We read in Mark 10:51, Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Master, I want to see!" (CEV)
Mark 10 records an encounter between Jesus and a blind man named Bartimaeus, and the above verse is part of that conversation that Jesus had with Bartimaeus. Since Bartimaeus was blind, the only way he could sustain himself was through begging. Those who took pity on him, gave him some form of help for his livelihood, but no one’s help could bring about any sort of permanent change in his life, as human assistance is always limited and temporary. Only the Lord Jesus had the power and ability to transform an impossible situation, to one of liberation and healing.
Have you noticed how, when encountered with an adverse situation, our minds instantaneously goes searching for someone who can assist us through the crisis? For instance, if our problem is a concern related to the law, we pursue the help of an affluent official in the police department or a renowned lawyer who can help get us out of our predicament. We must consciously work on this tendency of ours to constantly seek support from men, rather than looking to the Lord. The important truth is that it is the Lord alone who can bring about permanent solutions to all the hardships we encounter, and therefore He is the one we must turn to when challenged with any difficult circumstance.
That is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Brenton)
A blind man cried out to Jesus
When the Lord encountered Bartimaeus, He knew his condition full well, but He still asked him this question, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Some may wonder as to why Jesus asked this question to Bartimaeus, ‘Was Jesus not aware of his condition, and if He did, why did He ask Bartimaeus the obvious?’
The question God asked Adam
We go way back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that God forbade them to. As Adam and Eve hid in fear and shame from the presence of God, we read in Genesis 3:9, “But the LORD God called out to the man, "Where are you?"(GNT)
It was not that God did not know where Adam was, for He knew that Adam and Eve had disobeyed, and were hiding from Him. It seemed that God had to check with Adam, where they were in their relationship to Him, as God knew that their disobedience had broken the fellowship and intimacy they had with Him. As God called out to Adam, He waited to hear the response He would receive from them, as they hid from His presence.
So also Jesus knew what Bartimaeus needed, but he wanted to hear him confess and acknowledge what he expected from Jesus. When Jesus posed the question to Bartimaeus, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ his immediate response was ‘Master, I want to see!’ To other men who sought to help him, Bartimaeus only asked for assistance for his temporal sustenance, but when he knew it was the Lord Jesus, he asked him for healing from his blindness.
The word ‘Rabboni’ which Bartimaeus used for Jesus in Greek has the meaning of ‘My Great Master’. There were two people in the New Testament who referred to Jesus this way; one was Bartimaeus, and the other was Mary Magdalene, who on meeting the resurrected Lord in the garden near the tomb, called him ‘Rabboni’. It is indeed amazing that blind Bartimaeus, had such a divine revelation of who Jesus was. A blind man who was just a beggar had extraordinary understanding and faith in Jesus that was far greater than even that of the disciples of Jesus.
Though Bartimaeus was blind, his hearing and all other faculties were functioning perfectly. As Bartimaeus heard of the wonderful miracles that Jesus performed, and all that Jesus taught the people, his faith in Jesus also grew. No wonder then that when Jesus asked Bartimaeus what He wanted him to do, he had no hesitation to ask Jesus for the impossible. He had faith to believe that Jesus was definitely able to restore his sight back to him.
Believers in the Lord Jesus should not only speak words of promise and faith when in fellowship with other believers, but must be disciplined to speak those words of faith even when alone and challenged with hard times. To illustrate, if we confess that our God is Jehovah Rapha, (the one who heals us) we must exercise our faith to believe that God is indeed able to heal, when confronted with any sort of sickness.
Like Bartimaeus we too must desire to know the Lord more intimately, for it is as we grow in our knowledge of who the Lord is, will we begin to experience the mighty wonders of God in our lives. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, and that is the reason why one must read the word of God over and over again, which alone enables our faith to grow, resulting in a victorious life.
A father cried out to Jesus for his son
We read in Mark 9:22-23, "Many times the evil spirit has tried to kill him by throwing him in the fire and into water. Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!" "Yes," said Jesus, "if you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith." (GNB)
A father brought his son to Jesus who was suffering with evil possession. The boy was tormented by the evil spirit that often threw him into the fire and into water with the intention to destroy the boy. This father unlike Bartimaeus, was not so sure if Jesus could really help. He came to Jesus and said, ‘Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!’ and it was to this man that Jesus said, “if you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith."
