Blind Bartimaeus

Just had to share something that jumped out at me while I was reading just now! Pastor Jamie has been challenging us to overflow our lives with the Word for 40 days. The church gave us all CD's of the new testament to be able to listen to it but since I am so unbelievably ADD & such a visual learner, I am opting to read instead. Which takes forever b/c I am not a speed reader. But it has been really cool.

I just read the story about Blind Bartimaeus & upon reading the title, I immediately thought, "Poor guy; what a horrible surname." But then I read about him--a story I have heard a gu-zillion times but heard in a different way. (The neat thing that it is the living word.) So, two main reasons it spoke to me more this time.

1st, reading it in light of reading the entire book: they mention soo many stories of Jesus healing people without mentioning their names. Each story is really neat & it notes on different points but listen to what it says about Bartimaeus:

When [Bartimaeus] heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he bagan 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.".....Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped tto his feet and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:47-50)

2nd, I heard a message on Wednesday at Bridgpoint youth & the speaker noted how Jesus always asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" He asks over & over. God asks, too. And He is willing to give what we ask for.

So when He asks Bartimaeus here, it jumped out at me. And the fact that Bartimaeus was willing to shout for everyone to hear is just awesome. He wants to be healed. He is willing to be mocked and to be made a fool in order to have Jesus answer him. What would we be like if we were willing to cry out to God like Bartimaeus? I want to keep this message alive in my heart & in my mind & I knew that writing it down would help remind me. Hope you enjoy it, too =)