Live by Faith

Today, we would like to share with you the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52.

In the Gospel—when Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting by the road. Perhaps he had to beg for food because he could not see. As soon as he heard that Jesus was passing by, he decided to ask for help, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” he shouted. (Mark 10:47 NIV) Not only did many choose to ignore, but they even rebuked him, or even told him to be quiet. However, he then shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48) Jesus then stopped and asked them to bring him over. Knowing Jesus summoned him, excited, Bartimaeus threw his cloak aside and went to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. Bartimaeus responded very firmly to the Lord, “Rabbi, I want to see.” (Mark 10:51) “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” (Mark 10:52) He received his sight immediately and began to follow Jesus along the road.

At that time, many Jewish scribes did not recognize Jesus as having this identity, but Bartimaeus took the lead in publicly acknowledging Jesus as Lord before everyone.

From the story, we can see some valuable characteristics of Bartimaeus. First of all, Bartimaeus publicly accepted Jesus Christ. Blind and unable to work, Bartimaeus had to beg to survive, he was lonely, helpless, and miserable. He knew he could not change his adversity, and the only one who could save him was Jesus. So when he heard Jesus was coming, he immediately seized this opportunity to ask the Lord for help. He even publicly called Jesus the “Son of David,” which admitted that Jesus was the descendant of David and was the Messiah predicted to be King in the Old Testament. At that time, many Jewish scribes did not recognize Jesus as having this identity, but Bartimaeus took the lead in publicly acknowledging Jesus as Lord before everyone, and he believed completely in the power of God to save.

He did not give up and shouted all the more for his mercy, even though people tried to stop him and yelled at him.

Secondly, Bartimaeus persevered in calling on the Lord. At that time, the reputation of Jesus had been widely circulated, and there were countless people who came to seek Jesus. It was not easy for an able-bodied person to seek Jesus, let alone a blind man. However, he did not give up because of environmental or personal constraints. Instead, he shouted loudly and asked Jesus for help. He did not give up and shouted all the more for his mercy, even though people tried to stop him and yelled at him. Subsequently, he asked Jesus to enable him to see the light. In the end, his efforts were not in vain and he was healed by Jesus.

After he restored his sight,he could have left and started a new life if he wanted.

Lastly, Bartimaeus had a grateful heart. After he restored his sight, his life was reversed, he could have left and started a new life if he wanted. However, he chose to stay. In the Bible, “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.” (Luke 18:43) Not only did Bartimaeus praise and express his gratitude to Jesus, but he also determined to follow Jesus and became his disciple from that day. He was willing to give his renewed life to him for his grace and serve Christ the rest of his life. His witness led everyone else to praising God.

Today, as believers, we should reflect:

Do we persevere in the pursuit of God in our daily lives?
Are we always grateful and determined to serve Christ?
Do we have the same faith in the Lord Jesus in order for us to be saved?