Bartimaeus was begging near the city of Jerico’s gates. He being blind would have heard the crowd noisily praising God and Jesus as the Messiah. When Jesus passes near, Bartimaeus lifts his voice out loudly, only to be told to be quiet by those near him, ‘what do you think you are doing beggar, disturbing this Rabbi? What right do you have, you are a no-one!’ If I were to be told this I would be incensed and would try even harder to be heard above the noise. Of course this is exactly what Bartimaeus does, he was so desperate to see again, he believes without doubt that Jesus could and would heal him if he could get his attention.
I am sure that Bartimaeus had heard stories of this man, Jesus, and what he had been doing and would have been excited to realise that Jesus was about to go past him. We are not told how long Bartimaeus had been blind, but if we assume he lost his sight gradually he would be more desperate to gain his sight back. Jesus asks Bartimaeus “What do you want me to do for you?” This simple question is an absolutely wonderful thing to be asked by our Lord and saviour and would leave me in awe.
Jesus replies to Bartimaeus’ request for healing saying “your faith has healed you”, this is a message to us all that even in our darkest moments so long as we pray in faith and trust that he is listening then he will answer us in his mercy as he does in this story. The darkness had been lifted from Bartimaeus because he trusted Jesus and had faith that he could heal him. Today we could use the blindness as a metaphor to mean being in sin and not knowing the love of Jesus in our lives, and Jesus being the light of the world. ‘Blindness’ is something that we all suffer from during our journey.
Trust
Obedience
Faith
Boldness
Strength
I believe to truly follow Christ, we each need a measure of the above before we can pray with the authority of Jesus that is given to us by inference from the disciples teachings. However, when we examine the Bible, the over lying message is that we are called to follow Jesus in faith and obedience, and in doing so gives us strength and boldness that serves to increase our faith!
Lord,
I pray you will wash away the scales of sin from my eyes,
open them to your Glory and close my heart and ears to the words of the ‘evil one’.
Let me make you the centre of everything that I do.
Help me to pass your message by example.
Let me speak with boldness, strength and the authority you have given us.
I thank you for your sacrifice freely given.
Thank you that you answer prayer.
Lord, I pray for opportunities to pass on your ‘Good News’ and when they present
themselves I pray you give me the wisdom, discernment and knowledge to speak the
right words.
In your name, our most blesséd saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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