Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)
For Reflection:
What faith and hope Bartimaeus displays in this passage! He just knew that Jesus could make him see. In his hope, he shouted for Jesus as soon as he heard he was nearby, he ignored the crowd who tried to quiet him, his singular focus was to get to Jesus. Whether life is going well or my circumstances feel unbearable, I want a faith like Bartimaeus that pleads “Son of David, have mercy on me!” at the top of my lungs, pushing through all that tries to quiet me. Have you ever experienced a time when you have cried out to God? What was that like or what do you imagine it would be like? When he gained the attention of Jesus and was called to him, he “Jumped up and came to Jesus”. I can feel the desire in his words, the eagerness in his actions, he was desperate for Jesus. I think about the paralyzed man we read about in Day 6 (John 5:1-9) who was sitting by the healing pool. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, he had all the reasons why he couldn’t be, and then Jesus healed him. But here Bartimaeus is insistent and pushy, anxious to be healed and knowing just what he wanted from Jesus. I wonder what the difference was between them. Can you relate to one or the other of them in the way you approach Jesus when in need? Do you even ask Jesus to heal you in the first place? Do you list all the reasons why healing is impossible and won’t happen for you? Or do you cry out to him, push forward towards him, insist on his healing? I’m comforted by the fact that Jesus saw them both, gave them each what they needed, and healed them. For Bartimaeus, Jesus was ready to respond to his faith, ready to have mercy on him and give him what he desired. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks, and Bartimaeus knows without a doubt what he wants Jesus to do for him and is not afraid to ask. “I want to see!” His statement, spurred by faith, filled with hopeful anticipation for the moment that he is able to see. Faith in Jesus anchoring his hope.
Let us pray:
Dear God, thank you for the stories you give us in your word of so many different ways that you inspire hope in people. Thank you for the character of Jesus that turns towards people, asks their needs and heals. I pray for an insistent faith that is desperate for you regardless of my circumstances and needs. God, I want to see! See your healing come, see your love in this world. Give me faith to seek you, encounters with you, and hope in your healing ways. Amen.
I wonder what my response would be if Jesus asked me “What do you want me to do for you?”