Other people probably started calling
him this as a way to differentiate him from another person in the
village named Bartimeaus, maybe it was for ease, or thoughtlessness,
or meanness, but at some point Bartimeaus probably took on this name
for himself and he began to identify with it as the totality of who
he was, and maybe all he would ever be.
Has this happened in your life either
from others or from yourself or in listening and coming into
agreement with the enemy? Maybe it's a physical lack (health,
monetary, relationship) or a spiritual one (fear, rejection, anger,
jealousy, depression). Have you come to identify with your need or
sin so much that it is almost seems part of your name; who you are?
But Bartimeaus “cried out for Jesus
to have mercy on him.” He was desperate to be healed and whole; to
be how, and who, he was intended to be. He had come to the end of
himself, and saw his true, deep need and condition. He didn't want
get by with his lack and learn to live with it. He knew he had a
problem, and he knew he couldn't solve it on his own. He knew there
was only ONE who could.
“Many warned him to be quiet, but he
cried out all the more”. He wasn't embarrassed and he wouldn't be
shamed by everyone else who tried to dissuade him and keep him in his
place - “Blind Bartimeaus”. He teaches us that we must be
careful to listen to the Lord's voice and respond, no matter how
brave we have to be, or if we have to go against the crowd or
embarrass ourselves. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is
be a fool for Jesus—but remember, the hay and stubble will burn
up—cry out and reach for a treasure that lasts, even if in this
life you may be shushed, shouted down, made fun of or belittled, lose
a job or miss out. Bartimeaus not only wouldn't shut up, he got
louder, more desperate, more focused on his Lord, because he knew
Jesus was his only solution. He was willing to get in trouble and
lose man's approval.
“So Jesus stood still” - The Lord
of all stopped in His tracks, in the busyness of the crowd and all
the needs. The Lord of the universe, turned, focused on, and
commanded him to be called. I like to imagine it as a loud noisy
crowd—and then everyone and everything stops—as we get our
Master's attention with our desperate cries.
“And throwing aside His garment, he
rose and came to Jesus.” Bartimeaus not only came to Jesus, but
threw aside his garment, probably his only possession, like it was a
rag. He was at the end of his solutions, his ideas, and worldly
possessions and affections. Jesus was his only solution, his hope;
everything else was rubbish that hindered him from reaching out to
the Lord.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
That question Jesus asks a lot, always surprises me. Jesus, creator
of the world, who has all wisdom, the Word become flesh, asks a
question that anyone, even a small child would know the answer to.
It was obvious to everyone that Bartimeaus wanted to be healed and
have his sight restored.
Does Jesus just want us to practice
asking for what we want? Do we need to give Him permission to work
in our lives? Or one thing I have always wondered based on other
interactions in the bible, is He hoping that instead of us asking
Him to fulfill a need, that we will ask for our sins to be forgiven,
and therefore restore fellowship and relationship with Him; to walk
again, in the cool of the evening garden, instead of getting stuff
and having our earthly problems fixed?
And I realize, I do this. My prayers
are to “fix things”, “make things happen”, “give me
something”, rather than “Jesus, I want more of you”, “ I want
to walk closer with you”, “I want us, to become one”. My
prayer life is like a wish list. I want something from Jesus,
instead of just Jesus.
But He remembers Bartimeaus and my
frame, and heals anyway, answers anyway. He sees our small mustard
seed faith in asking, and is patient with us until we come into the
maturity of intimacy that He desires. He is waiting for us to ask
for just Him, and to get our identity only from Him. To be Just
Bartimeaus, lover of Jesus.
We go to Jesus for our obvious outward
needs, but if we go to Him and say “just you Jesus”, “more of
you Jesus”, “relationship with you Jesus” all of our needs,
wants, sins, strivings or fears will either be taken care of or fall
away, as we hand them over to the only One who has our solution and
can fix our problems.
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.” Jesus gave Him what he asked for,
and then released him to make a choice. Bartimeaus got what he
thought he needed, but he chose to keep following the Master anyway,
because he realized that he needed more than his physical sight now
that he was finally --just Bartimeaus. Once he got all he thought he
needed, he realized what his true need was – Jesus. Sometimes the
Lord allows everything to be taken away, so that we will find Him.
At other times He gives us all we ask for so that we can see, that it
is still not enough without Him.
“And immediately he received his
sight and followed Jesus on the road”. Now he was no longer Blind
Bartimeaus, he was just Bartimeaus, follower of Jesus along the road.
He had asked for and gotten a miracle for this life, but through
faith and choice he received a relationship for eternity; a name and
an inheritance that people, circumstances or death could never take
away. Bartimeaus ultimately became whole, not because he received
his sight, but because he knew his Savior.
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Thank you Lord for your goodness and patience and mercy to us. Help us to reach for you alone, to be known only by your Name, and to keep following you along the road wherever it leads us.
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