Today’s 333 Devotional: “The Bartimaeus Lesson”

As Jesus was leaving Jericho he passed by a blind man named Bartimaeus who sat by the road begging. When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus he began to cry out saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Those who stood around Bartimaeus told him to be quite, but the more they insisted, the more Bartimaeus cried out.

Jesus heard Bartimaeus’ cry and called for him to come, and it says that Bartimaeus threw aside his garment, jumped up and came to Jesus.

Now this is where it gets interesting, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Wasn’t it obvious? But what Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to do is to exercise his faith, and when he said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight,” Jesus said, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:46-52)

Many are crying out for God’s mercy. They’re blinded by their sins and living in a sin darkened world and all they want is to come out of the darkness and into the light of God’s kingdom.

But those in the world, and those of religion seem to do everything in their power to dissuade and discourage them, and so they stop.

But the lesson of Bartimaeus is that if we will continue to cry out for God’s mercy, Jesus will hear and will call us from out of the darkness and into His marvelous light.

And so Jesus is calling, will we cast off our cloaks, that is, all that is binding us to the old way of life and come to Jesus. The writer of Hebrews says that we are to lay aside, that is, cast off every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. (Hebrews 12:1)

But besides casting off the past, we need to jump up, that is, we need to come with heightened expectation believing by faith Jesus will hear our cry and have mercy on us, bringing His healing touch.