Restoration: The Story of Blind Bartimaeus
Mark 10:46-53 NKJV
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqgAwTh5a6k
“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.’ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” (Mark 10:46-52 NKJV)
Bartimaeus was a blind man who sat by the roadside begging. He must have been blind for a long time, and that’s because the word, ‘blind,’ was attached to his name as a title; and in the gospel account he is referred to as Blind Bartimaeus.
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, He recognized the opportunity, so he started shouting to get Jesus’s attention so that he could be healed.
The people around him tried to shut him up, but the Bible says he shouted out all the more, and even louder. Eventually, he got Jesus’s attention, and Jesus asked for Bartimaeus to be brought to Him. Jesus then asked what he wanted, and he said he wanted to receive his sight. Jesus then told him to go his way because his faith healed him. And afterwards he followed Jesus.
Although this story of Bartimaeus healing took place around two thousand years ago, the lessons are still valid.
And so, let’s look at this story of God’s restoration though the healing of Blind Bartimaeus.
Seek the Right Knowledge
“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth.” (Mark 10:47a NKJV)
Even though Bartimaeus was blind, his other senses were working just fine. And what Bartimaeus heard was the noise of a crowd coming his direction. It seems like when he heard this, he asked someone close by who or what was causing all this commotion. When he heard that it was Jesus, he began calling out to Him.
Now, while Bartimaeus was physically blind, he was mentally alert to his surroundings. Imagine if he had not been alert, he would have missed his miracle! And it was the answer he got from his question that presented an opportunity of a healing.
Unfortunately, this is not the testimony for many Christians today, as they are totally oblivious to what is going on around them. We are not only blinded by the lies of the enemy, but we are also blinded by what we are hearing as to what’s going on around us, and a lot of that is because what we are hearing is being filtered through someone else’s opinion and/or point of view and not from God or His word.
You see, we need to be seeking our knowledge and get our information from God’s word as to what is happening, because it has been and continues to be the most reliable source of knowledge and truth.
Because the truth of what is going on is mainly found within the pages of the Bible, and not from our local, national, or world news sources, and definitely not from social media sites, even if they do pander to our political leanings.
And so, to seek the right knowledge to we need to go to God and His word, so we don’t miss the opportunities that He presents to meet our needs.
Now, when Bartimaeus asked about the noise, he was told that Jesus was passing by. And so he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47b NKJV)
From his utterance and shout, we can see exactly what Bartimaeus knew. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah, especially by his use of the name, or title, for the Messiah and applying it to Jesus, and that is, “Son of David.”
This title for the Messiah can be found in God’s promise to David.
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever … And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16 NKJV)
Thus, the Messiah, the future and forever king of Israel, will come from the line of David, thus the title, “Son of David.”
But Bartimaeus also knew that Jesus, as the Messiah, could heal him, like in Malachi 4:2 where it says that there is healing in His wings, and therefore Bartimaeus cried out for Jesus to have mercy upon Him.
We see the same thing about the healing power of the Messiah from the prophet Isaiah and the prophecy of the coming Messiah as the suffering servant.
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV)
And so, it is with this knowledge that Bartimaeus knew that an opportunity for healing had come, and he grabbed onto it, and cried out!
What did Bartimaeus know that we need to know? First, that Jesus’s name means, “God saves.” But he linked God’s salvation to the Messiah, and that Jesus the Messiah is the one who saves. Thus his cry, “Have mercy upon me,” speaking of his need for deliverance and healing.
And so, if I could, He cried out, “Yeshua, the God who saves, You are the Messiah, therefore, have mercy on me.”
Refuse Intimidations
“Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:48 NKJV)
As Bartimaeus kept shouting, the people who were close by him and who were following Jesus asked him to keep quiet. But instead of being discouraged, the Bible says he shouted even more and louder, as he refused to be kept back from God’s miracle, from God’s touch, and from God’s provision.
Far too often we can be made to feel intimidated as believers. We are often looked down upon, insulted, and made to feel like we’re the problem. But in spite of these, we must not give up on the promises of God.
How many times have we abandoned our calling because others were against it? Now, in saying that, we shouldn’t go head long into something until we know it is God’s calling and not our own. Further, while something might be good, it may not be the best and what God’s ultimate call may be. I think this is why we’re given in God’s word the need to seek after godly counsel and advice.
“A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” (Proverbs 1:5 NKJV)
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14 NKJV)
What we learn from Bartimaeus, is the same as what the Lord showed to Joshua, when he faced some insurmountable odds.
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7 NKJV)
So, when we feel like giving up, we need to continue to pray and believe. Let’s not give up or be discouraged, but rather believe God for that miracle we’ve been praying for, for that job or finances we may need.
Now, if I could say one more thing regarding this, there are three different imitators out there.
• First there is Satan who uses situations and circumstances to bring discouragement to intimidate.
• Next, there are others who use guilt and insinuations to intimidate.
• And finally, there’s ourselves, like when we use against our calling our lack of knowledge and how can we possibly minister to others when we don’t really know he fullness of God’s word.
Please know, that God doesn’t want our ability, but rather he wants our availability.
