Loving Someone Enough to Stop and Help

Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem—on the way to die. He is determined to fulfill His destiny. His mind must be racing; His heart is filled to overflowing with sorrow for what awaits Him. We could certainly understand if He just moved on this one time without stopping to help a poor blind man. He239 had more important things on His mind. He is about to give His life for the sins of the world! But He “stopped.” He brought this caravan of pilgrims to a screeching halt so that He might minister to just one. Jesus taught His disciples the art of stopping.

Jesus hears the cries of a man who is hurting. The crowd wants to prevent this man from coming to Jesus, much like the disciples wanted to block the children (10:13). Still, Jesus heard his cry of desperation and stopped. With compassion He said, “Call him” (10:49). The crowd responded in obedience to this greater Son of David. They called the blind man, told him to “take heart” and “get up.” Jesus has heard his cry, and He will stop and meet this man at his point of need, his greatest need!

It is one thing to hear. It is another thing to listen. Some of us are good at neither! Some of us are good at hearing but not listening. Our Lord Jesus is great at both!

Jesus then asked Bartimaeus a straightforward question, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (10:51). This is the same question He has just asked James and John in verse 36. They asked for the best seats in the kingdom. Bartimaeus, in radical and stark contrast, has a much more humble request: “I want to see!” James Edwards says it so well: “The Sons of Thunder asked for extraordinary glory, Bartimaeus asked only for ordinary health” (Mark, 330).

Jesus heard his cry just like He hears ours. Jesus listened to his request just as He listens to ours. Psalm 17:6 says, “I call on You, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.” Psalm 54:2 says, “God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth.” And Psalm 71:2 says, “In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me.”

The Lord indeed heard his request, which is actually a prayer to God! And our Lord will respond in glorious salvation—yes, salvation.

Mark 10:52

Job 42:5 says, “I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You.” Job was addressing God as the awesome Creator. Bartimaeus could240 now voice those same words to God his Savior! As he comes face-to-face with his Creator, Bartimaeus cries out for mercy. Here comes the answer, and oh what a wonderful answer it is!

Jesus simply and quickly responds to the cry for grace and mercy from the blind beggar, “Go your way ... your faith has healed you.” When Jesus refers to the man’s faith, Jesus is not saying that the man has earned anything. Grace is the divine hand that extends healing. Faith is the human hand that reaches out and receives it. And the object of our faith is crucial. Exhortations to “keep the faith!” or “just have faith” are nonsensical and vacuous statements. Bartimaeus did not have empty faith. No, Bartimaeus directed his faith to the only One who could heal, the only One who could save!

The word for “healed” is also the word for “saved.” It can have both a physical and a spiritual dimension. Here, it no doubt has both! Would Bartimaeus be healed physically? Yes! Would he be healed spiritually? An even better yes! How do we know?

“Immediately he could see.” Instantaneous healing! No medical treatment! None of this is necessary when the Great Physician is at work. But Bartimaeus was not an ungrateful recipient of grace. He “began to follow Him on the road.” Bartimaeus is now a disciple, a follower of King Jesus. Where He goes, Bartimaeus will go. What He asks, Bartimaeus will do. Gospel gratitude will inspire us to follow, at any and all cost, the One who has so freely dispensed His grace. I see! I’ve been saved! I will joyfully follow King Jesus wherever He leads. John Grassmick says, “Bartimaeus pictured discipleship clearly. He recognized his inability, trusted Jesus as the One to give him God’s gracious mercy, and when he could ‘see’ clearly he began to follow Jesus” (“Mark,” 155).

Some early church traditions say Bartimaeus would follow Jesus all the way to His passion and later become a major figure in the church at Jerusalem. Personally, that is an easy thing for me to imagine!

This is the last healing miracle in the Gospel of Mark. It began with His healing a blind man (8:22-26), and it closes with His healing a blind man (10:46-52).

241But then like Bartimaeus we were all blind until Jesus gave us sight. We were poor beggars until He saved us as our ransom. We brought to Him nothing but our weakness and need, and He graced us with His power and blessing. Praise God Jesus stopped and had time for Bartimaeus. Praise God Jesus had time for you and me!

Nothing has changed in two thousand years. Jesus still stops for anyone who calls on His name. And like poor, blind Bartimaeus, no one is disappointed in what He does! Yes, there is hope for anyone who, in faith, looks to Jesus.