Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52
“The best remedy for dryness of spirit, is to picture ourselves as beggars in the presence of God and the saints, and like a beggar, to go first to one saint, then to another, to ask a spiritual alms of them with the same earnestness as a poor fellow in the streets would ask an alms of us.”
Philip Neri (1515-1595) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Alms.
I needed this post today. GTP has real needs, but I am realizing that more than staff or funding, I need deeper depth of insight. I need the remedy Neri speaks about. Perhaps you can relate?
Imagine if we everyone cared about gathering spiritual riches with the zeal that a beggar seeks alms, and with the zeal of Bartimaeus in today’s Scripture. We would be rich indeed.
May God help us, like Bartimaeus who was blind, have eyes to see Jesus for who He is and what He can do for us that no one else can do, regardless of the circumstances.
While six GTP staff have arrived in Cape Town (pictured above), we have other staff, regional facilitators, board members, and special guests awaiting passports, visas, and negative Covid tests.
Rather than worry or fear, I choose today to trust Jesus to have mercy on us, to teach us patience, and give us eyes to see His hand at work and His perfect plan unfold.