Lord, Have Mercy on Me!
Lord, Have Mercy! Jesus, Son of David, Have Mercy on Me! The cries of those who knew their desperate situation knew where to turn and because of their faith, He turned to them with the mercy for which they appealed.
On the Most Remarkable Journey, we see Jesus heal the blind, deaf and mute. We see Him cast out demons, feed thousands, and calm raging seas.
The journey almost seems too remarkable to be real. To many, it wasn’t. For many, it still isn’t.
But to Blind Bartimaeus, it was His life story, his testimony. Jesus’ journey intermingled with his and he threw off his cloak to follow Jesus.
Near the end of Mark 10, we read the story of a man who was blind, Bartimaeus. His life was lived as a castaway. Some versions say he was by the wayside. He was not only blind but was a beggar. He was waiting for Jesus and not being able to see His arrival, He must have sat anxiously listening for His departure.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47 (NIV)
Son of David, Have Mercy on Me!
Bartimaeus recognized two things for sure. He knew that the Promised Savior, The Messiah that was to come was the Son of David. He also recognized his own desperate situation.
Bartimaeus is acknowledging Jesus, not as the son of a carpenter or Jesus of Nazareth. But Jesus, the Son of David.
We see in 2 Samuel 7 the covenant that God made with David to establish His throne and His Kingdom forever through the line of David. If you haven’t read that story it is a beautiful exchange between a Master and His son. I would really recommend it.
Bartimaeus is referring to this same covenant that was made so many generations before. Jesus is the Promised King that so many were waiting for.
Bartimaeus wasn’t looking for redemption from Rome like so many others. He was looking for his Healer, his Redeemer, his life Rescuer.
Lord, Have Mercy on Me!
Although blind, Bartimaeus saw his own situation very clearly. He was not only blind but he was a beg to survive.
Sometimes it takes coming to this desperate place to recognize the only thing left to do is seek the face of Jesus and that is exactly what he did. Share on X
As Bartimaeus was shouting out many were trying to quiet him. This caused his to shout all the more. Jesus was followed by a large crowd. Bartimaeus probably felt it necessary, to be heard over the crowd, to shout.
He was also not going to let a few naysayers quiet his request. He may have never thought the day for healing would come and now The Ultimate Healer has walked right into His town. This was not a man they were going to quiet.
All the more he shouted, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48)
Throw Off Your Old Self
Jesus stops and has him called over. Cheer Up, Bartimaeus! They told him. Today’s your day! (Mark 10:49) Get Up! He is calling you!
Throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. This was his day. The day his life would change for good. Bartimaeus throws off his old self. His beggar’s wardrobe is tossed aside and is replaced with a new lease on life.
What do you want from me, Jesus asks him. “Rabbi, I want to see!” He declares.
We don’t know how long he had been blind. What we do know is Jesus shows him mercy. He gives him his sight. Not only does he see the world, he stands looking face-to-face with his Redeemer.
Your Faith Has Healed You
Jesus’ response was the same to Bartimaeus as it is to us today. “Your faith has healed you.” (Mark 10:52)
What do you want Jesus asks? I want to see!
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” John 9:39 (NIV)
Yesterday, I had someone ask for proof to my believing in Jesus. I told him, I was lost but now I am found. I was once blind, but now I see. Then he proceeded to tell me that because I believe in Jesus, I am blind to the truth of this world.
Quite contradictory to what the Bible says. The Bible tells us Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind and to those who think they see clearly will become blind.
I’m sure Bartimaeus could testify to a life lived in darkness. A life before he met Jesus on the road that day.
While there may still be naysayers to try and keep those quiet who are calling out to Jesus, the Son of David, Jesus still opens the eyes of those whose faith heals them. Jesus still allows us to throw off our old cloaks and run to him.
Follow Jesus
Many of us may not be able to physically relate to the blind beggar Bartimaeus, at first glance. But as we take this journey with Jesus, we see that our story is exactly the same.
We are in a desperate situation. Our sin has us chained and begging for hope and mercy. It holds us captive to the thoughts and ways of this world.
Thinking we are fine and can ourselves be our own redeemers just leaves us blind and eternally destitute. These thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth.
We, too, often find ourselves begging and crying out to the Lord. Lord, have mercy! Don't leave us in this condemned life. We ourselves cannot fix this situation. We cannot seek enough truth apart from who Christ is and who we are in… Share on X
Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world. The reason that many stay blind is that we are required to recognize our need for Him. We are required to profess Him as Lord and come to him for His grace and mercy.
It doesn’t end there. We have to turn from our ways. Shed off that old self and follow Him.
Bartimaeus was healed. His faith saved him. And he immediately followed Jesus.
Personal Reflections
In 1 Peter we are told to, “Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have in you.”
- What is your answer?
- Are you able to explain this hope?
- What is the hope and why do you cling to it?
If you don’t feel like you have a clear answer, maybe writing it down and getting your head around it would be beneficial to you.
