Thanks to Stuart for this week’s notes. As usual, the passage can be read online here.
Thoughts
How often do you start praying automatically; just words tripping off your tongue and bouncing off the ceiling? It frequently happens to me, then I realise, stop, apologise to God and start again.
This account of blind Bartimaeus reminded me of those moments; not because that was his experience but because of the gracious way the Lord Jesus dealt with him.
Blind Bartimaeus was begging by the side of the road as Jesus and a large crowd passed by heading towards Jerusalem. When he found out what was going on he cried out asking Jesus, Son of David to have mercy on him. He would have been good at calling out, after all it was his job. He probably did it hundreds of times a day drawing attention to himself to ask for alms.
But when the people told him off and to shut up they brought him to a cross roads; “is this important to me or is it just one of my daily begging calls?” He had to decide – important or not?
That’s the question I ask myself when I realise I’m praying ceiling bouncers; “hold on Stuart you’re supposed to be speaking to your God and Father, isn’t that important to you, are you going to take it seriously?”
In Bartimaeus’ case he decided it was important so carried on.
“What do you want from me?” Jesus asked. Here’s a challenge; every other time in his life he’d asked for money. This time he had a life changing request; “Lord I want see”
Through his life as a beggar he’d asked for what the giver could provide. Recognising the power of the Lord Jesus and that in his love he would show mercy (v38), he asked for sight.
When we pray may we never forget the power at our disposal and the perfect love by which it is administered.
Immediately healed he praised God as did the people who saw this.
His praise was based on his knowledge and experience of the Lord Jesus in his life and that was infectious as it supplemented the love and appreciation others in the crowd had.
Reflections
Lord, once again I’m sorry for my ceiling bouncers and thank you that you are a gracious God with the wisdom to know what’s best, the power to fulfil and the love to administer it perfectly. I thank you for what you reveal of yourself to me which then fuels my love and worship of you. May my praise be infectious to those around me in the same way theirs is infectious to me.