“What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked them.
It is the exact same question that He will ask the blind beggar, Bartimaus. Yet, those who should have known best what to ask for make a selfishly inappropriate request. The blind beggar who has nothing and no standing whatsoever with Jesus asks for exactly what Jesus is longing to give: sight. Bartimaus seeks mercy and vision. Mercy brings Jesus’ power to Him and vision gives him what he needs to continue to follow Christ. He brings nothing but personal darkness and faith and walks away with the light of life and grace.
These two who are in Jesus service and following Him daily so misunderstand His mission as to ask for something that is diametrically opposed to what Jesus is desperately trying to teach them. They are with Jesus, receiving His teaching, seeing His mercy in action and still they selfishly seek their own agenda. Bartimaus, who is not with Jesus, since he cannot even see to follow Him, is only able to sit and wait for Jesus to pass by. Yet, when Lord Jesus comes close, he ignores the naysayers and cries out for mercy and vision and, because of his faith in Christ, receives both.
Deliver us from pious ‘spiritual’ pride. May we have the faith, persistence, courage and humility of the blind beggar.
Ventanas 