mark 10:46-49 :: blind bartimaeus recieves his sight

he sat there every day, hand waiting for loose change so he could help provide some sort of income for his family that cared for him.  the busy road has sure to have people passing at almost any point during the day that could hear his plea for help. some days would be better than others, and as the holidays approached, the giving usually would get better, but life continued on pretty much the same year after year.

until word came about The Nazarene, there hadn’t been any hope things would change. but now with all this news of the lame walking, the deaf hearing & evil spirits being cast out, he had a feeling in his heart that hadn’t had much opportunity before.  hope coupled with excitement. there was a stirring in his soul that was new and freash. he felt optimism about his own future, becasuse if this Nazarene, this son of David came down his stretch of road, there was a distinct chance that he would be healed.

and the days passed…

and weeks went by…

but still news spread, and stories were being told more often.

and bartimaeus waited just like he had been.

and finally one day before the passover was to start, there came a noisy group of people. he could feel the approach in the ground, and hear people talking loudly about Jesus. this was it. this was his chance, his only chance perhaps.

he had to draw attention to himself somehow, over the noise of the crowd. and since he couldn’t seek Jesus out, he was going to have to call Jesus to himself. so he starts shouting…

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” as loud as he can…

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” he had to yell it again.

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” people were telling him to be quiet, but there was no way he was going to sit there any more and just let life keep passing him by,

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”

the people stopped…and someone grabbed him by the elbow, laughing and said “cheer up! on your feet! He is calling you.” so he threw his threadbare cloak aside, leaped up and went to Jesus.

this is so like us, isn’t it? we go through our daily routines, settled in a false contentment brought on by a lack of visible change on the horizon. day after day we do the same things, never really participating in life as it passes us by…and we hope for a little helping from time to time from those who may notice us.

we hear stories about big things happening in other people’s lives, but they never seem to happen to us. never really looking at the little blessings that come each day, never acknowledging the work of God in our lives in the regular things, and simultaneously lamenting the lack of momentous changes or action in our life.

and from time to time, things happen that might stir a little hope and then we really wake up. but even then, we still may need someone to grab us by the arm and pull us along.

why is that? why do we get into our routines, knowing what else is out there? are we scared of the unknown? are we scared to really live? following Jesus does have that aspect of abandon that frightens most of us, and we slide back into our shells of mediocrity and comfort, and that’s really too bad.

we should be ready to jump up, and go and not return to that spot…but can we?