Missed Opportunity Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43

“Once water goes over the dam it will not go back” (author unknown)

“Don’t let an opportunity pass you by because it might not ever pass your way again” (author unknown)

It is Wednesday between four o’clock and five o’clock. I go to Captain D’s to get two fish dinners for my wife and myself. Today I missed a great opportunity, and I regret the way that I handled this opportunity. Let me tell you what happened.

I purchase the fish dinners and go back to my car. I see a young man, a young African American brother walking toward my car. He appears to be in his early to mid twenties. I can sense that he has his eyes on me, and he wants to talk to me. I continue getting into my car. I hear the young man calling out to me, saying “sir” as he gets near the car. I hold the door open and the young man says “sir can you let le have some money to get some food and a bus.” I ask him, “Do you have a job?” Today, I have been thinking about people wanting something given to them instead of working for the things that they need. Anyhow, I look into my wallet and see a twenty dollar bill. I look at the next bill and it too is a twenty. I tell the young man that I have only a twenty and I will not give the whole twenty to him. He asks me, “Well, do you want me to go in there and get some change?” I say “no” and I close my door. The young man just walks away slowly without saying another word. As I am pulling on to the street I see the young man walking and then this scripture comes to my mind. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2, KJV). My daddy said this scripture to me many times, and it has guided my actions towards people on many occasions. Today, however, when I remember this scripture it’s too late. Today, I missed an opportunity, and I repent of my insensitivity towards this young Black brother.

So why does this bother me? After all I have a list of at least twelve charitable organizations that I contribute to every year. In fact, when I get home I remember that I just sent by mail over $120.00 to two organizations today. You can’t give all your money away. Have I not done enough for the day? I have bills to pay, and besides I needed to get home to my wife. When I make statements like this, sometimes my daughter says to me: “yeah, right,” indicating that I need to think about what I have just said. You see it is just rationalizing something that you know is wrong. Too often we rationalize what we say. Too often we rationalize what we do. We rationalize to give ourselves a way out; an excuse to do the wrong thing. We say and act according to the desires of our flesh. We forget the words of Apostle Paul. “But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16, NASB). Regardless of how I think about it, the truth remains: I missed an opportunity; in fact several opportunities. Let’s begin.

First, I do not know where the young man comes from. I do not know his situation and circumstances. Who is this young man? Am I talking to an angel unaware? What do I know? I know that this is a young man that speaks to me politely. I know that he tells me that he needs about five dollars to get some food and catch a bus. I know that I have two twenty dollar bills in my wallet. Why am I reluctant to give the young man one of the twenty dollar bills? I am not rich, but the truth is I could afford to give the money to him. I missed an opportunity to talk to this young man. I could have asked him his name. I could have offered to take him inside the restaurant and bought him a meal. Maybe, we could have a conversation. Maybe I can ask him about his relationship to Jesus. Maybe I can encourage him. He might be an angel. Although the Greek word “aggelos” is translated to the English word angel, it can also be translated to the word “messenger” referring to one who is sent to in order to announce, teach, perform, or explore something. None of these things come to my mind at this time. You see, I have taken my blood sugar medicine and I want to get home so that I can eat. I want to take care of my wife who has physical challenges as a result of her many strokes. Me, me, me, I’m thinking about me. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25, NASB).

My rationalizations and excuses are not acceptable. Jesus has given us examples on how we are to conduct ourselves in the situations in life that we find ourselves in. The story of blind Bartimaeus found in our text today provides us with such an example. Jesus is walking along with His disciples and a crowd of people near the city of Jericho. There is a man, a blind beggar sitting by the road. He hears that Jesus the Nazarene is leading the people. This blind man has heard about Jesus. He believes that Jesus is the Son of David, and so he calls out to Jesus asking for mercy.

Now, we need to pause and hear this man’s cry. He is not asking Jesus for the usual alms that he receives from the people every day. Rather, he hopes to receive more from Jesus than he does from other people. Jesus can give him more than a few coins. Jesus is the Son of David, yes, the Messiah, the Son of God. He can give him his sight again. “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” (Mk. 10:51, NASB). The word “again” indicates that the man had something to happen to cause him to lose his sight. Maybe his loss of sight was at the hands of another person. Maybe his loss of sight is the results of his own wrongdoings. Regardless, Bartimaeus is blind, and he is taking responsibility for the loss of his sight. Yet, there is hope. Maybe Jesus will give him another chance. Jesus can remove the cause of his being blind. It’s just a matter of Jesus having mercy on him.

The people in the crowd reject the man. It is likely that they know his story. His blindness indicates that he is a sinner. He is not an important man. He has nothing to offer society. People give him money, and he should not be wasting the teacher’s time. The people are excited. Jesus is a popular figure, and they want to associate themselves with this highly esteemed person. They are the privileged. This beggar has no right to bother Jesus. Jesus is too busy.

Jesus is never too busy. He hears every cry. He does not come into the world for those that are well. Those that are well do not need a physician. Jesus comes into the world to heal the sick, those that need a physician. So, even though many in the crowd are telling him to keep quiet, he continues to cry out, “‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mk. 10:48, NASB). Jesus hears the man’s cry. “And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here’” (v. 49). The man comes to Jesus, and Jesus does not miss an opportunity to do what the Father sends Him into the world to do. “And answering him, Jesus said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you’” (v. 51)? Jesus does not ask the man the reason that he is blind. He does not tell him what he should have done. Jesus does not tell the man that he must live with the consequences of his choices. Jesus does for the man what he wants to be done. The man receives His sight and the man along with the people praise God.

The two quotes at the beginning of this article are words that were commonly used in our home. They were used to remind us to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to us. These words are applicable to every area of our lives. Yes, I repent because I missed an opportunity to minister to someone that requested my help. The text in Hebrews says that we may be entertaining an angel without knowing it. I think that we think of angels as some majestic being from heaven. As we have seen earlier the writer may have been referring to a human messenger. Is it possible that the young man that I refused to give the twenty dollars to was one that was sent by God to give me a message? Did I cut off my own blessing?

Then, I think. Maybe God is teaching this young man a lesson at the same time that He is teaching me. What opportunities has the young man let pass by? Regardless of what the young man takes away from this experience, it is my responsibility to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way. Like the water that goes over the dam and does not return, I may never see this young man again. “Lord, make me sensitive to the opportunities that come my way.”