The Call
Blind Bartimaeus is sitting on the side of the road, cloak spread in front of him, begging. He's lower social status and therefore powerlessness. He hears that Jesus of Nazareth is coming. Bartimaeus begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
He persists, even when people around him tell him to be quiet.
Jesus calls him.
He springs up, throwing off his cloak, representing his his only possession providing warmth, sleep at night or, spreading out, collecting money.
Jesus asks, what do you want me to do for you?
Bartimaeus says “My teacher, let me see again.
Go,” said Jesus,
“Your faith has your faith has made you well”
Bartimaeus' Faith.
This is a story about Bartimaeus’s faith and his absolute conviction that Jesus, the Son of God, can and will rescue him from his need.
He is expecting transformation, to be changed.
So, he jumps up, comes to Jesus asking for mercy so to see again.
Jesus says, "Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”
Bartimaeus immediately regains his sight and follows Jesus.
The Healing
This story is about much more than Bartimaeus seeing again.
It's about conviction, the expectation of transformation, and mercy. It's about persistence in asking despite the noise around us.
The healing is about times when we feel like Bartimaeus sitting beside the road in need of something to heal our brokenness.
With persistence, we cry out to Jesus for help in complete confidence that something will be changed. Perhaps our despair will be changed to hope, our brokenness into wholeness, or our blindness into understanding.
Jesus hears us and heals the brokenness in our faith.
We can "go" and tell the story bringing the Good News of Jesus to other people in need.
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