Rise, He is Calling You.

This is the response to Bartimaeus calling out into His darkness for the Savior," Son of David, have mercy on me!". Mark chapter 10 records the incident as Jesus was making His journey to the Mount of Olives, on His way to the cross. The story of blind Bartimaeus is one that has been told in numerous Sunday school lessons through the years, and used by some to justify a,"name it, claim it" healing. Let's look at this story closely, what was the benefit to our understanding of spiritual principles recorded here? I think it is no accident that Mark 10: 43-45 preceded this story. What an outworking of servant hood from the King of Glory to a pitiful man who sat on the road begging. Jesus had just discussed with the twelve, the importance of leadership viewing itself as the humble servant(doulos,slave) of all. Then an event such as the healing of Bartimaeus, a beggar, along the way to the most serious spiritual mission of Jesus existence on earth, His horrible torture and death lay ahead. Poor Bart could not have known that, nor would he have understood the situation if he did. Nonetheless, he heard that the potential Healer of his life was passing by, and he was not going to miss an opportunity to cry out for merciful healing from Jesus.
In the dark he sat, the throngs passing through, Bartimaeus began calling out, people warning him to be quiet, to stop making a disturbance, but he cried out all the more,"Son of David have mercy on me!" Then it happened, Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Bart threw aside his garments and started walking in the dark toward Jesus, we sometimes must walk inn the dark also toward our Healer, there is a great act of faith recorded here. Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him," Rabboni(My teacher), that I may receive my sight." Then Jesus said to him,"Go your way; your faith has made you well." It was then that he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
We, too may receive our sight spiritually, when we humble ourselves and cry out to the Lord, when our neighbors tell us to, "be quiet, suffer in silence" or "only ask once", we cry out again all the more. Jesus is there in our darkness, if we cry out and not accept our lot of oppression, Jesus is there, we reach out and don't let the opportunity pass us by. The situations that are blinding us, darken our way. We cannot find our path in the darkness, so we must cry out for our Spiritual eyes to be opened, to be able to ,"Go our way" in righteousness, taking the path most pleasing to the Father. Sometimes, it just takes a crying out, and not allowing others to stop us from our opportunity.

Mark 10:42-52

⁴² But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴ And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

⁴⁶ Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
⁵⁰ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.