Have you ever encountered a once in a lifetime opportunity you knew you couldn’t pass up? You just knew it was something so incredible that you just had to act on it immediately. Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus.
He was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need. He knew who Jesus was and had heard of his healing power, but until now had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of guts and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the noisy throng who crowded around him as he made his way out of town. Why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man’s persistent shouts? He was disturbing and interrupting Jesus’ discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst, and thus caught the attention of Jesus.
This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus’ attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. But Jesus showed that acting was more important than talking. A great teacher or speaker can command attention and respect, but a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart is loved more. Bartimaeus was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. Jesus commends him for recognizing who he is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as well.
Do we recognize our need for God’s healing grace and do we seek Jesus out, like Bartimaeus, with persistent faith and trust in his goodness and mercy?
Lord, may we never fail to recognize our need for your grace. Help us to take advantage of the opportunities you give us to seek your presence daily and to listen attentively to your word.
