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.
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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…
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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.”

1. What is your answer?
2. Are you able to explain this hope?
3. 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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The post The Most Remarkable Journey: Lord, Have Mercy! appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.