Many of us come to the Lord like the father mentioned in the above incident. We approach God with doubt, instead of with faith and boldness.
Bartimaeus followed Jesus
When the Lord answered Bartimaeus, Mark 10:52, "Go," Jesus told him, "your faith has made you well." At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road. (GNB)
When Bartimaeus approached the Lord with faith, the Lord spoke words of faith to him, and not only did Bartimaeus receive his sight instantly, he also began to follow after Jesus. The father of the boy on the other hand, who received healing for his son, went away to his own life.
We must never be among those who draw near to the Lord only to have our various requests granted, and walk away from Him when the answers are received. A lot of it depends on who we perceive Jesus is in our day to day lives. There are those for whom Jesus is just a good man, to others He’s a great prophet, to others He’s the Savior who came to set them free from all their sins, but only to a few Jesus is ‘Rabboni’, ‘Our Great Master’ who owns, rules and reigns over every area of their lives. There are those who are content with having Jesus just for Sundays, and care to have no relationship with Him throughout the week.
It is good for us to evaluate ourselves to recognize, if we are those like Bartimaeus who on receiving his sight decided to follow Jesus or like the father of the boy, who received healing for his son went back to his own life.
The thieves who cried out to Jesus
When Jesus was crucified on the cross of Calvary, there were two thieves who were hung on either side of Him. One of them sneered at Jesus saying, ‘if you are the Christ, save yourself and us’. All that he wanted was to be freed from his pain and agony to get back to his old life. Even on the cross, he sought Jesus for his own benefit. To this man Jesus gave no reply, but remained silent. However, the other thief who hung on the other side of Jesus, recognized who Jesus was and he said to him ‘Jesus remember me when you come in your kingdom.’ Even in his dying moments, he acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and King of his life, and Jesus assured him that he would be with Him in paradise.
Just like the thief who mocked Jesus got no response from Him, often our prayers are met with silence from the Lord because our motives in asking are not right. The world comprises of two groups of people, those who come to Jesus just to have their physical and material needs met, and the other group who sincerely seek the Lord, to be the Lord and master of their lives. To the latter group the Lord promises eternal life with him, just as He assured the thief who called out to Him in faith.
Bartimaeus cried out and never gave up
In Mark 10:46 -47, we read, “They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" (GNB)
Mark 10:48-49 says, “Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus stopped and said “Call him”. (GNB)
Bartimaeus’ healing and deliverance did not come easy for him. As Jesus passed by, Bartimaeus began to shout to Jesus, begging Him to have mercy. He kept on shouting and calling out to Jesus because he desired healing and deliverance. The crowds who were with Jesus, scolded Bartimaeus tried to silence him, but nothing could deter him from crying out even more loudly to Jesus. When the people tried to stop him, he shouted even more. Hearing the voice of faith of blind Bartimaeus, Jesus stopped and attended to his cry. Jesus moved from there only after Bartimaeus received his healing.
There are so many areas one can be in bondage to; addictive habits, wrong relationships, news and serials on television, cell phone and a whole list of things. An accurate way to know if we are addicted to something is when that thing is withheld or taken away from us for whatever reason, if we are overwhelmed with a sense of loss and agitation, then it is sure sign that we are addicted to it. God’s will for us is to set us free from every bondage, but for that to materialize we must firstly acknowledge that we are in bondage and secondly earnestly desire to be set free. Some who long to be liberated from some enslavement, begin to call on the Lord for help, but give up after a while and go back to get entangled once again.
Bartimaeus is a great example of one who never gave up, and earnestly sought the Lord’s intervention. The result was miraculous healing and deliverance. We too must persistently seek the Lord and call out to Him when challenges confront us. We must be aware that there will always be hindrances and obstruction when we chose to come to Jesus, because the enemy longs to have dominion over us. As Jesus Himself said in John 8:36, ‘if the Son sets you free, then you will be really free.” (GNB), it is only the Lord Jesus who can deliver us from every form of enslavement. The Lord can hear the cry of faith, and persistence and when we continually call on Him, He will surely stop to deliver us, for there is nothing that is impossible with God.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
