Along The Road

Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)
⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
⁵² "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Jesus heard the voice despite a large crowd and despite some in the crowd trying to hush his cry. He stopped and said, “Call him.” He calls out to Jesus and Jesus responds, sending others to the man. That is the way God chooses to reach out to us, in and through others. Just as Jesus was the face of God, we are to be the face of Jesus. It is a tall order but all things are possible with God. Bartimaeus eagerly gets up, jumping up and throwing off his cloak he goes to Him.

Jesus then asks a puzzling question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Surely He could see that this man could not. So why ask? Perhaps one might ask why we should pray to the one who knows our every thought. It must be for us. He gives us the freedom to choose. It is our place to ask Him. He calls to us but we are to come to Him. From His Word all of creation comes into being. His Word is spoken to us, and with our words we confess and acknowledge that truth of that Word. Our healing comes from His power and mercy, mixed with our faith. Love is perfected in weakness. In weakness comes strength.

“I want to see.”

Bartimaeus received his sight. This sight allowed him to follow Jesus. He did just that.
He no longer sat by the roadside, bound by the hopeless darkness of eyes that do not see, but followed after the healer Who brings light to the world. He went from going nowhere on his own to embarking on a journey with the Word of Creation. Oh, the things we will see along the road.