Today we are going to look at Mark 10: 46-52:

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Today we continue with Mark 10, and we see another instance where someone is trying to get to Jesus and is being kept away.  Today, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was trying to get to Jesus with the hopes of seeing again, and lots of folks said – hush.  But the bible tells us today that the more they told him to be quiet, the louder he grew.  He was determined to meet Jesus.  He was determined to have his hope fulfilled.  

We see in the end of this passage, the power of his faith – Jesus go, your faith has made you well.  Faith was that force that caused him not to give up.  Faith was the force that caused him to keep yelling when everyone said to be quiet. Faith was the force that drove him to Jesus and that allowed him to know, to truly know, that Jesus could heal him.  

The miracle of this story is Jesus healing the blind man, yes. But the other miracle was that Bartimaeus didn’t give up, after being a blind beggar for so long.  His circumstance could have rightly caused him to quit, to lay down, to abandon hope.  But it didn’t.  His faith kept him going.  He kept his faith that things could change, even then.  Faith drove him.  

And the same is true for us today. Things may look bad in the world, it may look bad in our communities, it may look bad everywhere. We may be tempted to give up, to give in, to withdraw, to become angry and hard-hearted. To write off everyone and everything. Don’t do it. Keep the faith.  Jesus is still alive, still at work, still bringing healing.  Even now.  Even today.  Don’t lose faith.  Even in worrisome and dark circumstances. Don’t lose the faith.  

We believe in a God who has defeated even death.  Hold tight to the truth of God’s work and God’s power.  Keep the faith.  He brought healing to Bartimaeus.  He will bring healing and hope to us, and to His world.  Keep the faith. 

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