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Tuesday Morning Epistles Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—always containing good news for Christians, wherever they may be. I have this mental-picture of what life must have been like for physically-challenged people in Palestine around 30-something A.D. They were society's outcasts. There were no social services for them. No benefits. No free clothing or food designated for them. No programs to make life easier for them. No one seemed sympathetic to their pain or their needs. Job training for them was non-existent. Organized religion treated them as if they were dead. In fact, it was openly debated whether or not they were personally responsible for their own physical condition! If not them, then perhaps their parents! Most physically-challenged people begged for a living. Enter Jesus. He heard their cries. He recognized their condition. He was willing to help. When they demonstrated faith in him, healing was on the way. Mark's gospel tells one of their stories. Bartimaeus was his name. He was blind and a beggar. He sat in the dirt every day of his life, pleading for someone--anyone--to help. Then Jesus passed by his spot near the side of the road outside the city of Jericho. He called out to Jesus. The crowd tried to muffle his cries, but Jesus heard him. And called for him. And healed him. The story of Bartimaeus is everybody's story--we all have handicaps that keep us from being everything we want to be. Whoever said, "There are no free lunches" had it right. But that's before Jesus shows up. From that point forward, life changes. There is hope. There is a future for us, both now and later. It's called the Good News. The secular mind cannot comprehend it. But it's true. The story of Bartimaeus is one of those "good news" stories. It is attached. Open it whenever you are ready. Then watch for Jesus. He's coming your way. Cry out to him. He will hear, and respond. Today. Tomorrow for sure.
Tom Barnard
A Senior Encourager
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Jesus Hears Your Cries
e must have been a well-known blind man. Or maybe he became widely-known because of the miracle of sight Jesus gave him. Mark tells the story in 10:46-52. The setting was Jericho. Jesus stopped there briefly on his way to Jerusalem; a large crowd followed after him. The blind guy’s name was Bartimaeus. (Mark explains in verse 46 that he was the son of Timaeus). Let’s just call him Bart, for short. Bart was blind, and probably “shekel-less” as well. He was sitting by the side of the road, doing what he did every day—begging. Bart was poor, but there was nothing wrong with his hearing, and his voice was strong. When he heard that Jesus was passing his way, Bart cried out to him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd rebuked him for speaking out, so Bart shouted out even more loudly, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” What did he have to lose, anyway? More verbal abuse? He was used to it. What more could the people do to pressure him to be silent? Kick dirt in his face? No problem. What was so amazing is that with the raucous crowd making noise, Jesus heard Bart’s cries. Jesus stopped in his tracks and said, “Call him.” And they did. “Cheer up, Bart,” they said. “On your feet. He’s calling you.” Mark tells us, “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (v. 50). Can you picture the scene in your mind? A rare chill was in the air. A weather front, accompanied by north winds, caused dust and rubble to be blown around everywhere. Bodies bumped into bodies as the crowd scrambled to get near Jesus. One lone beggar, unable to see but desperate to move close to Jesus, threw off his cloak and stumbled toward where he thought the healer was. Then the question: “What do you want me to do for you?” (No one had ever asked Bart that question before). It’s the question every hurting person wants to hear God say to them! Bart didn’t hesitate. He replied, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus didn’t hesitate either. “Go, your faith has healed you.” And Mark concluded, “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” Incredible! What life lessons are there for us to learn and apply? · Jesus cares about needy people, even when the crowd doesn’t. Bartimaeus was persistent, absorbing the verbal abuse of the crowd in order to gain the attention of the Lord. Jesus heard the lonely cry of one needy soul. He will hear your cry today. He always does. · Jesus wants us to ask for important things, not for trinkets and toys. Bartimaeus could have asked for anything, but he had the wisdom to ask for a miracle that would open the door for him to gain everything else in life that he wanted. · Jesus expects us to give up something if we want to gain his blessing. Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, probably the only security that he had, in order to respond to Jesus’ invitation. Humbling ourselves before the Lord will result in his hearing and answering our prayers. · Jesus does not promise unlimited opportunities to find him. This was Jesus’ last stop before Jerusalem. A cross awaited him there. Had Bartimaeus been anywhere doing anything that day, he would have missed the opportunity to meet Jesus and receive the gift of sight. Timing is everything! · Recognizing Jesus doesn’t require a college degree. Bartimaeus was at the bottom of the social ladder, but he knew who Jesus was and what Jesus could do to change his life. The crowd saw Jesus as a curiosity. In his heart, Bartimaeus saw him as God’s Son. Curiosity doesn’t heal. Faith does. · Jesus finds us at the point of our need. He locates us in the storms of life, not just in the garden of prayer. He seeks us, even when we are not seeking him. He comes to encourage and heal, not to condemn and judge. He knows the way out of our desperate situations. He will answer our cries. |