They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52 New American Bible translation)
This Gospel is so rich in symbolism:
Blind man: Spiritual blindness; Call to Jesus: persistence in prayer; specific request: confidence and trust in the Lord; asking for pity: contrition.
The blind man can be compared to a form of lack or spiritual blindness in our lives – lack of faith and/or lack of trust in Christ. We see Bartimaeus persevere in his efforts to reach out to Jesus despite others’ attempts to discourage him. He was persistent and Jesus heard him. We also see in Bartimaeus a high level of confidence and trust in Jesus. He knows Jesus will accomplish a miracle in his life.
The message here is that no matter how far we stray, Jesus is never too far off! Come to Him with a contrite heart and don’t be discouraged by people or circumstances in your life that cause you to doubt the power of prayer. Be persistent, know that Jesus hears and answers, as long as we have confidence and trust Him in ALL things. It is only when we have confidence and trust that we persevere in faith, it is then that He makes our path straight! He says: Go your way, your faith has saved you!
Happy Sunday! God bless you!
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