We don’t often see miracles happening at the corner coffee shop or outside our local courthouse building. But the crowds pressing through the city gates of Jericho certainly witnessed one as Jesus passed through their city one day long ago (Mark 10:46).
By the dusty roadside near the Jericho gate sat Bartimaeus, a blind man, begging from the ground among the jostling crowd. Suddenly, he heard a large crowd moving by and learned that Jesus of Nazareth was among them. Jesus! No more begging, he began shouting,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47).
The people around him reprimanded him for his noise, but he only shouted all the louder for the merciful Son of David. Jesus must have heard his cry, for He stopped and told the crowd to call Bartimaeus to Him. Quickly, casting aside his cloak, Bartimaeus went to meet Jesus and told Him simply,
“Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus replied, “Go, your faith has healed you,”
and a healed, seeing Bartimaeus followed Him away from Jericho. Bartimaeus fervently called to Jesus because he recognized who Jesus was: the merciful Son of David. He was excited to be in the presence of the One who mercifully healed and worked in even the most seemingly impossible situations. Heal a blind person? Make him see? Bartimaeus had little doubt. He knew Jesus could heal him.
What is our heart’s attitude when we approach our Savior during difficult or traumatic times in life? Do we doubt His care, mercy, and ability to work for our good, or do we have the confidence of Bartimaeus when we call out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”?