DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

St. Mark 10:46-52       (2/4)      For Mon. of the 37th Week after Pentecost (Mon., 32nd Week)

 

Blind Beggars: St. Mark 10:46-52, especially vs. 46: “As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.”  Beloved of the Lord, like Bartimaeus of Jericho, we are all blind beggars.  Who among us is not working a place that he believes will be propitious for making a living?  After all, each one of us found our way to what seemed a potentially good method for coping with life’s demands.  We did so to garner from the passing traffic what we believe we need to survive.  Some of us found very comfortable, productive places along life’s roadway; for others, our spots have not proven so ideal.  The son of Timaeus was used to working the Jerusalem roadway, especially during the high seasons when it was crowded with pilgrims - like Passover.

Bartimaeus was blind.  According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemos, he was blind from birth, although the four Gospels don’t mention the fact.  No matter - without social services in the naked way of the first century - he depended entirely on begging to earn his living, for blindness narrowed his options.  Which of us, like this man, can say that he sees clearly all that is coming toward him in life?  We do the best we can, discerning what is likely, learning to survive where we are, using what we have, and “making do” with what we hear.  But like Bartimaeus there is a realm or dimension of life we miss by living outside our hearts - the things of the Spirit and Truth.  Most of us are quite blind in that all-important realm.

Most who are blind - like Bartimaeus - have other senses finely tuned to changes occurring around them.  He not only sensed that a greater than usual pilgrim crowd was passing, but he “heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth” Who was the epicenter and force that was stirring this large crowd moving past him (vs. 47).  As a beggar, he had no shame in calling out to Jesus.  There was nothing to lose and everything to gain (vss. 47,48).  Learn to assert yourself toward the Savior; cry out to the Lord Jesus.  He is our compassionate God.  There is nothing to lose and everything to gain!  You and I both know that Christ is renown for His lovingkindness, for His healing, and for hearing even the faintest cries of the poor and needy that others ignore.  By all means, cry out to Him in faith and in longing.  He draws near!

Notice the interaction between Bartimaeus and the Lord Jesus.  Cries to the Lord Jesus are apt to cause Him to “stand still” and command us into His presence (vs. 49).  Let us quit praying mindlessly, but from our need for healing.  (And who of Adam’s kin does not yearn for healing from sin’s blight on his life?)  Also, “be of good cheer,” knowing that “He is calling you” (vs. 49).  Why not freely cast off the layers of personal protection.  For a first-century beggar, it was his “himation,” the upper covering or mantle wrapped against weather and sun (vs. 50).  For you and me, it probably is pride, the desire “to look good,” or some craving that has us begging.

Observe: when the son of Timaeus came before Jesus, His Creator asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (vs. 51).  What, indeed!  It was simple for a blind man - his sight!  Let us be straightforward: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy upon me a sinner, a blind beggar before Thee.”  And Jesus healed Bartimaeus’ physical and spiritual sight.

So come trusting in the same Lord, yearn to receive His healing for all your blindnesses.  The power of the Lord is extraordinary.  He is able to transform any beggar into a disciple (vs. 52) - any disabled person into one able to pull the hard, uphill climb to Jerusalem and the Cross.  Yes even you and I, mired down as we are in darkness and in need, we can be transformed.

O Christ our God, Who didst lighten the eyes of the beggar Bartimaeus, lighten Thou the eyes of our souls, and reveal us as sons of the day, that we may cry out to Thee in faith!

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