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May 25,2010

Dainty’s blog
Bible observations and teachings

Mark 10:46-52
The Healing of Blind Bartimeus

46Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

Bartimeus was a blind man that sat by the highway side (road side/street) and begged for a living. The reason his occupation was begging was because he was blind. His blindness did not have any thing to do with the fact he had made wrong choices in life. He was born blind and was a victim of his circumstances and his health.
In that day the priest in the synagogue had to approve you as an authorized beggar. After you were approved by the priest, of the synagogue, to be a beggar, you then had the right and privilege to sit in a certain place near the synagogue and beg for money. That was now his job, to sit on the street corner and ask people for their money.

History tells us that the synagogue priest took a percentage of the beggar’s income, for the church. The rate of percentage was never stated, in the history books. Perhaps it was a different percentage per priest or per synagogue. The church took their cut, even from the blind beggars of the day. This shows the amount of the corruption in the church, of that day and time.

Even though Bartimeus was blind he was not deaf. No doubt he had heard stories of Jesus and of the people that had been healed by him. Most likely Batrimeus had made a decision, that if Jesus ever walked by him, he would ask to be healed. After all what was the very worst that could happen to him if he ask for healing from Jesus? Perhaps he was hoping and waiting and possibly even praying that Jesus would some day walk by the place where he sat a begged each day.

Most likely he heard that Jesus had entered the city of Jericho. Perhaps he was waiting with bated breath for Jesus to leave the city. He was waiting for his chance to ask for his healing. This may be the only chance in his life time to receive a miracle healing. Could this be a life changing moment for Bartimeus?

47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [[z]now]!
In Bartimeus’s heart he knew it was now or never for him, to receive his healing. He only had one chance to receive healing from Jesus and it was NOW
48And many [aa]severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more, You Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!

The next verse in Mark 10:48 tells us more of the story:
And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more. You Son of David. Have pity and mercy on me now.

Remember the blind Bartimeus was a professional fund raiser from a very low position. The low man on the totem pole, in society. This time he was not asking for money because he knew that money would not give him what he wanted or needed. He needed a hand up and the only way he could get that, was to receive his complete and total healing.

Bartemaeus made a life changing decision that day. He opted NOT TO LISTEN to the people who kept trying to tell him to SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP! Their instruction would keep him a beggar for the rest of his life. If he had followed their instructions he would have gone to his grave as a poor abused penniless unhappy sad dirty beggar. Even the beggar could see there was no future in that. As we read between the lines of this story we realize that most likely the people trying to shut him up, were good righteous upstanding and moral members of the synagogue.

I wonder if these people on the street that day realized that if Bartimaeus were to receive a healing, his portion of the beggars money would not be going to the church any more. There could have easily been a financial reason, for the church members telling him to sit down and shut up!

49And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.
In Mark 10:49 we see the picture begin to change for Bartimaeus.
50And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus.
It looks as though Bartimeaeus is getting happy and excited. He is now getting the chance of his life time, to ask for his healing.
51And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Master, let me receive my sight. 52And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has healed you. And at once he received his sight and accompanied Jesus on the road.(E)

Following Jesus is the perfect thing to do, especially since it is the words of Jesus and Bartimeaus’s faith that made him whole. Who would want to stay in Jericho with a bunch of people who did not care about his well being and only cared about the little bit of money he could make, by being a dirty little beggar, so they could be in control of his life.
If you will notice Jesus did not tell him to stay in Jericho. Jesus permitted him to accompany Him and His disciples, as they went to Jerusalem. No doubt they were all rejoicing over his instantaneous healing from permeate blindness.

I have often wondered if Bartimeus had been born with cataracts and if the cataracts simply melted away at the Words of Jesus which was mixed with the Faith of the blind man.
As a second observation no one else that day was healed. Apparently the others did not want to bother Jesus. May be they were afraid that it would turn into a huge healing meeting. They knew that was not a Jewish thing. They never got another chance to ask Jesus for any thing they needed, at the time. Blind Bartimeus received a huge life changing blessing that day and all of the others stood by and watched and went away with no blessing.

Next time we will talk about the woman with the issue of blood.