A blind man teaches us about seeing FAITH and DOING FAITH.
A blind man teaches us about seeing FAITH and DOING FAITH.
Al Pirozzoli ©
We know very little about this particular blind man. In fact, we don’t even know his name, although we think we do: Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. The three letters “Bar” indicate son of. He is known as the Son of Bartimaeus.
He would sit by the road and beg alms. Untold numbers of people walked by him on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. He heard news of all kinds. Passersby held conversations as they discussed the things that were going on in the area. The blind man would ask them to hear more about what was being said regarding unique happenings in Jerusalem and Jericho.
Among the news, he began to hear a great deal about a young upstart rabbi. What he heart be began to take to heart, and something began to change in his mind.
It changed the way he sat and moved about while begging alms, adding a certain alertness and expectation to it. He knew a few vitally important factors, that if indeed true, could possibly change his life.
Mark 10:46-52
46 Then {Jesus and his disciples} came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, there was a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, who was sitting by the road. 47
When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, coming by he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.”
They called the man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Greatest of questions
The man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has [b]made you well. And immediately he regained his sight and followed Him on the road.
Within these verses we will discover 6 factors that move knowing faith to active faith. They include:
1 Knowledge
2 Expectation
3 Persistence
4 Action
5 Result
6 Commitment
In verse 46
Knowledge: He is sitting by the road. He hears many conversations and builds knowledge about Jesus. He also recalls his childhood training in the Torah. He recalls Isa 9:6-7 where it tells that the coming Messiah would be in the line of King David. Comparing the many prophecies of healing and signs and wonders the Messiah would perform, Bartimaeus connects the dots. He now has knowledge upon which he can depend. So, he sits at the curb, waiting, waiting, waiting with expectation and a growing belief after having heard so many witnesses of the wonders taking place.
· Jesus had unstopped the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:35).
· He had cast out demons (Mark 3:11).
· He had raised the dead (Mark 5:42).
Bartimaeus must have wondered if Jesus could give sight to the blind. Something beat in his heart— “Maybe there is hope for me!” Knowledge births belief and that is what Bartimaeus needed above all.
In verse 47
Expectation: When the crowds coming by swelled with great commotion and noise, he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was coming by. He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
In verse 48
Persistence: His expectation came alive, but he found people hindering him from Jesus; so, he cried out all the more, even louder: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He remained persistent thinking this might be the only time he would be near Jesus, and he was not letting that pass him by. He was blind and now he deafened his ears to the throng of people hindering him to stay away from Jesus.
In verse 49
Action: Now Jesus stops and calls Bartimaeus to come to him. Interesting that suddenly those who hindered him, helped him. Their self-interest somehow on hold. We also see that Jesus responds to active faith.
In verses 50-51
Result: Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. This is significant, Bartimaeus threw off his cloak. A blind person often wore a cloak that signified he was a blind person. The result of his, knowledge, expectation, persistence, and had brought him to the point of decision.
It all came down to this. Either there would be a result or there wouldn’t. And his decision was that Jesus would heal him. He moved through the 6 factors that allow faith to translate into reality. In many ways Bartimaeus functioned on a verse not yet penned:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Heb 11:1.
The two keys of the result were that (1) Bartimaeus believed Jesus would heal him. And (2) He threw off his cloak of identity. At the very moment Jesus called to him, he was no longer to ever be identified with blindness, and in that belief, he threw off the cloak of his old identity and walked into a new destiny.
In verse 52
Commitment: And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”
What does Bartimaeus do next? He immediately moves into commitment to the Lord and follows along with him.
Although there is no Gospel record of Bartimaeus beyond these verses, it would be inconsistent and even intellectually dishonest to assume he didn’t play a committed role in the ministry of Jesus. Bringing the Good News, healing and saving people from their sins and lost-ness in order to re-bind (the root word for religion), to God.
Conclusions:
Faith is mechanical, that is, it has parts that make it flow as observed in the event above.
You must have Knowledge in something before you can ever believe in it.
You must focus your mind and heart and faith on Expectation.
You must function in Persistence, moving pass the hindrances.
You must take determined Action when the source is present to help.
You must assimilate the Result given and never let it go.
You must stand in Commitment to the one who has graciously provided the solution.
Faith is all about doing. James is clear in his epistle: Faith without works is dead!
