Opportunity

It might have been a typical day for Bartimaeus.


Mark’s gospel (Mark 10:46-52) says he was sitting by the roadside begging, perhaps because his blindness had reduced him to relying on other people's generosity. Evidently, asking people for what he wanted was nothing new for Bartimaeus, so when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he was not shy about shouting for help.

Over the noise of the crowd, he bellowed, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

Ever have someone seated right behind you at a sports event suddenly shout in your ear? No wonder people tried to shush him up! But there was no stifling this fellow. Bartimaeus kept shouting at the top of his lungs, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Can't you just hear it?

It worked. Jesus called him over. Then, to his excitement, Bartimaeus heard Jesus ask, "What do you want me to do for you?" Can you imagine having Jesus ask you this? Talk about opportunity!

Of course, Bartimaeus asked to see. And, the gospel says, "immediately" he received his sight. At that moment, did Bartimaeus find himself looking right into the eyes of Jesus?

Imagine it: the first thing he saw with his new eyesight was the face of God, looking into his! Our Lord must have smiled when he said to him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."

When we pray, we mustn't be afraid to be persistent, and we must pray with faith. As for what to say, "Jesus, mercy!" is a prayer God finds hard to resist.