“What Do You Want Me To Do For You?” 11-12-23

Overview

"What Do You Want Me To Do For You?"

As Jesus approaches Jericho on his final journey toward Jerusalem, a blind beggar by the roadside hears the crowd and cries out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Luke 18:35-43. The crowd around Jesus tries to silence him—perhaps because a blind beggar seemed of no consequence, or perhaps because they were pursuing their own agenda with Jesus and didn't want this nobody to interrupt what they hoped to gain. But the beggar shouts again, this time with a visceral, desperate cry from the depths of his suffering. And Jesus stands still. He stops the whole procession for the one man whose cry he refuses to ignore, and he asks, "What do you want me to do for you?"

That question is staggering when we put ourselves in the beggar's place. We don't come to the Lord asking for hardship or disaster; we come with very specific needs. Consider the Fourth Petition of the Lord's Prayer—"Give us this day our daily bread." In the Small Catechism, Luther reminds us that daily bread includes everything for this body and life: food, clothing, home, family, faithful neighbors, good government, peace, health, and reputation. But our sinful flesh easily turns honest petition into prideful, selfish desire—not just food but fine dining, not just shelter but a fancy house, not just a good name but a platform to monetize. Our prayers can quickly become "me, me, me." That is why the Fourth Petition follows the Third: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We ask the Lord to shape our hearts to seek his will first, not to bend his will to ours.

Bartimaeus answers Jesus differently than the crowd would have. He says, "Lord, let me see again." That is the cry of every sinner laid bare before God—the cry to have our eyes opened. In our baptism, our old sinful self is drowned and we are raised to new life, sealed with the Holy Spirit, declared forgiven, named as God's own child. We don't have to be re-baptized each time we sin; the baptismal promise is always at the ready. Through it the Spirit opens our eyes again and again to see the grace and mercy God has bestowed in Christ. As Luther writes on the Fourth Petition, God gives daily bread to all people even without our prayers, but we pray that he would lead us to realize it and receive it with thanksgiving. Our deepest need is sight—to see that the Lord himself is our provider and Savior.

"Your faith has saved you," Jesus tells the man, and immediately he sees and follows, glorifying God. That faith was itself a gift, for as Paul writes, "by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8-9. Faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1—it lays hold of God's mercy on the basis of his word, not our works. So when Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" remember: the deepest answer has already been accomplished. Your life has been redeemed, your sins forgiven, your eyes opened. Walk now in the glory and freedom of God's own people.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to Luke, the 18th chapter will be in the Gospel of Luke 3s

the 18th chapter. 10s

If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 71 in the New Testament, 12s

where Luke the 18th chapter. 19s

This is a text. 23s

This is a text that I am very much appreciated. 26s

I think I've recently done a sermon on it. 30s

I've recently done a devotion on it within the past 12 months. 33s

And I saw this text and I thought, 41s

Huh. 44s

How is it going to be different? 46s

But God's word is unchanging. 50s

So it's not going to be different. 52s

What we'll find in our text today is that God is God is God. 57s

We find the same God who is filled with mercy, 63s

with love, with forgiveness, 66s

and who empowers his people to see him. 69s

I like that we are focusing on this question that Jesus poses to the blind man who comes before 74s

him. 82s

So let's go ahead and dive right in. 83s

We're beginning in verse 35 of our text. 86s

We read that as Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting a blind man was sitting 91s

by the roadside begging. 96s

When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 99s

So here is Jesus heading to Jerusalem eventually. 103s

He's on his way. 108s

These are the last few weeks of his life. 109s

He's got a crowd that's following him and we focus on this blind beggar. 113s

But think about this crowd. 119s

They're following him for a reason. 121s

They're following him for a reason. 124s

What do they see in following Jesus? 126s

Remember they have seen him perform miracles. 132s

Well they have heard him teach as one with authority other than the scribes and the Pharisees. 135s

They know that he has something. 142s

They know that this could be the man to overthrow the Roman rule and bring justice to Israel 144s

and place Israel back in its right position as God's chosen people. 153s

The crowd is following him. 160s

Because they're seeking something from him. 162s

They told him verse 37. 169s

They told the blind man, this is Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. 172s

Then he shouted, Jesus, son of David have mercy on me. 176s

Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet but he shouted even more loudly. 182s

Son of David have mercy on me. 188s

You see the blind man knew he knew that he needed Jesus. 193s

He knew that he needed Jesus and needed mercy from him. 199s

From him, from Jesus and yet this crowd tells him sternly to be quiet to pipe down. 208s

Why would they do that? 215s

Maybe it's because as a blind beggar he was really of no consequence. 217s

He was basically an outcast of society. 223s

He would be bothering Jesus but I wonder I wonder just perhaps. 226s

Did they tell him to quiet down? 233s

Because they needed Jesus for themselves. 238s

They needed what Jesus had for their own lives. 247s

And so they didn't want Jesus to bother with this nothing, this blind beggar who had clearly done something wrong. 253s

