Mark 10:46-52….. And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Jesus stood still. He stood still after hearing the cries of a blind beggar. A reject, an outcast, a hopeless individual. His lot in life was to depend on one who might drop a few coins in his cup every now and then. He was at the mercy of men, who probably thought of him as an eyesore and an inconvenience. But though he was blind, he recognized Hope. I’m sure he had heard of Jesus, and how this Jesus could make the blind see, and cause deaf ears to hear, and lame feet to walk. This Jesus wasn’t afraid to touch the leper or associate with the lower class citizen. But I’m sure that there was something else about the Man from Nazareth that caused Bartimaeus to act the way he did. When he heard that Jesus was near, he cried out persistently. Even when those around him discouraged him from doing so, (and I love this fierce attitude!) he cried out more! “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” Was it just his physical cries that caused the Lord to stop in His tracks, or could He hear something else? Something that said, “I believe you are Hope”. Jesus stood still….and then a funny thing happened. Those that had told him to be quiet, suddenly changed their tune. “This must be you lucky day, Bart! Get up! He’s calling you.” And old Bart flung aside what may have been his only possession, his only comfort, and came to Jesus. When we truly recognize our Hope, we find we don’t need the things of the world we once clung to, to sustain us. Jesus then asked the blind man this peculiar question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Funny thing to ask a blind man, but I believe a crucial part of the healing process is knowing what our true need is! There were many things Bart could have asked for, but he knew without a doubt that he wanted to see! “Oh Lord that I might see.” Jesus told him that his FAITH had made him whole. Was it the resistance to give in to the voices around him that said “be quiet”, or the throwing aside of the security blanket that healed him? Or maybe it was just believing that Jesus could do what he asked of Him? I’m not totally sure. But I do know that when we cry out He will stand still, and He will call for us! A faith in God, not in men or works or position, is what will cause Jesus to stand still for you.
