And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him…. And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Mk. 10:47-52 ESV)
The Gospel according to Mark uniquely tells a story of a blind beggar, whom is referred to as Bartimaeus (literally “Son of Timaeus”). As Jesus and his disciples leave Jericho, Bartimaeus cries out, “Son of David, have mercy of me!” After Jesus hears the man and summons him, the beggar throws away his cloak, comes to him, and receives healing.
Typically, we as Christians read this text and center our focus on the miracle and healing power of Jesus. Now while it is true, Jesus did heal many and He possesses great power, however, it is my opinion that the healing miracle of Bartimaeus is just the surface of the story.
Marks gospel is filled with theological meaning. For starters, the gospel narrative’s overall theme is to show Jesus as a servant, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…” (Mk 10:45). Secondly, Mark shows a man who understands who Jesus really is and how to appropriately engage him with faith. Look at the text:
Bartimaeus throws away his cloak (v. 50) symbolizing one leaving behind his/her valued possessions. Question: Are you really willing to throw away your possessions for a true encounter with the Lord?
Bartimeaus addresses Jesus using the title, ‘Son of David’- not to be found anywhere else in Mark’s writing, identifying Jesus as the Messiah.
Bartimeaus’ faith in Jesus compelled him to call out again and again even when the crowd (letdowns, guilt, embarrassment, those who have seen us exposed, etc.) tried to silence him.
Brothers and sisters, could it be that we (the Body of Christ) have become like the son of Timaues? Allowing our current situations to cause us to lose sight of the promises of God; letting the voices of those around us make us doubt that our moment for victory has finally come; or perhaps we have been “blind” so long that we concede to defeat and just look to get by from day to day…Well I submit to you today that YOUR BEST DAYS ARE HERE! It’s time for us to lift our voices like a trumpet and say something! It’s time for us to get the attention of our Victor and call forth our healing, our deliverance, and our peace! Saints it’s time to take our eyes off of what would like to keep us blind and “look to the hills from whence comes our help”! It’s time for better days but they only come when YOU say something!
Comments