Our Psalm today, “The
Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy,” sheds light on our
glorious Gospel reading about the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus.
If we place ourselves in this Gospel passage, we can imagine that Jesus had
gained quite a few followers from His words and miraculous healings. As He left
Jericho in the midst of a large crowd of disciples, Bartimaeus sat on the
roadside. Although he was blind, he knew who was in his midst. And although
there was a crowd, he confidently called out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity
on me.”
Many encouraged him to stop, yet he cried out “all the more.” And in the midst
of the chaos, Jesus heard him as He said, “call him.”
We can learn a lot from Bartimaeus when it comes to our own personal
relationships with Jesus. Many of us struggle with something from which we need
healing — physical blindness, illness, addiction, bad habits, anger, sin. In
our weakness, do we confidently cry out to Jesus knowing that He will help
us?
Oftentimes we begin to, but then a voice in our thoughts tells us to doubt and
encourages us to stop trying, like the crowd in our Gospel. Although that voice
is persistent and strong, we are called to cry out all the more. If Jesus can
hear one voice in a crowd of many, then He can hear our direct prayer to Him in
our hearts.
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus called him, “He threw aside his cloak, sprang
up, and came to Jesus.”
There are many times throughout our day that Jesus calls us towards Him. They
are opportunities for us to spring up and move closer to Christ on our journey
as disciples. It could simply be a moment of helping someone who is struggling
instead of passing them by, cooking dinner for your family with a joyful heart
after an exhausting day, or using that spare 10 minutes of your day to sit in silence
with the Lord instead of getting one more thing done around the house. It is
through these day-to-day moments that we can encounter Christ as Bartimaeus
did.
Our Gospel story closes with the miraculous moment when Bartimaeus is healed.
The conversation with Jesus was simple. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he would
like Him to do. This man, blind for who knows how many years, desired sight.
Jesus responded, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” He was healed and
continued to follow Christ.
There was not much that Bartimaeus had to do to become healed. All he needed
was his undoubting faith.
Whatever it is that we are struggling with in this life, all Jesus asks of us
is to have faith in Him. As a result, we will remain steadfast in our relationship
with Christ and will have the strength to keep going. And although we might not
be healed in this life, Jesus still hears our confident cries. And through our
faith we will surely be healed in the next.
Whatever it is that you desire to be healed from today, confidently cry out to
Jesus in prayer. He is listening. And when you hear the voice of doubt, keep
praying. Strive to have unwavering faith that Jesus is with you, He hears you
and will heal you in His way and His time. Know that the Lord has done great
things for us and will continue to do so — so let our hearts be filled with
joy.
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