It is a privilege to open the Word of God and allow its timeless wisdom to mold and shape us. Think about the many Godly people who have read these same stories and been changed by studying the Bible. Thanks for listening to Hope for Today. We are honored to spend this time with you in the Word.  

Today’s title is “Believing is Seeing.” No, I didn’t say it backward. This is the blind man who believed Jesus could help him. He was just a blind beggar who heard Jesus was passing by, and he would not be quiet because he believed and knew Jesus could help him see. Miraculously, Jesus gave him his sight! Turn to Mark 10 and let’s see how his faith gave him sight.

Sight is one of our five senses, and the development of sight in humans is fascinating. Newborns can see only objects within 8 to 12 inches of their faces. Babies are born with a preference for human faces, which aids in early social interaction and bonding. At six months, most babies can perceive depth, allowing them to reach for objects more accurately. This period is crucial for the development of hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

As children’s physical sight develops, wise parents will also pay attention to the development of spiritual sight. Every child should hear the regular, daily reading of the Scriptures in their home, especially by the father, if possible.

In Mark’s Gospel, we have arrived at the account of Jesus healing a man named Bartimaeus. This account deals with sight and blindness in relation to discipleship. I’ve titled my teaching “Believing is Seeing.”  The Scripture passage is Mark 10:46-52.

⁴⁶ Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 

⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Then many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

⁵⁰ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

In this text, the PARTICIPANTS of the narrative reveal how faith leads to sight and that “believing is seeing.”

The First PARTICIPANT we observe is,

The Calloused Crowd

The crowd demonstrates a particular kind of character, which I’ve called calloused. To be calloused is to be hardened, unfeeling, showing no sympathy toward others.

At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their calloused attitude toward marriage. They thought a man should be able to divorce his wife for any reason. But Jesus said, “No, God’s intention from creation was one man and one woman for life.” When they questioned Him about Moses’ provisions for divorce, He told them it was because of the hardness of their hearts. Their hearts were dull, insensitive, and uncaring.

After that interaction, the disciples had earned Jesus’ disapproval for their calloused response to children. The mothers wanted Jesus to bless their children, and the Twelve tried to chase them away. Jesus sharply rebuked the Twelve for their callousness.

As our text opens, Jesus continues His journey to Jerusalem for the Passover. Traveling with the Twelve and in the company of other pilgrims was a considerable crowd. According to verse 32, Jesus was at the head of the multitude, resolutely leading the way.

As Bartimaeus listens to the crowd’s noise, he discerns that Jesus is at the front. Once he knows this, he loudly cries, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” This is the first time Jesus is given this title in Mark’s Gospel. Displaying their callous character, the crowd sternly rebukes him and tells him to be quiet. “Jesus doesn’t have time for the likes of you, a beggar. Why do you think He’ll pay attention to you? He’s on His way to Jerusalem and has more important things to do.”

Bartimaeus was considered a sinner, unworthy of Jesus’ notice. In John 9:2, where Jesus healed a different blind man, the disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The crowd saw him as being undeserving of Jesus’ attention. So, they said, “Be quiet! Save your breath!”

The Next PARTICIPANT we observe is,

The Persistent Beggar

In response to the crowd’s attempt to quiet him, Bartimaeus cries out louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” His cry tells us that He believed Jesus to be Israel’s long-promised Messiah. Son of David was a Messianic title. Every devout Jew knew that.

Bartimaeus is physically blind yet has spiritual insight. He loudly confesses that Jesus is the Messiah! In contrast, you have the Twelve, and the crowd who could see physically but were spiritually blind. They saw Jesus’ miracles, yet they doubted Him, refused His instructions, and followed Him for the physical benefits He provided them. Bartimaeus’ simple, confident faith stands in stark contrast to the behavior of the Twelve, who reject Jesus’ predictions about His death and squabble over who will be the greatest.

This account presents an interesting contrast of the words “cry” and “call”. If we return to Mark seven, we find the Twelve crying out in terror as Jesus appears to them, walking on the stormy sea. His call, His voice, reassured them that it was Him. But then the text says, “He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves because their hearts were hardened.”

Bartimaeus also cried out, but not in fear – in faith. His heart wasn’t hardened. His confident confession of faith leads us to the next participant.