I pray you will study these factors and apply them in your own life and help others to do the same.
Al Pirozzoli ©
We know very little about this particular blind man. In fact, we don’t even know his name, although we think we do: Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. The three letters “Bar” indicate son of. He is known as the Son of Bartimaeus.
He would sit by the road and beg alms. Untold numbers of people walked by him on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. He heard news of all kinds. Passersby held conversations as they discussed the things that were going on in the area. The blind man would ask them to hear more about what was being said regarding unique happenings in Jerusalem and Jericho.
Among the news, he began to hear a great deal about a young upstart rabbi. What he heart be began to take to heart, and something began to change in his mind.
It changed the way he sat and moved about while begging alms, adding a certain alertness and expectation to it. He knew a few vitally important factors, that if indeed true, could possibly change his life.
Mark 10:46-52
46 Then {Jesus and his disciples} came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, there was a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, who was sitting by the road. 47
When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, coming by he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.”
They called the man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Greatest of questions
The man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has [b]made you well. And immediately he regained his sight and followed Him on the road.
Within these verses we will discover 6 factors that move knowing faith to active faith. They include:
1 Knowledge
2 Expectation
3 Persistence
4 Action
5 Result
6 Commitment
In verse 46
Knowledge: He is sitting by the road. He hears many conversations and builds knowledge about Jesus. He also recalls his childhood training in the Torah. He recalls Isa 9:6-7 where it tells that the coming Messiah would be in the line of King David. Comparing the many prophecies of healing and signs and wonders the Messiah would perform, Bartimaeus connects the dots. He now has knowledge upon which he can depend. So, he sits at the curb, waiting, waiting, waiting with expectation and a growing belief after having heard so many witnesses of the wonders taking place.
· Jesus had unstopped the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:35).
· He had cast out demons (Mark 3:11).
· He had raised the dead (Mark 5:42).
Bartimaeus must have wondered if Jesus could give sight to the blind. Something beat in his heart— “Maybe there is hope for me!” Knowledge births belief and that is what Bartimaeus needed above all.
In verse 47
Expectation: When the crowds coming by swelled with great commotion and noise, he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was coming by. He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
In verse 48
Persistence: His expectation came alive, but he found people hindering him from Jesus; so, he cried out all the more, even louder: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He remained persistent thinking this might be the only time he would be near Jesus, and he was not letting that pass him by. He was blind and now he deafened his ears to the throng of people hindering him to stay away from Jesus.
In verse 49
Action: Now Jesus stops and calls Bartimaeus to come to him. Interesting that suddenly those who hindered him, helped him. Their self-interest somehow on hold. We also see that Jesus responds to active faith.
In verses 50-51
Result: Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. This is significant, Bartimaeus threw off his cloak. A blind person often wore a cloak that signified he was a blind person. The result of his, knowledge, expectation, persistence, and had brought him to the point of decision.
It all came down to this. Either there would be a result or there wouldn’t. And his decision was that Jesus would heal him. He moved through the 6 factors that allow faith to translate into reality. In many ways Bartimaeus functioned on a verse not yet penned:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Heb 11:1.
The two keys of the result were that (1) Bartimaeus believed Jesus would heal him. And (2) He threw off his cloak of identity. At the very moment Jesus called to him, he was no longer to ever be identified with blindness, and in that belief, he threw off the cloak of his old identity and walked into a new destiny.
In verse 52
Commitment: And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”
What does Bartimaeus do next? He immediately moves into commitment to the Lord and follows along with him.
Although there is no Gospel record of Bartimaeus beyond these verses, it would be inconsistent and even intellectually dishonest to assume he didn’t play a committed role in the ministry of Jesus. Bringing the Good News, healing and saving people from their sins and lost-ness in order to re-bind (the root word for religion), to God.
Conclusions:
Faith is mechanical, that is, it has parts that make it flow as observed in the event above.
You must have Knowledge in something before you can ever believe in it.
You must focus your mind and heart and faith on Expectation.
You must function in Persistence, moving pass the hindrances.
You must take determined Action when the source is present to help.
You must assimilate the Result given and never let it go.
You must stand in Commitment to the one who has graciously provided the solution.
Faith is all about doing. James is clear in his epistle: Faith without works is dead!
I pray you will study these factors and apply them in your own life and help others to do the same.
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