Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Though each of the four Gospels records the miracle of JESUS restoring the sight of the blind, Mark’s account is the only account in which the healed blind man is not only named – Bartimaeus – but whose response to JESUS reveals a missed miracle that stands alone in Mark’s Gospel.
As JESUS was journeying to Jerusalem for the last time – to be tried and crucified – His journey took Him through Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho, accompanied by a large crowd, a blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. We know that Bartimaeus was a Jew because his name is Hebrew in origin and means “son of Timaeus,” as the text says.
We are not told whether this road between Jericho and Jerusalem was Bartimaeus’ regular spot for begging or not; but in my own daily travels I have discovered that those who seek a handout are strategic in choosing places where donations are most plentiful. So, we can safely assume this particular road was probably a well-traveled route and blind Bartimaeus knew what he could expect in terms of donors and donations for the day.
We are also not told how Bartimaeus navigated to this spot on this road, but a little research reveals that the brains of blind persons make new connections for processing their environment in the absence of their sight. They have enhanced hearing, smell, and touch, as well as enhanced memory, and language skills. So, being blind did not render Bartimaeus unskilled but rather highly skilled in the other sensory areas of his being.
The truth of this is borne out in the fact that when Bartimaeus heard with his enhanced ability to hear that it was JESUS of Nazareth passing by – he proceeded not only to call JESUS by His Birth Name but also by His Messianic Title – “JESUS, Son of David, have mercy on me.” That Bartimaeus knew with his enhanced cognitive skills that this JESUS of Nazareth was indeed the Son of David, the Messiah, indicates that he was not an ignorant man, but well-trained in the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures.
How many times have we assumed that a person’s physical challenge equated to a mental or intellectual deficiency or a lack of education – when such is not the case. This is why laws like the American Disabilities Act – ADA – were enacted to keep this discriminatory conclusion from adversely affecting the quality of life and opportunities that a challenged person could experience.
So, blind Bartimaeus is not only schooled in the Jewish prophecies concerning the Messianic Name but apparently knows that JESUS of Nazareth IS the Messiah by calling Him the Son of David. This again clearly points to the highly developed cognitive skills of blind Bartimaeus – who in the darkness of his blindness had seen the light of Who JESUS is~!
How many walk around with 20/20 vision in broad daylight and yet are blind to the truth of Who JESUS is? I have heard poor folk, homeless folk, blind folk, physically and intellectually impaired folk give JESUS praise when you call His Name in their presence~! Their rich testimonies of total trust in JESUS would put most of our shallow testimonies to shame. However, James’ Letter clearly affirms that our God has “chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him” (James 2:5)
The text goes on to say that when blind Bartimaeus shouted out JESUS’ Name and Messianic title, the crowd that followed JESUS tried to shut him up and shut him down. But in rejecting their rebuke to be quiet, blind Bartimaeus shouted out JESUS’ Messianic title even louder – Son of David, have mercy on me.”
You see, blind Bartimaeus knew he had nothing to lose because he had nothing to lose. According to him and the society in which he lived, being blind and poor were at the very bottom of the societal ladder – he couldn’t go any lower and he could not be any more despised than he already was. So he pleaded for mercy from the only ONE who he believed could reverse his plight of degradation. Could it be that with his enhanced memory skills he recalled with joy that the Messianic ministry included the recovering of sight to the blind?
So, in His compassion for this blind man who was a Jew, who was a descendant of Abraham, who called Him by His birth Name and by His Messianic title, and who was persistent in his plea for mercy from Him, JESUS stops in His tracks and tells the crowd to call Bartimaeus to come to Him. Notice that blind Bartimaeus does not ask JESUS to come to where he was just because of his blindness, but instead blind Bartimaeus accepts JESUS’ invitation and proceeds to take steps toward JESUS despite his blindness.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE MISSED MIRACLE OCCURS. For when the people informed blind Bartimaeus that JESUS was calling him, the text says that blind Bartimaeus threw his cloak aside, jumped to his feet and CAME TO JESUS. DON’T MISS THE MIRACLE: blind Bartimaeus came to JESUS while he was still blind. He took steps toward JESUS while he was still without physical sight. And as the Scriptures affirm that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8) – so JESUS drew near to blind Bartimaeus whose steps toward Him were steps of faith while he was still physically blind.
