Tuesday August 18, 2020
Today’s Scripture: Mark 10:46-52
46 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. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 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!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
Today’s Devotional
Blind Bartimaeus is one of my favorite Bible characters. However, we should probably call him “no longer blind Bartimaeus” since Jesus did heal him. But the name has stuck for centuries and the alliteration works so “Blind Bartimaeus” it is.
This story is told in the book of Matthew and Luke as well as here in Mark. It’s only in Mark that we learn the man’s name is Bartimaeus and that he is the son of Timaeus. However, all three versions include the fact that Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was walking by and started to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When the people around him told him to shut up he just yelled louder! “SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”
I like Bartimaeus because he kept at it and was not afraid to yell out for Jesus. I think sometimes we don’t want to bother Jesus with our issues. We think he’s got better things to do or we don’t want to seem rude. And yet the story of Bartimaeus reminds us that it’s ok to yell out to Jesus. Other people might tell us to be quiet – but Jesus wants to hear us.
You may be in a place today where you just need to yell out to Jesus. Don’t hesitate. Keep going. Get loud if you have to. And then listen for the voice of Jesus saying “What do you want me to do for you?”
And here is the hard part. We then need to tell Jesus want we want him to do for us. It sounds simple but it’s difficult sometimes. Maybe we don’t know what we want, or maybe we don’t think we are deserving. But Jesus is asking. So, yell a little louder – and tell him what you need. He’s listening.
Today’s Prayer
God thank you that you hear us when we call out to you. Help us, when we need you, not to hide behind embarrassment or decorum but to instead call out to you – no matter what. Remind us this day that you do not leave us alone – but that you walk with us through life, no matter what we are going through or how dark the world seems.
Amen
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