And so they tell him to be quiet and he shouts even more loudly. 265s

Jesus have mercy on me. 269s

What's amazing about these two calls to Jesus, the first one in the Greek, the first one is this blind beggar. 273s

He's shouting out to Jesus trying to get his attention. 281s

Jesus over here, over here. 286s

And when he cries the second time for the son of David to have mercy on him, 291s

the shout that he gives it's a visceral cry. 297s

It's out of depth of emotion. 304s

I need help. 307s

Jesus help me. 312s

It's not a cry of politeness. 319s

It's not a cry just seeking attention. 323s

The cry that demands demand to be heard. 327s

And at verse 40 we read that Jesus stood still. 335s

Jesus stopped at the man's cry and the crowd around him would have also stopped. 340s

Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him. 351s

And when he came near, he asked him a question. 355s

Jesus stops. 362s

The crowd stops with him and he says, 363s

Bring this man to me. 369s

This man who's cry, I cannot ignore this man who cries to me out of the depth of his suffering. 373s

Bring this man before me. 383s

The man whose cry was heard above any ruckus of the crowd. 387s

And Jesus asked him, 397s

What do you want me to do for you? 400s

What an incredible question. 407s

An incredible question. 409s

In the moment of that question, 411s

the crowd is stopped. 413s

Jesus is standing before this blind beggar. 415s

He asks, 418s

What do you want me to do for you? 419s

And in my mind's eye, 421s

Time stops. 424s

Time stops. 428s

Put yourself in the place of this blind man. 430s

This man who has absolutely no right to speak to Jesus. 433s

Certainly no right to stop the crowd from moving forward. 439s

And yet, 445s

and yet, 446s

we're brought before the Lord. 447s

And standing before the Lord in this moment right now, 450s

He asks, 454s

What do you want me to do for you? 455s

I have never met a person 463s

who has said, 465s

Lord, 469s

I want you to give me a difficult relationship with my spouse. 470s

I want us to argue and never see eye to eye. 475s

That's what I want you to do for me. 479s

I've never met a person who says, 482s

There are so many things that I would like for you to do for me. 485s

But right now, 488s

What I really want is a hailstorm to come through, 488s

taking out every single of one of my windows, 492s

damaging my roof, 495s

and then I can find out, 496s

I forgot to pay my insurance. 497s

No. 500s

Of course not. 501s

We don't come to the Lord asking, 502s

asking for disaster, 506s

asking for suffering, 508s

asking for brokenness within our lives. 510s

We turn to the Lord, 515s

and we turn knowing that that is the question that he, 517s

poses to us that he reaches out to us with, 521s

and we turn to him. 528s

We turn to him with very specific needs within our lives. 531s

We turn to the Lord expecting whether we want to admit it or not, 539s

expecting that he will ask us what we want from him. 544s

Think about the most often prayed petition within the Lord's prayer. 552s

It's petition for give us this day our daily bread. 558s

How many of us pray variations of that one petition over and over and over again? 564s