This miracle in Mark’s Gospel has been easy to miss because we have inadvertently assumed that blind Bartimaeus was assisted in his approach to JESUS, when Mark’s text does not say so. As a result, we have missed this miracle of Bartimaeus coming to JESUS while he was still blind~! And though this missed miracle may not seem like a big deal, it was the critical miracle that led to the big miracle of JESUS restoring Bartimaeus’ sight.
For when blind Bartimaeus was finally in front of JESUS, JESUS asked him a rhetorical question: “What do you want me to do for you?” The question itself is a promise of healing because JESUS is already pleased with the steps of faith blind Bartimaeus has taken to Him: and because we know that without faith it is impossible to please God. Amazingly, blind Bartimaeus’ answer reveals that his priorities are in order: for though he is both blind and poor, he does not ask JESUS to make him rich – because blind Bartimaeus knows that without his sight somebody could steal him blind. So, he asks for the restoration of his physical sight by addressing JESUS by yet another Name of respect for a Jewish leader among the people, “Rabbi, I want to see~!”
And without touching Bartimaeus’ eyes or making mud to put on his eyes, as JESUS did in other encounters with the blind, JESUS instead just commands Bartimaeus to “Go,” meaning to keep taking steps of faith, because “your faith has healed you.” And the text says that “immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and followed JESUS along the road.”
No longer physically blind, Bartimaeus was now fully sighted – both spiritually and physically – for he knew JESUS by faith before He knew JESUS by sight, and he saw JESUS by faith before He saw JESUS by sight. NOW THAT IS RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND~!!! And the missed miracle was that before JESUS restored Bartimaeus’ physical sight, Bartimaeus came to JESUS by faith while he was still blind~!!! And today, you and I have had our eyes opened to discover this missed miracle, like discovering a hidden treasure in the midst of this Gospel account~!!!
O, how many of us allow our challenges, our troubles, and our trials to cause us to miss the miracles that our faith walk will reveal if we only trust God for what we don’t see. That is the very definition of our faith: being sure of what we hope for, being confident of what we don’t see (Heb 11:1).
Are you hoping for a miracle, a deliverance, a healing, or a breakthrough that you have not yet seen? Then I commend to you to call on the Name of JESUS, like blind Bartimaeus did~! I commend to you to take steps of faith – like blind Bartimaeus did – even while you are still blind to what you have yet to see, so that you don’t miss the little miracles that are key to the big miracle of your deliverance, your healing, or your breakthrough~! And I commend to you to keep praying unceasingly and to keep praying believing that your deliverance, your healing, or your breakthrough is on the way – like blind Bartimaeus did – ~!
For you and I can be assured from this account of blind Bartimaeus that JESUS will draw nigh to us when He sees us drawing nigh to Him while we are still blind to what we have yet to see – and will grant the petitions of our hearts and give recovery of sight to both our physical and spiritual eyes in order to see Him more clearly – like He did for blind Bartimaeus~!!!
My prayer and my petition and I hope your prayer and your petition, today and every day is –
JESUS, Son of God, My Lord and My Savior,
I want to see~!!!
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HEAVENLY FATHER
Thank you for showing us that Your Word is a well-spring of water that never runs dry. Open our eyes that we may see You in new ways so that we do not miss the miracles You have in store for us this day and every day~!
For we ask this in the Name of Him Who healed the sick, Who raised the dead, and Who gave sight to the blind – Even in the Name of JESUS the CHRIST we pray~ ~AMEN & AMEN~
