Where Is Your Hope?Sample

Blindness

Yesterday’s rich, young ruler seemed like a perfect candidate for a disciple: he knew Scripture, lived morally, and had money and influence. Yet, in the end, he does not follow Jesus. He did not recognize his need and was, spiritually speaking, blind.

In stark contrast, Luke 18 closes with Jesus encountering another man near the town of Jericho. In the book of Mark, we learn that his name was Bartimaeus. This guy would not have fit most people’s idea of a candidate for a kingdom movement: a blind beggar with no influence and completely financially dependent on others. Yet he, not the rich, accomplished “good” man, joins the ranks of Jesus’ followers.

How can this be? The man who has it all together walks away from Jesus while the beggar follows him.

It all comes down to their spiritual sight.

In Luke 18:35-43, we read of this beggar’s faith. He hears that Jesus is passing by and calls out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” While the crowds rebuke him, he just screams louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Bartimaeus’ plea shows he recognized Jesus’ power and his need.

While the rich man was clueless to Christ’s identity beyond a “good teacher,” Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was the Son of David, a phrase that refers to the coming King and Messiah anointed by God to save his people.

By begging for mercy, Bartimaeus shows he is fully aware that he cannot help himself. There was no pretense. He was desperate.

In response, Jesus gives the ultimate blank check: “What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus asks for sight, and Jesus compassionately and powerfully responds, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” These are the same words Jesus said to the leper in Luke 17. And in the same way, Bartimaeus’ healing was both physical restoration and spiritual wholeness.

Do we have eyes to see? To recognize who Jesus is? To see our need and unashamedly admit it? If our faith is not grounded in both Christ’s all-sufficiency and our complete inability to help ourselves, we are spiritually blind.

But praise God, Jesus opens the eyes of the blind.