11 - A Radical Change
Mark 10:
46. Then they came to Jericho. And 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. And 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.
NKJV
There are two statements of Bartimaeus that are recorded here for us.
The first is:
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
The second is: "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."
The first established the relationship of Bartimaeus to Jesus as that of a
distant relative: someone who ought to help him.
By the time he came into the presence of Jesus, he understood that his
relationship with Jesus had to change. So Bartimaeus addressed Jesus as
"Rabboni" or " my Lord".
Bartimaeus understood that this was not just a matter merely of having his
sight in the future.
Getting his sight back meant a radical change in the direction of his life
and the way he related to other people.
Blindness and manipulating sympathizers had directed his life in the past.
Now he had a new Lord and a new direction to go in, and a new reason for living.
Jesus saw the change in Bartimaeus' heart and called that "faith".
He said to him, "Your faith has made you well. You are now free to go in God's
direction for your life!"
Do you have the faith to make Jesus the Lord of your direction in life today and always?
Prayer:
Father, today I understand that if I am to come out of my present limiting
condition, I need to make Jesus the Lord of my new direction and I need to
follow Him with all my heart.
Help me in this resolve from this day forward,
in His name I pray,
Amen.
A new reading in this series is available every day!
See you tomorrow, God willing, and be blessed in all you do today!
Sol Wise.
InChurch?? | Faith | Love | Jacob | Rich | Grace
