Mark 10:46-52
The Blind Bartimaeus
They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So, they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
There are three lessons in this short passage. First - Jesus hears the blind man and is moved to heal him with great humility. Jesus emphasizes Bartimaeus’s saving is through his faith and didn’t take credit for himself. Second - At first those in the crowd are trying to silence Bartimaeus. It is only when Jesus speaks up that they attend to Bartimaeus’s pleas and tell him to “take courage: get up, he is calling you.” What they fail to do is recognize Bartimaeus’s courage and faith already present in his pleas. Lastly – Bartimaeus responds promptly and with much passion the moment he hears Jesus call him.
Using imaginative prayer and placing ourselves in the story, we must ask ourselves, how do we respond when this scene plays out in our day to day lives?
Are we right beside Jesus, listening and watching for people in need? Are we willing to be a humble conduit of the Lord’s grace and tend to the lowly?
Are we more like the crowd that hears the cries of the poor but tries to silence them? Then when a person of power and position notices their cries, we respond by offering encouragement and aid.
Or are we like Bartimaeus who has tremendous faith, doesn’t listen to the crowd’s efforts to silence him and persists with great courage to seek Jesus?
It’s your choice, where do you want to be in the story?
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