Can You See?
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. ~Mark 10:51
Of the many things that I am thankful for, I am thankful for the gift of vision. Can you imagine not being able to see? When you are blind, you live in a world of darkness! When you are blind, you live in a world where shapes, sizes, colors, and dimensions are not fathomable. When you are blind, you are dependent upon other people to lead you about. This morning, we want to consider a blind man who wanted to see.
We see this blind man and his incompleteness.
He is introduced to us as blind Bartimaeus. His name means "the son of Bartimaeus." As far as we know, he was born blind. He was disadvantaged in life. He had to depend on other people to be his eyes. He could not enjoy normal conversations that described the beautiful things that other people could see. He could not be trained to hold and perform a normal job. He was resigned to being a beggar for this life. As a beggar, he was at the lowest level of society. He was living a life that was incomplete. His dream in life was to escape this disability and his darkened world. How about those of us who can see but are blinded to our blessings, our responsibilities, and to the shortness of our life?
We see this blind man and his importunity.
He heard that Jesus was walking his way. This man began crying out to Jesus to have mercy on him. I see humility in this man. He was not blaming God for his condition. His condition showed him how much he needed the Lord. I see faith in this man. He had faith to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the sovereign Heir to David’s throne. He had faith in Jesus' Person and His power. So, he cried out and cried repeatedly. He wanted to be able to see. He cried out to Jesus in urgency and in faith. He cried louder and even when he was told to stop, he kept on crying out. This blind man decided to pray for that which he had faith that Jesus could do. He encourages us in the matter of importunity in praying. We must keep praying until the Lord says "no" or until the Lord is ready to do something for us.
We see this blind man and the incredible.
Jesus gave him an opportunity to approach Him. When Jesus heard his plea that he might see, Jesus told him, “Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.” Immediately, he received his sight! The first thing that he said was that he can see! When we allow God to open our eyes, it is something incredible. This man could see his future. This man could see the wonderful things of God! This man could see his life potential! This man could see a new start in life. “I can see!” “I can see!” Can you see? Can you see God’s love working through you? Can you see God using you as a missionary on foreign soil? Can you see purpose and direction for your life? Are you someone who needs to see?
May the Lord deliver us from shortsightedness, blindness, and tunnel vision. May we have faith to see the invisible, believe the incredible, and do the impossible! Do you have some scales blinding your vision of the Word of God? Are you blinded to the opportunities that God has for you? Be like Bartimaeus. Realize that Jesus might be coming your way only one time, and beg Him to open your eyes!
Have a vision-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Luke 4-5