“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)
In Mark 10:46–52 Jesus reached out to blind Bartimaeus who cried out to him for mercy. Despite the crowd’s attempt to quiet this socially powerless man, Jesus acknowledged his need and further upheld his dignity by asking him a question: “What do you want me to do for you?” The question was designed to both stimulate faith and empower the man toward upward mobility. “I want to see,” responded Bartimaeus. “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” The man was immediately healed and followed Jesus. The beggarly and sightless was empowered and restored. His complete dependence on Jesus and frantic persistence in the mercy of God catalyzed the miracle. The text notes that in his eager rush toward Jesus he had even cast his cloak aside. As his only source of protection and security, Bartimaeus forsook dependence on all he had to trust only in Jesus. A leader worth following had enabled and freed him.
KEY QUESTIONS: Who has empowered me in the past or restored my dignity? What did they do? Do I typically define for others what the answer is or do I partner with them for a solution? How might I empower those who are considered socially less powerful than I?
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