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Mark 10 verses 46-52 Please look it up. "And they came to Jericho; and as [Jesus] was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. ..."The Bible tells us more about Bartimaeus the beggar -- even in his initial introduction -- than it says about the great city of Jericho here! Either everyone knew what Jericho was like or Bartimaeus is more important -- to God, anyway. What impressed me about the story is that Bartimaeus wouldn't be silenced! He had one chance in his life to be healed & he passionately cried out for Jesus' help. The more he was told to 'shut up' -- the louder he cried out! His faith was strong: he knew Jesus was the Son of David -- sent by God. He knew Jesus could help him! He put his faith in his mouth & cried out boldly! Notice also how his 'discouragers' changed their 'tune' once Jesus noticed Bartimaeus & called back to him to come -- I think Jesus has this effect on some people -- That's how disciples are made: God gets 'in their face' and some people listen & change! God does a miracle and some change. Their eyes are opened. It also appears that Bartimaeus was healed because he asked for help. Wouldn't it be great if it always went that way. When our son fell off a building many years ago & was seriously injured, my prayers for myself seemed to go unanswered -- but, he was helped. I hear other stories like this. We pray for our Peacekeepers -- but the Bible Society printed Good News greeting cards this Christmas that we can send to the services overseas to let them know who is praying for them! Uncanny eh?! [ Check with the Canadian Bible Society and ask for some.] God does heal and answer our prayers. Will we use our sight to truly 'see' or will we just stay along the roadside of life -- complaining, believing there is no God -- or at least -- that God is deaf? Bartimaeus didn't have to raise his voice to be heard by God. The crowd was large and noisy, to be sure, but Jesus must have heard him anyways -- if what we know about Jesus is true. I am wondering whether Bartimaeus had to drown out the rudeness & worldliness of the crowd so that we can all hear the communication between him & God and learn from it? Bartimaeus called out -- and God answered. During that exchange others were also 'cured' in their hard heart. Will we have courage to speak loudly and clearly to and about God? Will we open ourselves to God, putting our entire life on the line? We just had a 'tithing Sunday' at our church. Some participated, some didn't. I just learned this 'Good News': God doesn't want our tithe. God wants all of us! Bartimaeus had nothing -- he was a beggar. He gambled everything on God. He won everything because of his courage and faith. Compare Bart with the young man in Mark 10, verses 17 to 27. Read all of it. May God bless you with clear eyes to see what God is trying to say & show us in God's Word. Amen Blessings to you.
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