RISE! HE CALLS YOU
REFERENCE : Mark 10:46-52 (NKJ V)
46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you? “The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
The pair of glasses that I wore one night as I edited my work, did not help my sight, tremendously. Everything was either blurred or jumbled. I peered at the computer, prayed, maximized the screen, changed the spacing and font. Still, I struggled. Yet, I was determined that my task had to be completed. It was a bit disheartening because my vision was altered. I got finished, placed the glasses on my bed and suddenly, the cause of the problem became obvious. One lens was missing. I gave out such a hearty laugh (which I needed). This experience spoke volumes to me. How about you?
From the scripture reference above, we can make assumptions and draw conclusions about Bartimaeus, who was not even called by his name. He was defined and identified by his condition. Blind Bartimaeus was doing what he usually did: sat and begged. That was his lot in life. His only means of existence was to be at the mercy of those who pitied his condition. Passersby were accustomed to seeing and hearing him beg. He went to the same spot daily, expecting that whatever he received would be sufficient for his needs. He had to have a system by which the money would be counted. Maybe he had a trustworthy person who would tell him what the spoils were, each day. He was also at the hands of would-be robbers and pranksters. Their alms probably fell inside or outside of his cup, but they kept going. No doubt he was ridiculed and stolen from as uncompassionate people pretended to place money in his cup, but in reality, took some out. That was the reality of Bartimaeus’ situation, BUT Jesus stepped in.
Jesus could have gone elsewhere, but He always makes Himself available to those who need Him. Since Bartimaeus was blind, his other senses over-compensated, so his hearing and touch were keen. The One who could help him was in the vicinity and Bartimaeus would not be denied. What about us? Jesus still cares.
We are not told what caused the blindness, but because Jesus was famed for the miracles that He did, Blind Bartimaeus had hope. His ears perked up when he heard that Jesus was passing that way. He was determined to be heard and so he ignored the chastisement of the spiritually-blind crowd. Determination surpassed discouragement, so he shouted even louder. The crowd expressed such disgust and annoyance at a poor man’s plight, they had to be commanded to call him. In that dark place, he had to attract The Light, against all odds.
Blind Bartimaeus acknowledged that Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, had what he wanted: mercy. Despair and frustration could not help him. To analyze his condition would be futile, in that, while he was away, musing over his condition, Jesus would have passed by and his blindness would not have changed. That would cause him to return to his usual spot, the following day. What would that accomplish?
This insignificant beggar was about to see God’s glory. Though blind, Bartimaeus turned a deaf ear to the insults. He decided to look to the Giver of Sight. Bartimaeus would be blind for not much longer. When we expect Jesus to favor us, we must ignore distractions and replace them with determination. He could have thought, well, I called Jesus more than once, maybe He didn’t hear, so I will call even louder. Now he got into earnest pleading. Philippians 4:6 encourages us to pray and be thankful before we receive our requests.
In Acts chapter 8, when Steven was being stoned, he saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand. Jesus sits by His Father while He intercedes for us and when we call Him, He moves on our behalf and dispatches angels to help us. Jesus observed how Blind Bartimaeus was slighted. He was only a recurring beggar who expected pity and waited at the same post every day. No one had any time for him. Society had prejudged him. They saw him as less-than, but Jesus stepped in He saw Blind Bartimaeus’ condition and demonstrated that mercy translates into comfort, joy, elevation of spirit and wholesomeness.
Jesus asked what was Bartimaeus’ need. Does that mean that the blindness was not evident? Of course not! Bartimaeus asked for mercy. He could have experienced that in various forms, but Jesus wanted him to be specific, thus acknowledging the power that HE, Jesus carried. Don’t just skirt around what we really want. Verbalize the problems and place a BUT after the situation. For example, “I don’t have a job, BUT God gives me favor as I go seeking. I have a headache BUT by His stripes I am healed.”
When Bartimaeus answered the call, the countenance of sadness was transformed into a radiance of beauty; the spirit of self-pity was switched for joy; the beggarly garment became an adornment of praise; and the attitude of resignation to fate was bartered for freedom; (Isaiah 61:1-3). Jesus wants us to embrace His word and make a similar exchange. Obedience and action resulted in the healing of Bartimaeus’ situation. It did not end there. Immediately, he made a conscious decision to become a follower. All that Bartimaeus experienced came about because he responded to the Master’s call.
He calls us to leave the cloak of doubt, despair, disappointment and defeat and to have a new outlook. We should endeavor, not to be deterred by circumstances. Instead, persevere! Like Bartimaeus, we must ignore the voices that would silence our cries and crush our potential. Dormancy and complacency do not define us. So, we strive towards our goal. Rise! HE calls you.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
1. Write your SMART goal. (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-bound)
2. What steps will you take to get there? Go after it!