Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they *came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the man who was blind, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
50 And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 And replying to him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
The Healing of Bartimaeus
The blind beggar
Jesus and His disciples approached Jericho. According to Matthew 20:30, there were two blind beggars sitting by the roadside. During that time, blind individuals had no means of livelihood other than relying on the charity of others. Today’s passage focuses on Bartimaeus, the more prominent one of the two. He reacted keenly to the approaching sounds of the procession and asks what was happening. Upon hearing that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, he loudly cries out, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Despite attempts by those around him to silence him, he only shouted louder. (1) Bartimaeus calls Jesus the “Son of David.” Through this, he expresses his faith that Jesus is indeed the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. (2) The crowd thought he was shouting to receive some charity from Jesus and tried to silence him. (3) Yet, he believed that he couldn’t miss this opportunity and continued to shout. What he sought was not money but the restoration of his sight. There are limits to human words and understanding. When you realize this, comes the opportunity to confess all things to God.
Jesus’ sympathy
Jesus called the blind man near and asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus deliberately asked this question, so that the people around them will know that they had not understood the earnest cry of the blind man. And at the same time, the question aimed to draw out faith from the blind man. He responded clearly, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” Jesus then said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” As a result of God’s power, his eyes were healed. Faith became the means to receive this healing. How joyful must this blind man have been to receive praise from Jesus. Jesus is the One who understands your pain and desires. Let’s open up everything to Him today.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please allow me to seek being with You rather than seeking to be understood by others. Please open my spiritual eyes clearly. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.