But now we get to this next part which is critical in seeing our prayers answered
Cast Away Hindrances
When Blind Bartimaeus got Jesus’s attention, Jesus asked for him to come.
“So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.’” (Mark 10:49 NKJV)
And now look at what Bartimaeus did.
“And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10:50 NKJV)
As he got up, he cast off his garment. The garment being mentioned was his cloak, that which was needed to keep warm, but also what was laid out before him to receive the people’s alms. What it was symbolic of, however, was the excess weight that hindered him from coming to Jesus. And though he was blind, he was wise and desperate for a miracle, so he cast it off.
The garment could also be symbolic of his past and represented who he was. That is, when people saw the clothes he wore, they knew him as not only blind, but that he was Bartimaeus. But he cast it off because he didn’t want to be known for either his past or his present condition. He wanted a brand-new start, which is promised to all those who come to Jesus.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)
The writer of Hebrews tells us this.
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1b NKJV)
We need to shed the unnecessary weight and the sin that gets between us and Jesus. And these don’t have to just be sins, but also those things that are not sin but weigh us down none-the-less. And when the writer of Hebrews tells us to lay them aside, this is not just a casual taking something off, it is a violent pulling it off and throwing it as far from us as possible.
And so, here is the challenge if we want to not only get closer to Jesus, but closer to that miracle or whatever we’re requesting from God. What is that thing or things that is holding us down? What are we carrying right now that is slowing down our relationship with Jesus? Now is the time to cast them aside in order to move closer to Jesus and our desires.
Be Specific
Bartimaeus was specific in his request.
Jesus said, “‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.’” (Mark 10:51 NKJV)
Blind Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted, but what I find fascinating is why Jesus had to ask him. Wasn’t it obvious? But Bartimaeus was very specific. It wasn’t money so that he could survive and find a doctor who could help him, rather, it was to receive his sight.
You see, for a very long time he had asked the people who were passing by for alms; that is what he was used to getting. You see, this is what we generally end up asking for, and that is, whatever we’re used to, because that is what we’re comfortable with.
But Bartimaeus knew he wanted more than money or possession, that is, what he was used to. He wanted more, he wanted his sight, which is something we all need, and that is spiritual sight.
We need to have the guts to pray, “Lord, let me see what You see.” And the reason it takes guts is because it is a dangerous prayer, because it now makes us responsible to see with the eyes of Jesus the pain, heartache and suffering that goes on around us and in us due to sin.
But even more, we need to be specific in our requests to God and quit ho-humming around it. Sometimes we do this because we think that God knows what we need, and He does. In fact, Jesus said not to continue with vain repetitions in our prayer life, because God already knows what we need (Matthew 6:7-8).
What I believe God is searching for by asking this question is to make sure we know what we want, or shall I say, what we really want, or really need. And so, Jesus tells us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NKJV)
So, let’s take what Paul said to the Philippians to heart, so that God’s peace can replace our anxiety.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
I think what I can say is that we should never live our lives based upon assumptions, but rather on faith, which is at the heart of our next point.
Have Faith
Bartimaeus had faith.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’” (Mark 10:52a NKJV)
Think about this with me. Here Bartimaeus had the right knowledge and knew what was happening around him, he knew exactly who Jesus was and that Jesus could heal him, he also refused the intimidation tactics of Satan, others, and even himself. He cast off what was weighing him down so that he could come to Jesus, and he knew exactly what he wanted.
And it still wasn’t enough. The last thing that needed to be added was faith. He had to add faith in Christ to the equation. The Apostle James said that just believing in God or that there is a God isn’t enough.
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!” (James 2:19 NKJV)
Instead, Bartimaeus took the admonition of Jesus who said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1 NKJV)
It was his faith in Jesus that eventually got him healed. Bartimaeus’s faith was not dead. It was active, and rightly directed. You see, faith is the act of trusting someone and believing in them. Faith is the act of having confidence in someone and the person’s ability.
Therefore, we should always come to God in faith, believing in Him, and believing in His promises, because that is what will make the difference, and that is what will ultimately make us whole.
Immediately Follow
Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight, and we are told that he followed Jesus.
“And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” (Mark 10:52b NKJV)
He had the option of doing something else, something long dreamed of when he was blind and begging for alms. But instead, he decided to follow.
What will we choose with what Jesus has so graciously given to us?
Conclusion
I’d like to close with this one last thought. It says that when Jesus came to Jericho, He passed by where blind Bartimaeus sat begging. This is huge, there was no way, in his present condition, a condition he had been in for a long time, that Bartimaeus could have ever sought out Jesus.
But when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Bartimaeus wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass by. And when Jesus heard his cry it says that He “stood still.” Bartimaeus’s cry stopped Jesus in His tracks.
Jesus is passing by today, in fact, He is here right now, as Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV)
And I believe that such a cry from our hearts, has Jesus stopping for us as well and calling for us to come to Him.
Will we by faith believe?
The story of Bartimaeus is a story of restoration. It is a story of a blind beggar, who could hear despite his blindness, who had faith, courage, a voice that could not be silenced, who proved to be unstoppable, and who got his desired miracle.
How About Us?
