They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52, NRSV)
I wonder who the blind man was in this story?
You see I think there were many blind men, as there were many who tried to keep Bartimaeus quiet…
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet… Who were these many?
Were they people standing there, or people from Jericho, or were they disciples, or followers of the way?
Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was and that if he could but see Him his whole world would change…
Do we look at Jesus this way?
Bartimaeus was made to beg because his blindness kept him from being an active part of the community, and thus he knew that if he could but see Jesus he would be accepted as a whole person. He knew that his understanding of who Jesus was/is would bring him back into the life everyone else knew as normal.
Do we look on Jesus as the one who can make our lives normal?
Do we look on Jesus as the one who will change our very existence?
Do we use Jesus to get what we want?
You see it would be easy for Bartimaeus to stay the way he is. He knows how to beg and obviously was doing ok, he is still alive… But to see Jesus means he can’t beg any more and he will have to work for his living.
Why risk it?
Is that how we want it?
Jesus just let me be blind and sit here and beg… I’m better on my own…
Or are we ready to shout all the louder when the world tells us, orders us sternly to be quiet?
I’m ready to see Jesus! To risk getting a life that is filled with beautiful colors and imagery and unlike anything I have ever known!
How about you?
Are you a blind person who wants to see?
aSacredRebel 