Bartimaeus: Mercy And Faith

JESUS IS ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM WHERE HE WILL GIVE HIS LIFE AS THE ATONING SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS. HE IS FOCUSED. HE IS ON A PASSIONATE MISSION GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS FATHER.

ALONG THE WAY, HE CONTINUES TO SHOW THE LOVE OF THE FATHER TO CHILDREN, THROUGH HEALINGS, TEACHINGS, EXPELLING DEAMONS, AND CORRECTING WAYWARD THINKING DISCIPLES SUCH AS JAMES AND JOHN WHO WANT JESUS TO ALLOW THEM TO SIT ON HIS LEFT AND HIS RIGHT IN THE GLORY OF HIS COMING KINGDOM.

IT HAS BEEN QUITE THE JOURNEY FILLED WITH EXPERIENCES FOR HIS DISCIPLES TO LEARN AND THEN EMULATE. THE NEXT LESSON COMES AS THEY ARRIVE IN JERICHO AND ENCOUNTER BARTIMAEUS.

MAYBE, “ENCOUNTER” IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT AS THIS BLIND BEGGAR SITTING ALONG THE ROAD BEGINS DRAWING ATTENTION BY CREATING QUITE A COMMOTION. VERSE 47 SAYS HE BEGAN TO SHOUT, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” HE CONFESSES HIS BELIEF THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH. HE SIMPLY WANTS TO ENCOUNTER THE GRACE AND GOODNESS OF GOD TO LET HIM REGAIN HIS SIGHT.

SADLY, INSTEAD OF HELPING LEAD BARTIMAEUS TO JESUS, THE PEOPLE SCOLD HIM AND DEMAND HIS SILENCE. BARTIMAEUS IGNORS THEM AND SHAMELESSLY CRIES EVEN LOUDER TO GET THE ATTENTION OF JESUS. AND, HE DOES!

JESUS STOPS AND MAKES A PROFOUND STATEMENT BY SAYING, “CALL HIM!” WHAT MAKES THIS POWERFUL IS THAT JESUS IS REALLY SAYING “YOU CALL HIM” WHICH MARK WRITES IN PLURAL. JESUS IS SPEAKING TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO SILENCE HIM.

JESUS IS NOT ONLY HELPING BARTIMAEUS WITH HIS BLINDNESS, BUT THE BLINDNESS OF HEART OF THOSE WHO ASSUMED JESUS WOULD NOT WANT TO WASTE HIS TIME ON A BLIND BEGGAR. JESUS SHOWS THAT HE WILL BE NEAR TO THOSE WHO CRY OUT TO HIM.

HEBREWS 4:16, “LET US THEN APPROACH GOD’S THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE, SO THAT WE MAY RECEIVE MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP US IN OUR TIME OF NEED.”

JESUS ASKS, IN VERSE 51, “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” THAT IS NOT A TRICK QUESTION OR EVEN A CRUEL ONE. JESUS OBVIOUSLY ALREADY KNEW WHAT BARTIMAEUS WANTED. JESUS’ QUESTION WAS NOT TO INTERROGATE, BUT TO ALLOW BARTIMAEUS SOME TIME TO EXPRESS AND SPECIFY HIS NEED, AND, IN THE PROCESS, TO DECLARE HIS FAITH THAT JESUS COULD MEET THAT VERY NEED.

JESUS DECLARES THAT IT WAS THE FAITH OF BARTIMAEUS THAT RESTORED THE SIGHT. IMMEDIATELY, BARTIMAEUS CAN SEE AND BECOMES HEALED BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. FAITH IS THE SOURCE OF HEALING AND DISCIPLESHIP AS HE NOW FOLLOWS JESUS.

THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF BARTIMAEUS’ REQUEST IS ONE WE SHOULD DEVELOP IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WHEN WE COME TO JESUS, MAY WE FIRST, HUMBLY REQUEST FOR HIS MERCY.

THE EXAMPLE OF LUKE 18:13, “BUT THE TAX COLLECTOR STOOD AT A DISTANCE. HE WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK UP TO HEAVEN, BUT BEAT HIS BREAST AND SAID, ‘GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER.” MAY WE NEVER FORGET TO RECOGNIZE HOW LOVING, GRACIOUS, AND MERCIFUL GOD IS WHEN WE COME TO HIM ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS.

MAY WE LEAVE WITH A NEWFOUND UNDERSTANDING HOW POWERFUL OUR FAITH CAN BE WHEN PLACED FULLY IN JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR, LORD, AND REDEEMER!

BARTIMAEUS REMINDS US ABOUT OUR OWN FAITH THAT WE MUST SHOW CONFIDENCE AND TRUST THAT GOD IS GOOD AND FAITHFUL TO ANSWER AND BE TRUE TO FULFILLING HIS PROMISES TO US. OUR FAITH IS EVIDENCE THAT WE BELIEVE GOD IS MERCIFUL AND HAS DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO OFFER US SALVATION IN JESUS.

HEBREWS 11:1, “NOW FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE CONVICTION OF THINGS NOT SEEN.”BARTIMAEUS SHOWS US THAT FAITH PURSUES JESUS AND DOES NOT ALLOW ANYONE OR ANYTHING TO DELAY, DIVERT, OR OBSTRUCT THAT ENCOUNTER.

JOHN 15:4, “REMAIN IN ME, AND I WILL REMAIN IN YOU. FOR A BRANCH CANNOT PRODUCE FRUIT IF IT IS SEVERED FROM THE VINE, AND YOU CANNOT BE FRUITFUL UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME.”

OUR FAITH MUST BE SECURED IN A GROWING AND DEEPENING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. FAITH IN PURSUIT OF JESUS WILL OBEY, SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, AND HELP OTHERS TO KNOW JESUS PERSONALLY. WE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY AND GUARD AGAINST ALL THINGS THAT TEMPT US TO LET UP, SLOW DOWN, OR QUIT.

FAITH IS A CALL TO ACTION TO PUT WHAT WE BELIEVE INTO PRACTICE. WE MUST LIVE OUT OUR FAITH AND WHAT WE PROFESS TO BELIEVE. WE BOTH TELL AND LIVE OUT THE STORY OF JESUS.

WE LET OTHERS SEE JESUS THROUGH US BECAUSE OF OUR PURSUIT OF JESUS. 1 JOHN 2:3-6, “AND WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE KNOW HIM IF WE OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. IF SOMEONE CLAIMS, “I KNOW GOD,” BUT DOESN’T OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS, THAT PERSON IS A LIAR AND IS NOT LIVING IN THE TRUTH. BUT THOSE WHO OBEY GOD’S WORD TRULY SHOW HOW COMPLETELY THEY LOVE HIM. THAT IS HOW WE KNOW WE ARE LIVING IN HIM. THOSE WHO SAY THEY LIVE IN GOD SHOULD LIVE THEIR LIVES AS JESUS DID.”