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Hey Jaime I made it!!! Good post. I appreciate the linkup. Com’on over for a cuppa – I am having a great giveaway!
Hey, Susan, so glad you are here! This switching sites is wonderful but has things a bit out of whack still. Still learning and getting into the groove. I am going to swing over right now and check out that giveaway!
I find myself saying those exact words more and more often these days as things happen around me that I can just barely believe and absorb. Thanks be to God that His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!
Michele, you are so right. I, too, am so grateful for His new mercies every morning. The thing is He knows we are a desperate generation and he extends it to us anyway. His faithfulness, not ours is what amazes me so much. I have been reading in Luke and in Luke 9:41 He says, “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” Even then and still today. I wonder how long He will put up with us. Great is His Faithfulness!
Jaime I just love this! This is perfect for a gal like me who has battled with “good enough” and being a “fixer.” “Your faith has healed you.” Amen, and this tells me he is willing to work and walk with me on this journey. He sees the whole picture.
Blessings, Meghan on your journey. We all need it don’t we. Until we realize we do we are in this place of being stuck in this world and in the hope of the next. Never could we be good enough, I think that is is an awesome thing because I don’t know how many times I may have messed it up today. I just can’t keep up. The good news of Jesus is I don’t have to. No, I don’t go on sinning, but hallelujah Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe. Thanks for joining us here, friend!
I loved these thoughts today! And it struck me so much this time, that he threw off his cloak! Sometimes I feel like I hold onto my “cloak” of old, discouraging thoughts, but Jesus is calling me to leave all that behind in order to find His fullness. And thank you for this link-up that you share. Today I begin my “Legacy of Faith” series that you inspired last month with your story & questions over on FB. Thank you!
So awesome, Bettie. I am going to have to slip over and check that out. That cloak we can hold on tight to. It can become a security blanket and we can choose to have it become our identity. But throwing it off to put on the robes of righteousness is not only necessary but what God gives us as our inheritance. What an amazing thing to be able to be robed in. Thanks for your insights today, friend!
I’m so grateful for the mercy that God has had on me, too! So many things happen to each of us in a life, but with God, he can use them for our good and his glory. That is mercy indeed.
That is true Mercy. It is so hard to sometimes wrap our heads around. I think, “Well I don’t deserve this” and that is the truth. I receive His grace and Mercy because of who He is, not me. SO grateful for that and His unfailing love. Glad you are sharing with us today, Lisa!
You’re right, we may not all be able to relate to Bartimaeus, or lepers or Mary Magdalenes but there is some Bible person we can. I always knew He was the the healer. And the best person to identify with is Jesus, not just crucified but risen and overcoming.
Yes, Rebecca, I so agree there are people we can relate to in the Bible because people have the same problem. We all fall short of a perfect God and are in desperate need of a healer. I think it may be hard to relate to being blind but I think we can relate to being in a desperate need for Jesus. I think we can relate to our eyes being opened after we have Jesus in our lives and I believe we can relate to throwing off that old self and following our Rescuer. I love insight on not just relating to the crucified Christ but to the risen and overcoming King. So glad you are here today, friend!
What a great idea to write it down. When I went on a mission trip, we did exactly that, and it helped. I think I need an update that was over ten years ago. I have to admit I stumble with a concise answer. I have so much I want to say and always feel as if I should have said something different or something more. I like your idea of writing it down. Thank you.
You are a writer, Maree. You got this. I think that writing it down may get us to be concise in our thinking. Saying and sharing verses that are relevant and hopefully not catching off guard or having to think on the spur of the moment. A few months ago my grandmother shared hers and my grandfather’s testimony. What a blessing that was to my heart. Through the tears, I saw their deep love of the Lord. I saw my family legacy spelled out in ink. That meant so much to me. Actually, my grandma shared them with me because she had them out sharing them with her neighbor lady who through reading them decided to give her life to Christ. You never know who and how you are going to impact someone through your testimony. Blessings to you my dear friend!
Jaime, like you I was once blind and now see. My life was a train wreck of self-effort and bad decisions. But when I came to the end of myself, He forgave and blessed me in ways that amaze me every day! He is the only hope for a lost world. Thanks for challenging us to think about the reason for the hope that’s in us. We need to be prepared to share it with those around us like your friend. Thanks for hosting. Have a great week in the Lord!
I hear ya! I tried many things to fill that empty spirit and missed the true filler of life. He is the only hope for this lost world. I love to be able to stand with you and share those testimonies of how He caused the blind to see and my lameness to be able to walk upright. So glad you have joined us this week. Your heartfelt wisdom always inspires me, Donna!
Very inspiring, Jaime! I love your “insights” about “blind Bartimaeus” finding his sight! 😉 I’ll be sharing!
Thanks for sharing this, Beth, it encourages my heart. I just love this story. I think I always say that 🙂 . I can see myself in there place in so many ways. What joy it must have been to be face-to-face with Jesus. Oh, the joy that day will be! So glad you are here, friend!