And Jesus said unto him, "Go thy way;
thy faith has made you whole."
Mark 10:52
I love teaching on the miracles of Messiah Jesus…
thy faith has made you whole."
Mark 10:52
I love teaching on the miracles of Messiah Jesus…
In what most would consider to be impossible situations, one touch from the Lord or words spoken by Him, can change the course of a desperate person's life. And in an environment such as prison where there is so much negativity and anger and unrest, reading and learning about Christ's miracles is very encouraging, and greatly needed.
So for yesterday's Bible study, I taught on a man known in the Scriptures as "Blind Bartimaeus." He was a poor beggar who would daily sit alongside the road in and out of a city known as Jericho where he would patiently await handouts of food or money which he needed in order to survive.
For Bartimaeus, whom I nicknamed "Blind Bart," it was a sad and pitiful existence. He saw no hope for change. And whether he was born blind or became this way, I don't know. But what I do know is that Bart longed for the day when he could be made whole. It would be a day when he would no longer have to sit in all kinds of weather and beg from morning till evening.
But then came the unexpected. Jesus showed up. The Messiah was nearby. Finally, there was hope. A desperate Bart called out shouting over and over, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowds tried to silence him. How dare he blaspheme by addressing Jesus as the "Son of David," which was a title reserved only for the Messiah himself.
Jesus heard his cry. The Lord knew the difference between the voices of mockery and those of genuine need. Always merciful, Jesus stopped to hear his request. "Lord, I want to see." That was all Bartimaeus had to say. Jesus then spoke the most beautiful words a blind person could ever hope to hear, "Go thy way; thy faith has made you whole."
The class mulled over the story. I told the men that we too were blind. We were spiritually blind, which in a sense is just as bad as being physically blind. While we also looked at and discussed Bart's immediate decision to follow Jesus. We, too, are doing the same, I said. We're following the One who opened our spiritual eyes and saved our souls as well.
D.B.
NOTE: The story of Bartimaeus, a.k.a. "Bart" can be found in the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52.
So for yesterday's Bible study, I taught on a man known in the Scriptures as "Blind Bartimaeus." He was a poor beggar who would daily sit alongside the road in and out of a city known as Jericho where he would patiently await handouts of food or money which he needed in order to survive.
For Bartimaeus, whom I nicknamed "Blind Bart," it was a sad and pitiful existence. He saw no hope for change. And whether he was born blind or became this way, I don't know. But what I do know is that Bart longed for the day when he could be made whole. It would be a day when he would no longer have to sit in all kinds of weather and beg from morning till evening.
But then came the unexpected. Jesus showed up. The Messiah was nearby. Finally, there was hope. A desperate Bart called out shouting over and over, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowds tried to silence him. How dare he blaspheme by addressing Jesus as the "Son of David," which was a title reserved only for the Messiah himself.
Jesus heard his cry. The Lord knew the difference between the voices of mockery and those of genuine need. Always merciful, Jesus stopped to hear his request. "Lord, I want to see." That was all Bartimaeus had to say. Jesus then spoke the most beautiful words a blind person could ever hope to hear, "Go thy way; thy faith has made you whole."
The class mulled over the story. I told the men that we too were blind. We were spiritually blind, which in a sense is just as bad as being physically blind. While we also looked at and discussed Bart's immediate decision to follow Jesus. We, too, are doing the same, I said. We're following the One who opened our spiritual eyes and saved our souls as well.
D.B.
NOTE: The story of Bartimaeus, a.k.a. "Bart" can be found in the Gospel of Mark 10:46-52.
