Bartimaeus, a blind beggar received a spiritual Word of Wisdom. He cried out with a loud and insistent voice. "Ben Dovid Yeshua, chaneini!" translated "Son of David, Yeshua pity me". Don't you wish you could have been there to see it?
Many of the people, who witnessed this verbally punished Bartimaeus, they told him to "shut up". Atheist, Agnostics, and the ACLU have likewise been telling true believers in Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ) to also just sit there and shut up. What would you have done if you had been there?
Bartimaeus would not be silent, he cried out even louder. Knowing his condition as a blind sinner he desired to be changed. His desire for new life was stronger than the verbal abuse by the normal people. A blind beggar knew holiness had just passed by him. Would you know when you are in the presence of holiness.
Yeshua also ignored the attitudes and behaviors of those calling for silence. Yeshua called for Bartimaeus to come to him. In the end his faith will be rewarded with a miracle of new life with new eye sight. We know from Luke's account of this event that Bartimaeus gave "Thanks" for his blessing, he became a follower of Yeshua and glorified God. What would you have done?
Attitudes and behaviors play an important role in our works in faith. Consider reading Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV).
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The primary lessons provided by Bartimaeus are to know the presence of God. Then make contact, when called be persistent, persevere, be specific about what healing you want, have faith, glorify God with thankfulness.
There was two experiences in my life, when I felt Yeshua was passing by. The first occurred when I felt like my position in life was as pitiful as a blind beggar. Kneeling at a prayer rail, my heart cried out for mercy. On the second I experienced seeing Yeshua coming towards me, but he was about to pass by. Like a blind beggar I cried out his name.
Yeshua HaMashiach invited another beggar into the Father's promise of new life. I wish you could have witnessed the change, but it was a intimate and personally private moment.
If you are at that point in life. Feeling unloved, missing the love known within a committed relationship. Know in your own life, Yeshua fulfilled God's promise that His anointed would heal the spiritually blind. Allow Yeshua to teach spiritual sight. Know in your life the greatest miracle. New life, new sight, glorify and praise God. Cry out and ask him for mercy. Follow Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ) and give glory and praise to God.
The story in the Gospel of Mark, about the miracle God gave through His Son for a pitiful blind beggar, follows the request of James and John. James and John had asked to been seen when Yeshua entered his glory; one on the right of Yeshua and one on the left.
While it is a good desire to be seen with Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ). Especially after during and after God's Judgment. Self serving glory is not how to glorify God. This is an example of spiritual blindness.
Blind Bartimaeus asked for the joy of just being able to see. His miracle came by asking the only right person. The person God sent to fulfill a promise given Isaiah 42:5-7 (ESV). Don't you wish you could have been a witness?
Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Yeshua's calling includes bringing both physical sight and spiritual sight into the areas of darkness. The ability to see moral truths revealed in teachings by using parables was how Yeshua brought light into darkness.
Blind Bartimaeus sat by the way leaving Jericho to travel to Jerusalem. He begged as his only way of earning a living. Obliviously it was not a great way to earn a living, asking healthy bodied people to show compassion. What drives a person to spend his day begging? What compassion would you have shared?
Physical blindness justified his actions. But what happens when he realizes the very Son of God was passing by. With a loud insistent crying out Bartimaeus cried out; "Ben Dovid Yeshua, chaneini!" translated "Son of David, Yeshua pity me".
Can you comprehend the spiritual passion expressed during this moment? Not being blind we cannot fully understand the physical passion. Spiritual passion is different. Spiritually we can be as blind as Bartimaeus. Are we the people telling him to "shut up"?
Yeshua said he had faith. The actions of Faith comes our understanding a word in Hebrew; Emunah. The meaning illustrates the firmness of actions that are honest, responsible, steady, and can be trusted. Consider the actions of an experienced craftsman in the labor of his craft. His work shines with faith in the perfection of his labor, producing a product of high quality.
Yeshua said Bartimaeus was healed because of his expression of Faith. The Orthodox Jewish Bible used Emunah as the word to illustrate where Yeshua placed the positive actions by Bartimaeus.
Bartimaeus had called out to the Son of God asking for compassion, mercy, pity. But not for the intangible ways of emotions. His awareness is of God's actions in the past, present, and future. By calling upon the Lord's anointed he was seeking a characteristic of God. "Save me with your loving mercy."
The same life changing actions are expressed by the teaching contained in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The opposite attitude was reprimanded by God, as you consider the following teaching.
Leviticus 19:9-18 God's commandment about loving your neighbor.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
A blind beggar knew Yeshua to be God's perfect compassionate, merciful, and loving servant. A blind man was given sight. The deaf receive hearing. Lepers were cleansed, the crippled were healed. The hungry were fed. Do you know Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ) as your personal savior. Call out to him. Ask for mercy, ask for life everlasting.
