What do you want me to do for you?
The question was so simple. What do you want me to do for you?
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52
Imagine yourself as Bartimaeus, sitting by the side of the road, in darkness. How long has this man been blind? We don’t know, maybe his whole life. Long enough to be reduced to the status of “beggar.” Long enough to hear talk of Jesus, to wonder about this carpenter from the nowhere town of Nazareth who taught with great authority and performed miraculous deeds wherever he went. Maybe even long enough to allow a seed of desire and hope to spring up in his own curtained imagination—would he ever encounter this Jesus, and if he did … what then?
I wonder what Bartimaeus’s day had been like until this point when Mark captures his story. Was it just like every other shadowy day? Or had his mind’s eye been captured by rumblings and rumors, by other people’s sightings of Jesus? Did he crouch in the dirt anticipating the Messiah’s footsteps, listening intently for the scuffling of sandals and the rustle of robes? Did the dust cloud of travelers reach his nose before echoes of conversation or plodding donkey hooves tickled his ears? Or was he caught off guard by the murmurs of those around him, “look … it’s Jesus … Jesus of Nazareth … and his followers … look, it’s him!”
When Bartimaeus heard the name of Jesus whispered around him that day did he strain toward the sound of footsteps and yearn for that One voice to reach him? We don’t know what he was thinking or feeling, but we do know this: when he heard that it was Jesus, he cried out—and when those around him told him to settle down and be quiet, he cried out even more. What does this indicate? Belief. Faith. The kind of belief and faith that doesn’t care what others think. The kind of belief and faith that casts off without a moment’s hesitation what was probably his most treasured possession, his daily cloak of security, his protection from the elements, and maybe even his blanket at night—tossed aside like an empty food wrapper. Nothing would hinder his encounter with the man from Nazareth. The kind of belief and faith that propelled him to his feet in an instant, his decision made, his heart set. The kind of belief and faith that invites him to embrace the validity of and give voice to his deepest desire: “I want to see.”
What deep desire are you reluctant to name and to voice?
What cloak of security (or fear) might you need to toss aside?
Do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth can and will respond to your need?
Will you stand up in faith and act on that belief?
How Bartimaeus’s world must have changed after his encounter with Jesus! Did he reach back and retrieve his dusty old cloak? I doubt it. Did he sit down again and rest for a few minutes in his well-worn spot by the side of the road? He did not! His world opened in an instant. Colors and shapes danced with shadows and tones. Light appeared in stark contrast to the familiar darkness. What was Bartimaeus’s next move? He followed Jesus along the road. The road he had sat beside only moments before became an invitation to the journey of a lifetime: following the One who gave him life and trusting the One who allowed him to see the possibility and promise of that life.
What do you want Jesus to do for you?