What Can We Learn From Blind Bartimaeus?

Story can be found at: :46-52

The Bible tells us of a man by the name of who sat on the road side begging people money when they past by. This was a way of life for Bartimaeus because he could not find much work because of his blindness.

For years sat on the road side begging money. He was a professional beggar. He was good at this. However, even though he was below his privilege, he was not comfortable in the state that he was in, but he felt trapped.

Blind Bartimaeus

Until one day he heard a commotion. This was not an ordinary commotion as people were rushing and making lots of noise, more than the usual; so blind Bartimaeus asked what was happening and he heard that of Nazareth was passing by and suddenly he saw his deliverance.

You see blind Bartimaeus heard stories about Jesus that everywhere he went people were being delivered from sickness, demonic oppression and possession, the blind being healed, crippled walk and so on. The people knew Jesus as Jesus of Nazareth, but Bartimaeus knew him as the Messiah, the Son of David.

On realizing what was happening blind Bartimaeus shouted ‘Jesus, Son of David, help me’. Blind Bartimaeus did not matter that Jesus did not respond to his first cry but he continue to shout ‘Jesus, Son of David, help me’. The Bible tells us that “Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”- Mark 10: 48. Blind Bartimaeus had a need and he wasn’t about to be silence by people.

Because of his determination, Jesus called him over and he got his healing- he received his sight. So what lessons can we learn from Blind Bartimaeus?

 

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  1. Be humble. Bartimaeus knew that he did not deserve mercy so he had no thought of entitlement. Whenever we come to we should humble ourselves calling out to him “Lord, have mercy on me.”
  2. Don’t let the crowd stop you. Blind Bartimaeus knew that he had a need that only Jesus could supply. Therefore he was not going to let the crowd stopped him from getting his deliverance. When the crowd told him to shut up, he shouted even louder “Son of David, have pity on me!”. What do you want from God? Whenever you are seeking after God and trying to get his attention, people will tell you ‘you worship too much’ ‘you think you’re better than us’ and so on. Don’t let people constrain you; at the end of the day you are the one that has a need, not them.
  3. Let go of the past. When Jesus called Blind Bartimaeus he immediately threw away his cloak, jumped to his feet and ran to Jesus. Bartimaeus realized that where Jesus is taking him, his cloak could not go as his cloak represents his past.

Blind Bartimaeus realized that his cloak brought him comfort, helped to keep him warn and helped to cloth him while he was on the road side begging, but for him to move forward he must forget about the past. Many times we want to come to God but do not want to let go of the things that held us in bondage. For us to move forward we must learn to throw down our old cloak, get up and move forward. We can’t grow and remains in the same spot we were in.

[tweetthis]For us to move forward we must learn to throw down our old cloak[/tweetthis]

  1. He followed Jesus. When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, Jesus told him to “Go,your faith has healed you” but instead of leaving when he received his sight, the Bible tells us that Bartimaeus followed Jesus. Bartimaeus did not just want the healing, but he also wanted the healer.

Many times when God delivers a person, they soon goes back to live a sinful life. Jesus did not heal or deliver you for you to not serve him. God does not only want to heal us, but he wants to save us.

[pullquote]Blind Bartimaeus knew that he had a need that only Jesus could supply. Therefore he was not going to let the crowd stopped him from getting his deliverance. When the crowd told him to shut up, he shouted even louder “Son of David, have pity on me!”. What do you want from God? Whenever you are seeking after God and trying to get his attention, people will tell you ‘you worship too much’ ‘you think you’re better than us’ and so on. Don’t let people constrain you; at the end of the day you are the one that has a need, not them.[/pullquote]

Blind Bartimaeus was not the only blind man on the road to Jerusalem, but he was the only one that received his sight. Why? He was not only desperate, but he was also persistent and hopeful. By calling Jesus Son of David he acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah who comes to save the world. Therefore he was not only concern about his physical healing, but he was also concern about his spiritual healing as we can see when he followed Jesus even though Jesus told him to go his way. His attitude was, ‘Lord, I know you tell me to go and there is a lot of things I wanted to do but couldn’t because of my blindness and now I can do them, but Lord I refuse to stop from following you. Wherefore you are going, that’s where I am going as you are the bread of life.’

Blind Bartimaeus is an example to us today as we all can learn something from his life. What is your take on this article? Please leave a comment below and subscribe to our newsletter so you will always know when we post an article.

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Responses

  1. 29 November, 2020

    Praise the Lord

    The end of Christ’s work in the life of Bartimaeus wrought a life of true devotion, gratitude and fruitful witness intended of the reciprocal, of the marvelous grace of God, in the life of every single person in Christ.

    Breaking it down:
    1. He followed Jesus: the way, the truth, the life.
    2. He did it with gratitude to God, full of doxology; praises to God for his marvellous gift of life in his Son. Without self-seeking, murmuring and hardening of heart.
    3. He was transformed to a city on a hill; a candle on a candlestick. A public life of witness of the grace of God in Christ through the power of the Spirit of God in his personal life.

    Wow! Hallelujah! Glory be to God.!!!

    The whole incident of the narrative recorded within the gospel according to Luke, in the 18th chapter is even more significant and savoury.

    Firstly the chapter opens up on the aspects of prayer as intended of God’s heart. It travels through living out Roman’s 12 : 1-3: in
    1.purity of sincere devotion;
    2.concecration from the ways of the world and
    3. the quest to understand God’s good, pleasing and perfect will; to please him absolutely. I.e. to fall and die:- that in much fruitbearing God would be absolutely glorified (John 15:8).

    The closure of the very chapter is the greatest of all subjects one can pray unto God the Father in Christ to live out this life as prescribed by Aptl. Peter in his second epistle in 1:5-9. The Aptl. himself who underwent a similar transformation states in vs. 9 the one’s who missed this end are, blind to the unfathomable grace showered of God in Christ; out of all the world. Even so does Aptl. Paul in his recorded prayer for the church in Ephesians 1:18.

    So finally, what must be the true prayer of every saint…

    Dear God, “OPEN MINE EYES”. May I see Christ, the wisdom of God; greater than all the issues, lusts and elements of this world. Our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

    In a nutshell: as two side of a coin:
    1. Who are you, Lord;
    2. What must I do, Lord.

    The greatest of commandments, Mark 12:30-31.

    The most noteworthy on this subject is the work in the lives of the apostles, namely Peter, post the Pentecost incident. The power from on high. The baptism of Holy Spirit and fire. The case is throughly strengthened in Ephesians 3:5. Namely the mystery of Christ the glory of God, revealed by the Spirit of God; the sweet and sustaining Holy Spirit.

    Practical application:
    1. Ask, seek, knock for the one and only guaranteed gift in abundance; in New Testament scriptures: the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
    2. Challenge self to see if a specific endowment of power is practically possible if faithfully seeking it at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    3. Reap the rich dividends of such a transformed life in the divine nature of Christ as his aroma, newsletter and ambassadors in this world that so much needs this wonderful Saviour and within the household of God, I.e. the church the body of Christ.
    4. Do the above in active faith to advent of the imminent, glorious and sinless return of Christ for a world without end in him in God.

    Glory be to God.
    With sincere love, affection and prayers in Christ for his blessed bride.

    A servant of the Master: he MUST increase, i MUST decrease.

  2. the healing of bartimaeus is a confirmation of faith in Christ that through Him all things are possible. again the post healing in the recovery of his sight and subsequent followership of Christ by him gave a new status of faith that we can do all things through Christ which strenghtned us -phl.4:13