They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
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Again, Jesus says “What do you want me to do for you?” It is interesting that in the span of a few verses, the Gospeler has Jesus saying the same words. It stands out to me again as the prominent phrase. The blind man, Bartimaeus, answers directly that he wants his sight back.
Jesus and the crowd are on their way out of Jericho on their way to Jerusalem when they encounter Bartimaeus, a blind beggar. This time the man that hey come across has a name, Bartimaeus. His name literally means, “son of Timaeus,” so it’s almost redundant to say that he is the son of Timaeus. He must have had some significance for his name to be mentioned. The scriptures don't often reveal the names of the people Jesus heals.
Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus for mercy and is heard by the crowd passing by. He acknowledges Jesus by his birthright as a descendant of the great King David. Jesus sends for Bartimaeus and the disciples retrieve him. Bartimaeus leaves the security of his cloak and goes to Jesus. Jesus asks Bartimaeus “what do you want me to do for you?” He doesn’t lift a finger (unlike before) and tells the man that his faith has made him well. Bartimaeus immediately follows Jesus on the way to Jerusalem.
When we get to the low points in our lives, it’s then that realize that we so desperately need God. Bartimaeus realizes that he needs the healing power of God in Jesus to regain his eyesight. His condition has caused him not to be able to function normally in society so he is forced to beg for a living on the outskirts of town. Jesus restores him to society without any effort but a word. We are called today to understand that we need God always; in the good times and the bad. When we are “with God” we have a full, rich, and fulfilling life regardless of our handicaps. Bartimaeus realized that he continued to need God after he regained his eyesight, because even after he was healed, he followed Jesus on the way.
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