The Final PARTICIPANT we observe is,

The Compassionate Savior

Jesus walked up the road to Jerusalem with purposeful strides. He was determined to drink the cup of suffering that waited for Him. Yet, now, He suddenly stops and tells the crowd, “Find out who it is that’s shouting at Me, and bring him to Me. I’m not moving another step toward Jerusalem until I see this person.”

Jesus knew what He was facing in Jerusalem, but took time to serve Bartimaeus. His actions proved what He had told the disciples earlier. “I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many.”

So, the crowd told Bartimaeus, “Cheer up and get up; Jesus is calling for you!” Bartimaeus’ response was action motivated by faith. Picture Bartimaeus throwing aside his cloak and leaping to his feet to go to Jesus. Those actions aren’t the actions of someone doubtful. He had confessed Jesus with his mouth, and his actions proved that he believed in his heart. According to Romans 10:9, those are the requirements for all disciples of Jesus.

Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Where have we heard that question before? We might be tempted to criticize Jesus, “The man is blind; why are you asking what he wants? But Bartimaeus doesn’t hesitate. “All I want, Lord, is to receive my sight again.” That’s not exactly the way he says it. He says, “Rabboni,” the same title Mary gave to Jesus in the Garden of Resurrection. This alteration from the title “rabbi” has intense personal significance; it is a confession of faith. Bartimaeus says to Jesus, “My Lord and my Master, let me see.”

Did you think about where we heard Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus before? It was to James and John. They said, “Teacher, we want You to do whatever we ask for us.” Then Jesus asked them the same question he had asked Bartimaeus. “What do you want me to do for you?” The question was the same, but the response was very different.

James and John selfishly asked for privileged positions in Jesus’ kingdom. In response, Jesus taught them the necessity of humility and service. Bartimaeus requested to recover his sight. Instead of sitting by the road begging, the ability to see would allow him to have an everyday, productive life.

Jesus said, “Go your way; your faith has healed you.” What Jesus meant was, “Your faith has saved you.” Some Bible translations say, “Your faith has made you whole.” I like that because it indicates the completeness of the action and the finished results. He had already placed his faith in Jesus by proclaiming Him as Messiah; his physical sight was restored, too. He was now a whole man in the fullest sense of the word.           

Immediately, Bartimaeus’s sight was restored, and he began following Jesus. Most blind people would want to run through the city and see all the sights. Instead, as soon as Bartimaeus saw anything, he saw Jesus and followed Him on the road to Jerusalem to His death.

Mark gives us a picture of a true disciple who is ragged, poor, and blind but recognizes the Messiah for who He is, and when he calls upon Him, he addresses Him as, “My Lord, my Master.” Where the disciples failed, the blind man succeeded. Now you understand how believing is seeing.

Bartimaeus confessed that Jesus is the Christ before he was healed. However, there is spiritual blindness that a believer can have. The disciples had that problem, but Bartimaeus did not. Unlike the blind man at Bethsaida and the disciples themselves, Bartimaeus sees clearly.

Where do you find yourself in this story? Are you calloused to the needs of the people around you? Do you think that some people are not worthy of Jesus’ attention?

Or do you exercise the faith of Bartimaeus? The angel who announced Jesus’ conception to Mary said Jesus would save His people from their sins. Bartimaeus confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David. Have you made those confessions? Are you one of His disciples?

And what is your level of compassion? While we cannot do everything that Jesus did, we are called to follow His example. He took time to care for a man whom many people ignored. Am I willing to do that? Are you?

When you and I genuinely believe in Jesus and follow Him, our faith will result in sight.

Imagine being blind and then being able to see. Do you think the face of Jesus was the first thing he saw? I am sure that was riveted in his mind for the rest of his life. How many times do you think he blinked and looked around to make sure he was really seeing? Imagine waking up the next day, expecting everything to be black, as it had been your whole life. Instead, you open your eyes, and you can see. May God open our spiritual eyes to see as He sees.

If you have any other comments or questions about today’s lesson, we’d love to hear from you. Our email address is hope@heraldsofhope.org, and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There you will find “contact us,” under the partner tab on the top right. Click on that to message us directly. 

Till next time, God bless you as you first believe and then see. Bartimaeus gives us a great example of having a faith that works. His faith led to action. May our faith also lead us to good work.