#DailyDevotion Faith Casts Aside Our Old Life
Mark 10:49-52 49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” They called the blind man and told him, “Cheer up! Get up! He’s calling you.” 50He laid aside his garment, jumped up, and went to Jesus. 51“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. “Rabboni (Teacher], I want to see again,” the blind man told Him. 52“Go,” Jesus told him; “your faith has made you well.” Immediately he could see, and he followed Him on the road.
Now I find it amusing if not ironic that the same people who were telling Bartimaeus to sit down and shut up are now telling to “Cheer up! Get up! He calling you.” Well what can you expect from people I guess. But they were right the second time. Jesus hears the man’s cry for help and bids him to come to him.
Bartimaeus at Jesus’ call lays aside his garment and went to Jesus. Now I not one hundred percent positive on this but I do believe beggars had a particular or peculiar garment which identified them as beggars. Many vocations had peculiar clothing so this would not be surprising. If this were so, and I’ve seen a few other commentators mention it, it is a stupendous act of faith for Bartimaeus to set aside his garment to go see Jesus. You see, he believes he won’t need it anymore. He has heard of Jesus. He knows what Jesus can do. That Jesus hears his plea for help gives him the faith he will give him what he wants and needs.
Jesus asked the man what do you want me to do for you. Bartimaeus replies, “Rabboni (Teacher], I want to see again.” Jesus tells him to go: his faith has made him well. “Immediately his could see, and he followed Him on the road.” Sometimes Jesus does some prophetic action like putting mud on the eyes or his fingers in someone’s ears, but here he just speaks the word and it is so. It was this way in the beginning as he spoke creation into being. He uses the same power here to make the man whole. Bartimaeus having received his sight leaves his life of begging and starts to follow Jesus. He left everything, his garment, to follow Jesus. No doubt he continued to follow Jesus all his life, hence why his name is well known to Mark’s audience.
Now this should strengthen our faith to pray to God our heavenly Father with the faith the Holy Spirit has given us. This may sound harsh but the reason we often don’t get what we ask for is we don’t have enough faith. I’m not saying you don’t have saving faith, but rather it is a weak faith. It doubts God’s promises and that God will answer our prayers. See James chapter one. Or we have selfish prayers—see James chapter 4. Sometimes what we ask for is not good for us so the LORD does answer our prayer but in the manner, way, time and place that is best for us but we don’t see it because of how he answered. Seeing blind Bartimaeus receive from Jesus what he asked of Jesus should strengthen and encourage our faith to make our requests be known to God. I do believe every prayer that is prayed with faith in Christ is answered yes by God. Jesus says, “will not the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”(Luke 11:13) The Holy Spirit then intercedes for us with groans to deep for words. (Rom. 8:26) You can be certain of this promises as you pray for they given by Christ in his word, the same word which healed Bartimaeus.
Heavenly Father, when we pray, give us your Holy Spirit so we may pray with the faith necessary to be heard by you and to receive that which we truly need from your merciful hand. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.