Mark 10:46-50
The Message (MSG)
46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"
49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over."
They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by he called out to Him. The crowd tried to hush him up. He was a blind beggar and Jesus shouldn't be bothered. But Bartimaeus was undaunted by the crowed and yelled even louder. Jesus stopped and called Bartimaeus to come to him. Bartimaeus threw off his coat and immediately went to see Jesus. I was struck by the fact that Bartimaeus threw off his coat. Why and why was that fact important? Often we cloak ourselves from the world to cover our failures, blemishes and insecurities. Did Bartimaeus use his coat to hide himself as he sat beside the road and now that Jesus had acknowledged him he felt free to shed his coat?
As I drove down the street today I saw two people walking. One was headed north and the other south. One was a teenage girl and the other a young woman. They had not yet met and clearly did not intend to, as each one looked down and away from the other, changing course slightly to create more space as they passed each other. Neither one was over weight and there had never been any danger of them actually passing by close enough to touch but still they each widened the gap slightly. Perhaps they were each having a bad day. Maybe they did not want to bother the other or maybe they were afraid of what the other might think if they spoke. Whatever the reason they passed by each other in silence. I was struck by the sadness of it. Then I though of all of the times I had been in a similar situation in the grocery store, post office, or elevator and done the same thing. Immediately Matthew 28:19-20 came to mind. Jesus told us to "Go" and keep going into our community and all of the world talking to them about the Gospel of Christ. God created us for fellowship with Him and with each other. How sad it must make Him when we blindly walk by each other.
Father we cry out to You today, heal our blindness. Help us to shed our coats of insecurity and reach out to those around us. When we find ourselves blinded by our fears and insecurities help us to cry out to You in faith just like Bartimaeus did. Open our eyes Father. In Jesus
The Message (MSG)
46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"
49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over."
They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by he called out to Him. The crowd tried to hush him up. He was a blind beggar and Jesus shouldn't be bothered. But Bartimaeus was undaunted by the crowed and yelled even louder. Jesus stopped and called Bartimaeus to come to him. Bartimaeus threw off his coat and immediately went to see Jesus. I was struck by the fact that Bartimaeus threw off his coat. Why and why was that fact important? Often we cloak ourselves from the world to cover our failures, blemishes and insecurities. Did Bartimaeus use his coat to hide himself as he sat beside the road and now that Jesus had acknowledged him he felt free to shed his coat?
As I drove down the street today I saw two people walking. One was headed north and the other south. One was a teenage girl and the other a young woman. They had not yet met and clearly did not intend to, as each one looked down and away from the other, changing course slightly to create more space as they passed each other. Neither one was over weight and there had never been any danger of them actually passing by close enough to touch but still they each widened the gap slightly. Perhaps they were each having a bad day. Maybe they did not want to bother the other or maybe they were afraid of what the other might think if they spoke. Whatever the reason they passed by each other in silence. I was struck by the sadness of it. Then I though of all of the times I had been in a similar situation in the grocery store, post office, or elevator and done the same thing. Immediately Matthew 28:19-20 came to mind. Jesus told us to "Go" and keep going into our community and all of the world talking to them about the Gospel of Christ. God created us for fellowship with Him and with each other. How sad it must make Him when we blindly walk by each other.
Father we cry out to You today, heal our blindness. Help us to shed our coats of insecurity and reach out to those around us. When we find ourselves blinded by our fears and insecurities help us to cry out to You in faith just like Bartimaeus did. Open our eyes Father. In Jesus
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