We all want to have hope for a bright future, but if there was ever a man whose future was bleak, it was Bartimaeus. It was bad enough that he could not see, but his status was that of a beggar, destined to stand by the wayside for years, pleading for any mercy from those who passed by him each day. He had no rights, no subsidies from the government to help him, though a few threw him coins to assuage their consciences. Medically, there was nothing that could be done for him, either. He was literally “at the mercy” of his society.
He was persistent in his cries for help, especially on this day when he realized that Jesus was passing by. I wonder at his courage, because he knew that Jesus was a rabbi, and Bartimaeus was a nobody, as evidenced by the crowd’s rebukes for him to be quiet and not disturb Jesus. But true to Jesus’ form, he saw Bartimaeus, even when Bartimaeus could not see him, even when Bartimaeus was a beggar that many ignored. Jesus also graciously invited Bartimaeus to come to him with his request.
There are a lot of marginalized people in our society like Bartimaeus, who need the touch of Jesus. Do we see them? Or are we embarrassed by them, thinking that it is too bad, but that they are just “too far gone” to be rescued by the Master? Seemingly, Bartimaeus had no “champion” to seek help for him, but what a difference it would have made if he would have had the “mercy” of others besides Jesus, when he needed it the most.
Maybe we all need to plead for sight, like Bartimaeus, not necessarily for physical sight, but that we might see more clearly with the heart and compassion of Jesus. Here is a verse from a song that I find reminds me to “open my eyes” to see the marginalized people that Jesus sees: Let Me See This World Dear Lord
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me…thank you for your compassion for me, that you do see me, in whatever circumstances I find myself in today, that you even call to me to come closer and you ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” Thank you for loving me enough to die on a cross, proving that I do have worth to you! AMEN!
For Today: Read the full account of Bartimaeus’ encounter with Jesus found in Mark 10:46-52. Ask the Lord to either 1) show you something that you need to ask him to do specifically for you, in terms of healing, or 2) help you to see the world of people around you with his eyes. (To explore more about how to really see and minister to marginalized people like Bartimaeus, in various Canadian cities, please contact Connecting Streams.)
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