job as a signalman for the railroad. For his interview, he was told to meet the inspector at the signal box. The inspector asked him, “What would you do if you realized that two trains were heading toward each other on the same track?” The young man said, “That’s easy. I would switch the points for one of the trains.” “The inspector then asked, “What if the lever broke?” The young man said, “Then I’d jump down out of the signal box and I’d use the manual lever over there.” Next, the inspector said, “What if the lever had been struck by lightning?” The young man said, “Then, I would run to the signal box and phone the next signal box to let them know what was happening.” The inspector continued on, “What if the phone was busy?” The young man said, “Well, in that case, I would rush down out of the signal box and use the public emergency phone at the crossing up there.” Then, the inspector said, “What would you do if the public emergency phone had been vandalized?” The young man said, “Oh, well, then I would run into town and get my uncle.” That answer puzzled the inspector. So, he asked, “Why would you go get your uncle?” The young man answered, “That’s simple. Because he’s never seen a train crash before.”

What I appreciate about this story is that it resembles exactly what Jesus does in our life when we think we know how we want him to help us. Let me explain. At times we think we know what we need, so much so that we appear extremely confidant. But then, much like the inspector, Jesus gives us a “what if” scenario which forces to rethink our answer. Then we give him another answer, and again he gives another “what if.” This continues until Jesus forces us to answer not so much with our mind but with our heart, with our faith, so that we avoid a future crash.

Sometimes when Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”, our mind begins to race and we start word vomiting: we want Jesus to help us get more money, we want Jesus to help us land the perfect job, we want Jesus to grant us a day where nothing goes wrong, we want Jesus to administer healing and takeaway our pains, we want Jesus to answer our prayers right away, we want Jesus to help with making the kids listen, we want Jesus to give us a peaceful night, we want Jesus to fill our pews, we want Jesus to help us be the church in which everyone attends, and I could keep going. We almost treat Jesus’ willingness to help us as if Jesus was a genie and we get three wishes. We want, we want, we want…. However, that’s not what Jesus has in mind. He doesn’t want us to say the first thing that comes to mind so that he has to steer us in another direction. Rather, he wants us to say what is truly on our heart.

Consider what scripture says. First Samuel 16:7 shares, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Jeremiah 17:10 states, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways.” First Chronicles 28:9 notes, “For the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.” God knows the heart, so don’t feel like you need to hide yours from Him.

For a moment, I invite you to really consider what is weighing upon your heart today. Are you worried? Are you scared? Are you stressed? Is there someone who is constantly in your prayers? Are you going through a rough patch? Are you seeking understanding? Are you hoping for direction? And now imagine Jesus approaches you or he invites you into his tent, looks you in the eyes, and says, “What do you want me to do for you?” How would you respond?  Would your request be personal in nature. . .perhaps even self-serving? Would your response be general? Jesus has taken time out of his ministry work to allow you to share what is on your heart. He wants to help you. We need his help. He is extending his hand out to you, just like he did with Peter when Peter was sinking in the water. He wants to restore your vision like he did with Bartimaeus. He wants to help you walk again like he did with the paralytic man lowered through the roof and the paralytic man who lay near the Pool of Bethesda for nearly three decades. He wants to cast out your demons. He wants to heal you of diseases. He wants to offer you forgiveness and mercy. He wants to give you a second chance. If he didn’t want to do anything of these things, then he wouldn’t have asked in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in essence the same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus wants to help you, so don’t be afraid to share with him what is on your heart.

This will be a topic for another day, but keep in mind that if you want Jesus to help you, then you have to make a transaction: you are going to have to be willing to help him—to be his hands and feet: feed the hungry, comfort the sick, love your neighbor, serve others, do good, avoid harm…. Jesus doesn’t necessarily need us like we need him, but he wants us. But for now, what do you need Jesus to do for you? What do we need Jesus to do for our church?

 

Conclusion:

As we conclude this message, I strongly encourage you to ponder the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar. Notice how he thrived. He didn’t pass up an opportunity to have Jesus in his life. (Have you allowed Jesus to walk by you without saying anything?) He didn’t let the critics of the day change his mind about Jesus. (How often do you let the critics of the day steer you away from the love of Jesus?) He sought to receive mercy. (Do you need the mercy of Jesus—his compassion, kindness, love, and forgiveness?) His faith is what healed him. (Is your faith strong enough to heal you?) And he told Jesus what he wanted? He wanted to see. He wanted to see Jesus. He wanted to be healed. He wanted his heart to be changed.

