The Blind Man 

I would like to share with you a story about a blind man.  He spent his days begging outside the city gate.  People passed by all day and he would cry out asking for money.  He had heard the stories of the man named Jesus of Nazareth.  People talked about him daily as they made their way from place to place.  Jesus was the talk of the town.  The stories he heard clearly told the poor blind man that Jesus was not an ordinary man.  He must truly be the Son of David, the Messiah. 

So it was that this day was not unlike many others.  Our poor blind beggar positioned himself by the city gate and begged for money but this day the traffic was much heavier than usual.  Passover was rapidly approaching and the people were very busy with preparations.  There was not a lot of patience for the bind beggar that day.  And then it happened.  He heard someone say that Jesus of Nazareth was coming his way.  With the throngs of people everywhere how was he to get to Jesus? 

He began to cry out as loud as he could in the hopes that Jesus would hear him, as that was the only option open to him.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet!  You’re making a scene!”

He was jostled by the crowd as they sternly tried to get him to stop.

He just cried out even louder.  He would not be silenced.  His one hope of help was coming his way!  How could he not cry out?

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The crowd around him just responded with scorn as they hissed at him to stop making so much noise.

He would not be silenced!  He just kept crying out. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus, hearing the cries of the man, stopped and turned toward the sound.  “Call him here.”  He said to the throng of people.  The tone of the crowd shifted dramatically as they called out to the blind man “Take courage, arise! He is calling for you.” And the crowd parted and made a way for the poor blind man. 

Now I want you to consider what the blind man did.  He cast aside his cloak or his garment.  Now we don’t give much thought to this but at this time in history a persons cloak was very important.  The cloak would have been this man’s most prized possession as it not only served as something to shield him during the heat of the day but also something to sit on while he did his begging which would serve another purpose as well.  It would have been used to catch any money that was tossed to him, as he could not see to run after it.  It was also his blanket to keep warm with at night.  Realize the significance of throwing aside his garment.  This would have meant that if he did not get healed he might not have been able to find it again.  He would have guarded that cloak with fervor.  At this moment in time, this blind man threw all caution to the wind and walked away from his garment and toward Jesus, Son of David.  He knew that Jesus would heal him.  He believed with all his heart.  We can see this in that he jumped up.  That is not the action of someone who is hesitating with doubt.  He jumped up and found his way to Jesus.

Jesus was waiting for him.  “What do you want Me to do for you?”  If you think about that for a moment it is fascinating.  Jesus already knew what the man wanted.  Why did he ask?  Jesus is a gentleman.  He is not going to intrude unless we tell Him what we need or want.  So it was with this blind man. 

“Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”  It seems like such a given that Jesus knew the man was blind so obviously he wanted to see again.  However, Jesus waited for him to say it.  Now listen to the response!  “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”

The blind man was blind no more!  The healing occurred immediately!! 

There are two things of note here.  The man cried out to God and took action in faith.

He did not sit and wait for Jesus to come to him.  He could have said, “but doesn’t He know I’m blind?  Why can’t He come here?”  The blind man was willing to take action.  His faith made him well but his actions showed his faith both to Jesus and to the people around him. 

Every situation or circumstance we experience in life has an action point; the point of making a decision to do something.  Look for that action point.  Ask God to reveal to you what action He requires of you to receive from Him.  Ask the Holy Spirit to empty you of all doubt so you will be able to take the action and not doubt.

So in closing I would like to challenge you to question where your faith is at.   Do you need a touch from Jesus, Son of David?  Are you willing to cry out despite what people say?  Are you willing to throw down your cloak, jump up, and run to the master no matter what it costs?  Do you truly believe that Jesus is able to do anything and everything in your life?  If so, ask Him in faith, believing and taking action and it will be done for you.

The Bible says He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He did it for blind Bartimaeus and He will do it for you too.

Angela M. Smuin

Faith Counseling and Training