Blind Bartimaeus. He was begging beside the road because it’s all he could do. He’d heard about Jesus and the miracles he was performing. Was he the Messiah—the long-awaited Deliverer? Bartimaeus just knew he wanted to be healed. He wanted to SEE!
It was time for the Passover feast and the crowds had swelled in Jericho as people were traveling to Jerusalem. This meant Bartimaeus’ beggar’s cup would swell as well. But then he heard it: JESUS WAS COMING! He began yelling, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” even as the crowd around him tried to shush him. But that only made him yell louder! And he kept yelling until Jesus stopped. And then Jesus asked him, “What do you want from me?”
Shouldn’t that be obvious? I mean...he’s BLIND! But Jesus wanted him to name his request.
It makes me think of the time I went to a dermatologist to have a growth removed from my head. She sat looking at me and said, “Is there anything else you want done?” I said, “No. That’s it.” And she left the room. Later, I realized she’d been staring at two small benign skin growths on my face. Why didn’t I ask her to remove them, too? They just didn’t bother me that much, I guess. And the doctor wanted me to name what was important to me.
Jesus was like that doctor. What is it you want? When all along Jesus knew Bartimaeus had a bigger issue—faith. He needed to recognize his need for Jesus. Jesus said, “Receive your sight.” And Bartimaeus believed...and received. And Jesus told him, “Your faith has made you whole.”
So...what do you want?
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