Mark 10:46-52 NASB
⁴⁶Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.
⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here. ” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
⁵⁰Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
⁵¹And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”
⁵²And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
Study
This story is also found in Matthew 20:29-34 and in Luke 18:35-43. In Matthew it tells us of two blind men; but here, and in Luke of one. But if there were two, or one, there is one who is named here.
The one named here, is a blind beggar that probably was known by the people living around, his name was Bartimeus (meaning: son of Timeus). Although Timaeus means “highly prized”, some think, it signifies the son of a blind man.
In their opinion he was the blind son of a blind father, which would have made the case even worse.
But if this was so, it could also spiritually typify that even those who are now blind to the Gospel, can receive vision for the Good News, even if their parents are blind for it as well.
This blind man sat begging (Mark 10:46)
Note that those who are disabled to get a livelihood by their own labour, and have not any other way of subsisting than to ask from others, are the most proper objects of charity, and particular care ought to be taken of them.
He cried out to the Lord Jesus for mercy (Mark 10:47)
Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Mark 10:47). He recommends his own miserable state to the compassion of the Son of David, of whom it was foretold, that, when he should come to save us, and to open the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 35:5).
In coming to the Christ for help and healing, we should see Him as the promised Messiah, from whom we may receive mercy and grace.
And Jesus stopped (Mark 10:49)
By stopping the Christ encouraged his hope that he should find mercy with Him. Specially when He commanded to call him.
Jesus gives us in this an example to never reckon it a hindrance in our progress, when we have to stop what we are doing for a while, to do a good work.
Those about him, who had discouraged him at first (Mark 10:48), perhaps were now the same persons that encouraged him: “Be of good comfort, rise, he calls you; and if he calls you, he will cure you.’’
Note, that the gracious invitations which the Christ gives us, to come to Him, are great encouragements to our hope, that we shall quickly come to Him, and that we shall receive what we come for.
Therefore…,
▪︎ when you are guilty of sin,
▪︎ when you are empty hearted,
▪︎ when you are tempted by the luxury, entertainment, and pleasures of this world,
▪︎ when you are hungry for His word, and for Him
▪︎ when you are naked, because you still are missing the wedding clothes…
Be of good comfort, for He calls you
▪︎ to be pardoned,
▪︎ to be supplied,
▪︎ to be secured,
▪︎ to be filled,
▪︎ to be clothed with clothes of righteousness
▪︎ to have all that done for you, what you desperately need to be able to enter into His Kingdom.
The blind man reacted immediately (Mark 10:50)
He threw aside his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
He cast away his loose upper garment, which was a sign of faith, for with throwing aside his cloak, he also threw away the sign for the people around him that he was blind.
He jumped up (not easy for a blind person) and came to Jesus (Mark 10:50);
Like this blind man, we too should cast every thing away, that might be a hindrance in our going to the Christ.
When you want to go to the Christ and follow Him,
▪︎ you must cast away the cloak that marks you as belonging to the world,
▪︎ you must cast away the garment of your own sufficiency,
▪︎ you must strip yourselves of all conceit of that self-worth,
▪︎ you must strip yourselves of all self-righteous,
▪︎ you must strip yourselves of everything that may hold you back.
When you ask from Him, He will prove Himself to be a great helper
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we have so great
a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us
I want to regain my sight! (Mark 10:50)
The favor he begged for, was, that his eyes might be opened again,
▪︎ so that he would be able to work again for his living,
▪︎ and so that he would no longer be a burden to others.
It is a very desirable thing to be able to earn our own bread; and where God has given men their limbs and senses, it is a shame for men, who by their foolishness, and slothfulness, to make themselves in effect, blind and lame.
No less is it a shame on them, who are able to feed themselves on the word of God, who have it frequently reached out to them, but refuse to accept it, and rather spiritually die of hunger.
Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him (Mark 10:52)
The favor he longed for was granted to him. Not after a while, but immediately his eyes were opened.
Note how the Christ made it a double favour to him,
▪︎ by putting the honour of it upon his faith; “Your faith has made you well”.
• he had faith in the Christ as the Son of David,
• and he had faith in his compassion and power.
It is not your importunity, but your faith, which is setting Christ on work, or rather the Christ is setting your faith on work.
The supplies that you may receive from the Christ, by our faith, are most comforting.
Note how he made it a double favour to himself
When he had received his sight, he followed Jesus by the way.
By this he made it appear
▪︎ that he was thoroughly cured,
▪︎ that he no more needed one to lead him, but could go himself;
▪︎ and by this he evidenced the grateful sense he had of Christ’s kindness to him, that, when he had his sight, he made this use of it.
It is not enough to come to Christ for spiritual healing, but, when we are healed, we must continue to follow him; that we may do honor to Him, and receive instruction from Him.
Those that have spiritual eye-sight, see that beauty in Christ, that will effectually draw them to run after him.
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
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