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
“Bartimaeus is among the lowest of the low in Israel’s society, a blind beggar with little more than a cloak to his name… He comes empty and so receives the gift of physical healing and spiritual sight… The poor, the sick, the blind, the oppressed, the outcast – these are the recipients of God’s grace… Jesus did not come to call the (self-)righteous but sinner, those who recognize their need of Him. The prideful and self-righteous religious leaders reject the kingdom proclaimed and so receive blind eyes and deaf ears, while blind Bartimaeus regains his sight by crying out to God for mercy… This theme has two main implications for contemporary Christians. The first is to recognize our own status as sinners saved by God’s grace alone. This should create both gratitude to God and humility toward one another. Second, God’s love for the lost should prompt us, His people, to show the same love and concern for those on the margins of society, whether the poor, the disabled, or those weighed down by the burdens of life.”
Mark L. Strauss in Mark, edited by Clint E. Arnold (ZECNT; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014) 473.
As promised, we look at yet another scene where Jesus interacts with people leading up to the passion week. Notice how the disciplines of Lent (fasting, prayer, and almsgiving) position us to better understand the factors in play.
Bartimaeus is a blind begger who lives on alms. In his dark world there is no hope, no beauty, no light, but there is one prayer. He says it over and over. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” While others sneer, with hopes placed elsewhere, he won’t stop proclaiming it until Jesus comes to His aid.
That’s what Lent is all about. We fast to set aside our desires and fix them on Christ. Then in prayer we call to Jesus acknowledging Him for who He is, recognizing our our status as sinners regardless of what the crowds around us think about us. Then we gratefully receive whatever Jesus gives us because we know it will be good.
Notice the response of Jesus to Bartimaeus, which illustrates the generosity of the God we serve. Jesus takes the posture of the servant toward Bartimaeus and says, “What do you want me to do for you?” He lavishes grace on the humble.
This generosity reminds me of our son, Samuel David Hoag, a.k.a. “Sammy” who turns “22” today. I honor him in this post as he daily adopts the Christ-like posture of a servant. He has a heart of compassion for the marginalized and lavishes grace on those in need. And I see God forging his character through rigorous Lenten disciplines each year.
If you want to grow in generosity, think about what fasting, prayer, and almsgiving will look like after Lent to assume perpetually the posture of Bartimaeus before God: humble, prayerful, and dependent. This is not about making ourselves righteous, but about understanding rightly who we are, who Jesus is, and what it means to receive and give God’s grace.
And it leads everyone touched by Jesus, especially ordinary blokes like Bartimaeus and Sammy, to serve others in similar fashion. With Jesus, they say, “What do you want me to do for you?” Because that is precisely how Jesus treated them. The Lenten disciplines prepare us to look like Jesus, who is profoundly generous.