Empty Nets & Broken Lives Sample

Finding Mercy to See Him Clearly

Bartimaeus coughed as a thick cloud of dust kicked up around him as the crowd shuffled past. He was sitting at his usual corner, doing what he did every day, begging for money. While the world lay in utter darkness to him, the seeing world preferred not to look at blind Bartimaeus. 

As the crowd rumbled past, he yelled out, “What’s happening, what’s going on?” Someone replied that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

Bartimaeus couldn’t see a thing, but he had been listening intently to stories about Jesus of Nazareth. The incredible stories of Jesus’ miracles and teachings echoed in his mind, as did the scriptures he knew about the coming Messiah, the Son of David. Could Jesus be the one? 

In Bartimaeus’ dark world, a spiritual spotlight had been turned on. The time to act was now and he began to cry out. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Each time he said it, he believed it more and proclaimed it louder. Annoyed by the attention he was drawing to himself, the crowd shushed him to be quiet. He knew no one else would be his advocate, so he had to do whatever it took to get Jesus’ attention. To his astonishment the ruckus he caused worked! Jesus suddenly stopped and commanded that Bartimaeus be brought to him.

A kind stranger grabbed his hand and lifted him to his feet. “Be of good cheer. Rise, he is calling you” (Mark 10:49). He cast off his cloak and made his way to Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

There was no question in Bartimaeus’ mind what he wanted from Jesus; he wanted his vision restored. Jesus saw his faith and replied, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well” (Luke 18:42). Bartimaeus became a follower of Jesus that day.

How would you answer if Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus had a real physical need, but he saw it in light of his spiritual condition, of needing mercy. 

Your needs matter to God, and you can boldly ask him for what you need. But like Bartimaeus, we need to recognize that above our physical needs, every person has the spiritual need of being in a right relationship with Jesus. We especially need his mercy! When we see our needs clearly as Bartimaeus saw his, we can say with him and all the saints, “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.”