In Luther's small catacysm, 574s

the question is, 576s

what's meant by daily bread? 577s

He writes daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, 580s

such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, 586s

house, home, land, animals, money, goods, 590s

a devout husband or wife, 594s

devout children, devout workers, 596s

devout and faithful rulers, good government, 598s

good weather, peace, peace, health, 601s

self-control, good reputation, good friends, 604s

faithful neighbors, and the like. 608s

It covers everything, everything for life, 611s

this side of heaven. 617s

And when Jesus asks me, 620s

what do you want me to do for you? 622s

I think of all of these aspects of daily bread 626s

and immediately my list begins. 630s

I want food, 634s

but I don't only want food, 635s

I want fine dining. 637s

I want a house, 640s

but not only do I want a house shelter 641s

over my head, 644s

but I want a nice, big, fancy house. 645s

I want a good reputation, 649s

and I'll know it's a good reputation 651s

because I have many followers on TikTok and Instagram, 652s

and I'm starting to monetize on my good reputation. 656s

I want, I want, I want, 660s

and in our sinful selves, our sinful flesh, 664s

our prayers, my prayers, 671s

turn to prideful, selfish desires. 674s

All under the fourth petition, 683s

me, me, me, me. 687s

But recall the third petition. 692s

What is the prayer that we pray in the Lord's prayer 695s

that comes right before asking for the daily bread? 698s

We pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 704s

What do you want me to do for you the Lord asks? 712s

Lord, I want you to give me a heart 716s

to seek your will, 719s

and to seek to live according to your will 722s

in my life is our response 725s

with the third petition. 728s

But do we add on to it? 733s

I want your will in my life 736s

as long as it goes according to my needs 738s

under the fourth petition. 743s

The crowd following Jesus in the text today, 748s

they didn't want the blind beggar to interrupt. 751s

What they were seeking after. 756s

The crowd in our text didn't want the blind beggar 759s

to interrupt the movement forward 763s

that they were having with Jesus. 766s

Not only was the beggar taking up time, 771s

he was in the way of Jesus fulfilling for them 778s

what they wanted him to do. 782s

As we come before the Lord, 787s

in our daily prayer, we come before him with our whole 790s

sinful selves. 795s

We come before him knowing that we are sinners. 798s

And the Lord asks, 804s

what do you want me to do for you? 806s

And when we honestly come before the Lord, 812s

honestly telling the truth of our own sin, 815s

what we have done, 821s

what we have left undone, 822s

the thoughts that have crossed our minds, 823s

the words that have crossed our lips, 826s

when we come before the Lord laid bare in our sin, 829s

we ask him to turn away. 838s

Don't look at me. 841s

I am ashamed. 844s

Part of Mayus had a different answer. 852s

Part of Mayus is brought before Jesus. 856s

Jesus asked him what do you want me to do for you? 859s

And he answers. 862s

In verse 41, he said, Lord, let me see again. 864s

I want to recover my lost sight. 872s

He saw at one time and was made, lined, we don't know why we don't know how. 877s

But we know at one time he did see and hear he is asking to have his sight recovered. 885s

In our baptisms, we are washed. 894s

We are washed. 898s

Our old sinful self is drowned and we are raised through the waters of baptism in the spirit. 900s

Born of the spirit raised to new life as the new creation that God has made through and by his holy word and water. 907s

In our baptisms, we are told that we are forgiven. 918s

We are told that our sins are no more. 923s

We are told that we are God's own. 928s

That he has called you to be his own and that you will always. 931s

Always be his child. 939s

In our baptisms, we are assured that what Jesus has done for you was done upon the cross. 943s

Upon the cross bearing the weight of your sin, bearing the punishment of your sin. 954s

So that you can come before the cross. 961s

You can come to the empty tomb. 967s

You can come before the throne of God and not turn your face in shame. 970s

Because you stand before God through the righteousness that Christ has given to you through his own body and blood. 978s

We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that opens our eyes to see the Lord before us, 988s

who opens our eyes to see what Jesus Christ has done for each and every one of you. 996s

And this baptismal promise is always, always at the ready and accessible. 1004s

You don't have to recommit or re-bab ties over and over and over every time we come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness our eyes, 1013s

our open and we see again we see the grace and the mercy that God has bestowed upon each and every one of us. 1024s

We turn, we turn to the Lord. 1036s

Seeking, seeking that his will would indeed be done on earth as it is in heaven and we do ask that he would give us our daily bread. 1040s

But through the power of the Holy Spirit, he opens our eyes. 1053s

He opens our eyes to see as Martin Luther writes in the fourth petition. 1057s

He says that at the heart of this petition there is more than once. 1065s

It says in the small cataclysm, we know God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, 1068s

even to all people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize that God would open our eyes to see this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. 1076s

We pray for the Lord to give us sight. 1094s

Let us see that it is you, Lord, who provides for us. 1097s

Let us give you the Lord the thanks and the praise and the glory open our eyes. 1101s

And Jesus, in verse 42 says to the blind beggar, 1111s

Jesus said to him, receive your sight, your faith has saved you. 1116s

It is the faith of this blind beggar. 1123s

It is the faith that wanted Jesus. 1129s

It was his faith who knew exactly who Jesus was. 1133s

It was faith that could tell Jesus that he wanted his sight restored. 1138s

And it was faith that could call Jesus Lord, Son of David. 1145s

It was the faith that saved him. 1152s

The blind beggar turned to him believing that Jesus could and would indeed heal him and restore him. 1155s

And we turn to Jesus in faith a faith that is given to us freely by God himself. 1163s

And we turn to him believing that Jesus can, 1172s

does and will restore us. 1176s

Faith is that which freely apprehends God's mercy on account of God's word which relies upon God's mercy and word and not upon one's own work. 1183s

In Hebrews 11's chapter, it's written that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. 1196s

The conviction of things not seen. 1203s

In Ephesians, Paul tells us it's by faith that you have been saved. 1206s

It is not your own doing. 1212s

It is a gift, even the gift, the gift of faith is stirred in us by the Lord. 1214s

The confession of the Lord Jesus Christ upon our lips is a gift from the Lord. 1222s

Immediately, verse 43, immediately, he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God and all the people when they saw it praised God. 1230s

The question asked, what do you want me to do for you? 1250s

We have our list, but really what we want from the Lord has already been done. 1257s

Your life has been redeemed, your sins have been forgiven, and you are called to walk in the glory and the freedom that we have as God's own people. 1266s

This is what we have had Jesus do for us. 1279s

Amen. 1286s