“What do you want Jesus to do for you?” This question is not meant to be answered without faith and discernment. This question is meant to be answered from the heart, the very heart in which God searches on a daily basis. Jesus wants to help you. He wants to be there for you. He wants to walk with you and talk with you along life’s narrow ways. He wants to help you see. He wants to restore your faith. He wants to help you get up and walk. He wants to save you from the waters. He wants to wipe away your tears and takeaway your pain. If Jesus didn’t want to help you, or even Bartimaeus, then he wouldn’t have asked the question. Of the 307 questions Jesus asked, we focus on this one because, hopefully, it sets the stage for the following questions, especially how Jesus wants us to respond.

So, if Jesus came to you right now, right here, at this very moment and looked you in the eyes and called you by name and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would be your response? Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, on the streets of Jericho, you healed a blind beggar: you allowed him to see. He overcome doubt, criticism, neglect, and instead saw an opportunity, sought mercy, and was healed because of his faith. He told you what he wanted. Help us to have that same faith. Help us to call upon you for help. And help us to speak from the heart as we begin to see you more fully. In your mighty name we pray, Amen.

 

Holy Communion:

 

Benediction:

Church, what do you want Jesus to do for you? This week when Jesus asks you that question, be honest, be truthful, and speak from the heart so that he can change and save you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth answering the questions of Jesus. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Alison Woods Brooks, “It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-asking Increases Liking,” Harvard Business School, published September 2017, accessed September 29, 2026: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52115

[2] Doug Vos, “What Are the Ultimate Questions in Life?,” Doug Vos: Official Website of Douglass J. Vos, published August 8, 2023, accessed September 29, 2026: https://dougvos.com/what-ultimate-questions-life/

[3] Could that be how you feel today? Maybe you feel as if you have gotten off track. Maybe you feel that something is missing in your life and you just don’t know what it is. Maybe you feel like you are about to crash. Let me ask you, is there a way out? Is there any hope? Are there any answers? Is there any way to stop the crash before it happens? Is there anything Jesus can do for you at this moment?

[4] There’s an important truth that we must understand at this point. Opportunities only become opportunities when we embrace them as opportunities. God may offer and offer something to us; however, if we refuse to accept it, the opportunity will be missed. An opportunity must be seized, grabbed, accepted, and taken. Bartimaeus accepted the opportunity that was presented by Jesus. The Rich Young Ruler did not accept the opportunity.

[5] Speaking of history, growing up near the Mississippi River and having the Hennepin Canal literally in my backyard, the talk of steamboats was heard throughout the community. Do you know who invented the steamboat? Robert Fulton invented the first commercial steamboat in 1807. When he first presented his new invention, he had plenty of critics crowded on the river bank. The critics yelled, “It’ll never start, it’ll never start.” Fulton proved them wrong. After a lot of clanking and groaning, the steamboat started up and moved down the river at an average rate of 5 miles per hour. The critics were quiet momentarily. Then they rallied together and started yelling, “It’ll never stop, it’ll never stop.”

[6] Young people, you are going to be criticized often as you grow up. You are going to be criticized by your friends if you don’t listen to them. You are going to be criticized by your parents if you do listen to your friends. I can tell you, it is so difficult not to listen to that criticism. But listen to me.

[7] Use it. Grow from it. Move forward despite it. Don’t let it hold you back. Seize the opportunities placed before you by God. Don’t be limited by the negative criticism of others.

[8] However, Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted. For that reason, he did not hesitate to speak to Jesus about it. But listen. Through prayer, we have this same privilege. The Lord said in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Paul told us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” But, be careful here. Requesting something of Jesus or speaking to Jesus is not enough. You see, the Rich Young Ruler did that, yet he remained unchanged. Complete faith is obedient faith. Mark tells us that when Bartimaeus received his sight, he “followed Jesus along the road.” Can you imagine the testimony that his eyesight must have been as he told others the impact that Jesus had in his life?