As we often see, many stories in the bible lead into others. We have a tendency to gloss over things and take them for granted. As a result, we can miss out on something wonderful, or something really out of the box and can not see the fuller picture. It is like watching a western movie and start part way through as the hero rides off on his horse into the setting sun and the bad guy laying on the ground after a shootout.
What happened before that? What led up to the encounter? Did the hero get his lady? Where did he go next?
Sometimes the events in the bible are like that.
All that Mark told us is that Jesus was going to Jerusalem and then went into Jericho!
We do not really know what happened in the city, but knowing Jesus (as I think I do), something had to have happened there as usual. Jesus rattled religious cages, challenged the status quo, preached and taught about the Kingdom of God and met whatever needs were present. I cannot find a place where something never happened. People were healed, set free from all kinds of things, often fed when they got hungry, lives were changed and people were given a hope and a future.
That’s what it is all about. We are called by God to do precisely the same things and if so, we must ascertain what those things are and emulate the Lord.
Whatever happened in Jericho had impacted the place so much that a crowd came out of the city following Him and in the process, surely someone would have talked about it! Some of those conversations must have included what Jesus did!
“Did you see that?” Didn’t He teach well?” “What about that lame man who stood up when Jesus spoke to him?” “I saw little widow Jones’ purse suddenly get filled with coins after she threw her two pennies into the offering bag” “Susan’s son had epilepsy and Jesus healed him.” I know that people will follow the spectacular. Jesus said so, but we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater because of excesses and loopy behavior of some, the hype and formalized religion of others, and ignore the things He did, telling us we should also do. Those are the very things that drew people to Him.
As He was leaving town, He passed by a man sitting on the ground who was begging. He was called Bartimaeus (meaning son of the unclean) and he was sitting there. Most times we call him “blind Bartimaeus”, but that is wrong! That is putting something on him! If I took it further, possibly as far as I dare, it could be very close to cursing the man! We keep declaring him to be a blind man! Put yourself in his shoes when every time you come to church, people would greet you with “Hello blind {your-name}”. If someone keeps telling you such things, it is possible to start believing it and once you do that...and start saying it also... you are making a self-fulfilling prophecy over yourself! It happens! Actually, his name is not really Bartimaeus. It is a means of identification. Bartimaeus is not really a proper name and he should have been called son of Timaeus, so it seems that we really put tags on people when we shouldn’t.
This has led us to something of great importance—and it is sadly more often than not overlooked in many churches.
Jesus had finished His assignment!
He only did what He saw the Father do, said that the Father said and always did the will of the Father.
It seems that at no time did He plan on ministering to Barty! The church meeting was over; the offerings taken; communion shared; the benediction pronounced and he was walking to the car that was to take Him home!
Regardless of what we are doing, it is best to be attuned to the voice of the Spirit. Sometimes in our enthusiasm, we may not know when to stop and that can be as bad as missing an opportunity. I recall the time when I met someone and asked the question, “Do you know Jesus?” They replied, “No.” I then asked them if they wanted to and they said, “Yes” and I led them to the Lord. I wish it were always that easy, but this person was ready. On other occasions, we can sweat, fuss and fume and, despite everything we do or say, there seems to be no response. One thing we can forget is that the Holy Spirit is the person to do the drawing and the hard work! See Matthew 11:25-30; John 6:44, 65;14:6.
I have seen other people turned away simply because we did not know when to shut up, or someone says the “sinner’s prayer” because they were pressurized into it and they only complied to get relief. They never got saved at all.
As I have often said before, I receive numerous invitations to minister somewhere, let us say in Africa and although I long to return, the Lord has not granted permission to me yet. If I went prematurely, I would in essence be disobedient.
I did that once and it placed our lives at risk. We all need to learn such things.
Jesus therefore, who had learned these things as we see in Hebrews 5:8 had completed His present assignment when one man found out that He had been in town and started calling out to Him, addressing Him in an unusual way.
