Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried
out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48)
He was known to all as “Blind Bartimaeus.” Although the
great multitude following Jesus had constantly seen how He had compassion on
the sick, they showed a lack of mercy when they warned Bartimaeus to be quiet.
They had been blessed with physical eyesight to witness miracles of healing,
yet stood in the way of Bartimaeus receiving his sight. If we had been in his
place, we probably would have felt frustrated—not only by others, but
also by our own helplessness.
However, Bartimaeus
cried out not once but all the more, despite their warnings. Furthermore, it was
not just one person politely telling him to be quiet but many, likely without
reservation! Under such circumstances, it would have been natural for any
person to shrink back by reason of timidity, insecurity, or even
shame—but Bartimaeus did not.
We often
focus on Bartimaeus’ persistence and explain that that is why Jesus had
compassion on him. However, persistence was not all that Jesus saw; Jesus also
saw how he had been slighted and treated unjustly by others. And Jesus saw
that, despite all these things, Bartimaeus’ spiritual eyes were completely
fixed on Him.
Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith
has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on
the road.
If
Bartimaeus had been negatively influenced by the people’s words, he might have
believed that he was undeserving of God’s grace and
walked away without ever receiving his sight. Even if he had received his sight
but focused on the people, he might have felt bitter towards them and been
tempted to leave afterwards. But because his focus was
in the right place, he immediately followed Jesus on the road and continued following Him.
There are
many people who follow Jesus with us today and may inadvertently discourage us
along the way. But if we allow ourselves to be affected, even to the point of
giving up on our faith, we will miss out on a beautiful walk with Jesus on the
road. On the other hand, if we persevere and fix our eyes on Jesus, then we
will receive all the mercy, healing, and strength that we need to continue
following Him in our journey of faith.
Reflection Questions
1. When
we serve God, do we tend to focus on people or God Himself?
2. How
can we draw strength from God when we feel discouraged or undeserving of His
grace?