<TITLE>06. Par 20-22</TITLE>L-20 You know, you've seen blind men on the street and dogs leading them; in them days lambs led them. So he promised God he'd give the lamb. And the next day when he was going up to offer up at the temple--at the place of the burning of the sacrifice, his lamb, the priest said to him, said, "Where goes thou, Blind Bartimaeus?"
He said, "I am going to offer my lamb."
Said, "Blind Bartimaeus, you can't do that." Said, "I'll give you money to buy you a lamb to offer from the--from the sales up there."
He said, "But priest, I never told God I'd give Him a lamb, I told Him I'd give Him this lamb." So he said, "I must offer the lamb."
So he said, "You can't, Blind Bartimaeus. That lamb is your eyes."
He said, "God will provide another lamb for Blind Bartimaeus' eyes."
He was thinking of that. "Now, I have no doves to attract the attention of the tourists and the people coming and going. And I have no lamb to lead me home. I just have to go on the mercies of the people."

L-21 And his mind goes back a little farther. He remembers the day when Mama, when he was little boy, used to call him and say, "Bartimaeus."
"Yes, mother." And she come in and got him up on her lap, and she rocked him, and said, "My loving little son, I want to tell you a story that's a true story. Bar--Bartimaeus, years ago, the great Jehovah God led our people to this land. He gave it to us by promise through father Abraham. And when our people was down in Egypt and bondage, God came down, great Jehovah."
"And He sent a prophet to the earth by the name of Moses. And this Moses was a mighty man. And Jehovah was surely with this prophet. And he performed signs and wonders. And he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he brought them into the wilderness. And there Jehovah fed them manna from the heavens. He gave them water from a rock. When they were sick and needy, He provided atonement for their sickness. And the lame, the halt, the blind, or whatever got wrong with them, they looked at this atonement and lived. But, alas, that's gone. The priest tells us that Jehovah isn't like that today. He--He doesn't do that no more. He just did it back there for those people, but He doesn't do it any more."
Isn't that a type of today? Explaining it all away. It isn't Jehovah got away; it's the people's got away.

L-22 He hears a noise. Here comes someone. Who is it? He hears a little donkey trotting, and the first thing you know as it comes along, a courier run in the front of the--got a little donkey, can hear the bare feet on the ground. He said, "Would you be..." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Oh, my..." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]"... Give me, a blind man, a coin. I am needy, today. I have a family. Would you help me?"
"Out of my way. I am the servant of Jehovah. I have better business than to fool with you blind and beggars today. I am on my way to the ministerial association that's meeting this morning, here in Jericho, 'cause there is a fanatic coming in here today. And we understand that he causes a lot of stir when he comes in, and we're going down to form a committee to stop this nonsense before it spreads over the country. Out of my way, beggar."
"Pardon me, kind priest, your holiness, your reverence. I did not mean to interrupt God's servant." He hears the little donkey trot on away.


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