Never Silent

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. 

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” 

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. 

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” 

And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. 

(Mark 10 v 46-52 NLT) 

A Jesus Encounter

After reading this encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus a few times, there were a couple of things that jumped out at me. 

Firstly, isn’t it sad that, when Jesus was passing by and Bartimaeus began shouting out to him, the crowd tried to silence Bartimaeus? Surely you would think that the community would support Bartimaeus and be thrilled to see him encounter The One who could change his circumstances forever?  

But no. The crowd shush him and try to quiet him. 

Bartimaeus has other plans. I can image that the desperation in him after years of hearing the crowds pass him by, begging for change, had reached boiling point. And so, he cries out all the louder! 

I’m so pleased that the crowd did not intimidate Bartimaeus and that he kept on keeping on with his mission.  

He wanted to see. 

The crowd may not have placed much value on Bartimaeus, but Jesus did. He heard him, stopped and enquired of his heart.  

Secondly, I find it fascinating that Jesus, once He has heard Bartimaeus and stopped for him, asks the man what he wants Jesus to do for him.  

Surely it was obvious to everyone what Bartimaeus would want? He wanted his sight.  

But Jesus treats him with dignity and respect and asks Bartimaeus what he would want done for him.  

What Can We Learn From Bartimaeus?

We can learn a couple of things from the account of Bartimaeus... 

1. Never let anyone silence you. Even if all around you are proving to be naysayers and doubting your miracle, cry out all the louder! This is between you and God and only He knows the outcome of your petition to Him.
2. Ecclesiastes 3:7 (NIV) says that there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. When the time is right, speak up. Vocalise your need to Jesus, even if it obvious and He knows it all already, speak up. Pray and ask God for your need, desire or miracle, no matter how obvious it may seem. Be specific. Be intentional.
3. It was Bartimaeus’s faith that healed him. Jesus said so. Scripture tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6) so raise your faith levels and believe God for what you need. Bartimaeus did and it changed his life forever.
4. Stick close to the Miracle Maker. When Bartimaeus received his miracle, his sight restored, he began to follow Jesus down the road. Wouldn’t you want to be close to the one who gave you your heart’s deepest desire? Stay close to Jesus and the fruit of His proximity will be evident in your life. 

Father God, 

You are the Miracle Maker. You are able to do all things. With man these things may be impossible but with You, all things are possible. Thank you. Thank you that You want to bless our lives with the things that we desire and need. May we stay close to You and see the fruit of Your closeness in our lives each and every day. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

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