If he was blind, how did he know? Someone had to have told him Jesus was around.
There are times in our lives when God is passing by and we too may need somone to tell us. We know that He wants to bless everyone and not see one precious soul go to hell, but in real life, what He wants does not always happen because of our power of choice. God wants us to choose wisely and there are times when it is up to us to respond.
God can walk right by without stopping, depending on our responses.
Jesus could have intended resting after ministering and would have kept going but for one thing—it was as I said, the way Bartimaeus addressed Him.
If you read the account in Mark 6:48 of how Jesus walked on the water, He was going to walk right past the disciples and not stop, because He was on a mission. He had already told them that He would meet them in Bēthsaida so there was no debate that they would not meet Him there . No storm would prevent Him from fulfilling His assignment.
We’ve got to learn that if God is on an assignment—and has sent us on one—that’s what is to be foremost in our hearts and minds. We have to do what He said—no more and no less. He will work things out.
Jesus was not stopping for anyone but someone changed it all and it was a man no one wanted to know or be around. The preachers did not want him to mess up their church. The board did not want a beggar in rags sitting outside their church. The members of the church did not want a dirty, smelly unkept beggar messing things up outside their church. No matter what they tried to do, he stayed put and kept yelling out loudly for help that had never come. One person must have told him that Jesus is in town and that He is walking down the road right now past the door of the church—not into the church. No one in that church knew who Jesus was! This is a serious matter that is all too prevalent. If Jesus walked into some churches today, many people would freak right out. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord was talking to the church, not to sinners, saying-
Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Bartimaeus knew something that the people didn’t, but he was a beggar who they did not want around! He knew that Jesus was King and that is what he acknowledged!
He got the Lord’s attention asking Him to have mercy on him, addressing Him as the Son of David. That was a powerful statement and it was prophetic! Bartimaeus was proclaiming Him publicly that He was not only the promised Messiah, but the King that God had spoken about hundreds of years beforehand. God had told David this-
...And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.
He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.
I will be his father, and he will be my son... 2 Samuel 7:11-14
Isaiah said-
...then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. Isaiah 16:5
The New Testament opens with this-
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1
In Matthew 12:22-23, when Jesus healed people, they were amazed asking if He was the son of David and the religious folk wanted none of that. Mathew also said-
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. Matthew 20:29-34
Here we see that when blind men found that Jesus was passing by, they used the same means of addressing Jesus that Bartimaeus used and the Lord stopped. His response was the same on each occasion. He asked the blind people what they wanted of Him and they received their eyesight—because they released their faith.
Mark said something very interesting-
Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’
Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.
Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.” Mark 12:35-40
One point I want to make is that the ordinary people joyfully received Him, but the religious leaders did not. There is a human trait in that we form opinions and mindsets. We hold to pre-conceived ideas and in so doing, risk tying the hands of God so that He cannot do a thing for us. Jesus Himself admitted that He could not do any great miracles in His own home town for such reasons. A prophet is often without honor... (Matthew 13:57-58; Mark 6:1-6).
I recommend that you read up more on the theme of the Son of David, because it is extremely important. The day will come when this prophesied Son will indeed rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of lords. By acknowledging Him now, it can change the whole climate of your life. See Luke 1:32-33; John 7:40-43; Romans 1:1-5; Revelation 5:1-5.
There is also reference in scripture to restoring the Tabernacle of David and that...is an amazing topic in itself!
I want to close on this segment with this. We are dealing with healing here and blindness to be specific and as we will see, Jesus ministered to different situations in a different manner every time.
We cannot keep doing the same things the same way every time, because it just does not work.
May we learn to trust the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us to the right thing at the right time for the right reasons, even if it means we have to get out of our personal comfort zones and established ways of doing things.
In this instance, Jesus healed blindness by responding to a call for help and giving the people involved the task of using their own faith to get it done.
