Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up
and came to Jesus. Mark 10:50 NASB
This is the story of Blind Bartimaeus
(BB). Needless to say, he was blind. He was sitting by the
road...which more than likely means he was begging. What else could a
blind man do in those days? He lived in Jericho (yes, they rebuilt
that famous city) and heard that Jesus was coming out of town. He may
have been a beggar, but he was not shy. He screamed at the top of his
lungs for Jesus to help him. So much so, and so loudly that people
were embarrassed and told him to be quiet! He called Jesus the Son of
David...so he had a very strong idea that the stories he had heard of
this Jesus of Nazareth were proof that he was the Messiah! And a
chance to be healed as others had been seemed like the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
There are many things to see here. Here
is the crowd, all anxious to see Jesus. Good for them. There was BB,
asking for help. Good for him. The crowd heard BB, and did not help
him get to Jesus. Shame on them! They told him, essentially, that
Jesus was not interested in him, or that he was not worthy of being
helped by Jesus. We see people every day that need Jesus, who hope
beyond hope that He would care about them, and yet we, in our own
self-interest, do not take the time or find them worthy of bringing
them to the Savior. Sigh. Caught up in our own efforts to see Him, we
forget those who have no way of getting to him without a little help.
They could have walked him to the front of the crowd, or stopped
Jesus and brought Him to BB. But they didn't and we often don't.
But thank God BB was not deterred. He
persisted in calling out for help, whether the people around him
cared or not. And Jesus heard him. And He made the crowd do for BB
what they had not chosen to do on their own...He made them go to BB
and bring him to Him. Jesus is wise in His dealings with us. He will
force our hands if we don't act willingly! Hallelujah! He does not
turn the needy away. But he also required something of BB. He had to
come. He didn't go to BB and look on him with pity. He called him.
And BB had to respond in faith. Remember Naaman of a few lessons ago?
He got really torqued with Elijah for not coming out to him, and then
telling him to go wash in an Israeli river! He wanted Elijah to come
out to him, to make a big deal of his healing. It took his troops to
talk him in to obedience. Not BB! If Jesus wanted to see him, he
would do whatever it took! Another point is that they had to tell BB
to stand up! He was sitting the whole time he was calling for help.
Was he crippled as well as blind? Since he wasn't stumbling to the
front of the crowd, maybe. Or maybe it thought he would be trampled!
Or maybe sitting would make him look more pitiful and helpless and
give Jesus more reason to help him. Maybe he was weakened by lack of
food and exercise. Maybe every joint hurt when he walked. We don't
know, but when he knew that Jesus was calling him to come, he got up.
He didn't care if Jesus made a scene or not, or required him to come
or not. And he left behind his most precious earthly good: his
cloak. Without it he would be hot during the day, sit on the bare
ground, and be cold at night. It may likely have been the only thing
he owned, but he didn't care. He threw it off like so much trash!
What he was going to get, his sight, was worth so much more than
covering and protection. He was going to “see” Jesus, and nothing
was going to hold him down! Nothing was going to trip him up. The
excitement and anticipation was more than he could bear! When called,
he responded, not just with obedience, but with great enthusiasm.
Weakness and pain would not hold him back from the One Who could do
great things for him. Leaving every earthly possession behind would
not hinder him. He didn't hand it to the nearest person for
safekeeping. He threw it off, not knowing if he would ever get it
back. And he didn't care. Getting to Jesus was all that mattered.
This may sound redundant, but getting the call from Jesus is a BIG
DEAL. And responding is also a BIG DEAL.
And Jesus, not being blind, asked what
many would consider a stupid question...”What do you want me to do
for you?” What would a blind man want? It was obvious he was blind!
He wanted to see! Duh! But there is so much more he wanted. He wanted
to regain his sight. This is spelled out in the NASB. Regain. That
means he once could see, and therefore he knew what he was missing.
Those born blind knew no other life, but those who lost their sight
could only long for what they once had. He didn't ask for his job
back, his family, the respect of the community, or to be a roll-model
to the rest of Jericho of the wonders of Jesus, but he would get all
this and more from his healing. He wanted eyes of faith, and that is
what Jesus gave him. “Your faith has saved you (and made you
well)”...both are implied in Jesus' response. And yet his new-found
freedom did not send him seeking worldly things...he followed Jesus
down the road, and was probably one of the loudest voices again, this
time participating in the “triumphal entry” of Jesus into
Jerusalem! He could see the man who just healed him hailed as the
Messiah right before his very eyes! He could testify to the whole
crowd that they were right in hailing Him in this way. Grateful
praise replaced loud appeals for mercy. The mercy of the Lord changes
our pleas into praise! Has it happened yet in your heart today? Every
day we need mercy, kindness, and the attention of Jesus in our
hearts, lives, and circumstances...and often when He acts on our
behalf, we forget to thank Him privately, let alone sing His praises
publicly. Let's be Bbs today, crying out our praises and thanks to
God for all He has done to open our eyes to His glory.
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