What can He do for you?

What do you want?

Mark 10:46-52 “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.  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!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  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.”  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 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.”  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.”

Several things stand out for me in this story.  Firstly, Bartimaeus may have been blind but he was not stupid. He knew who this “Jesus of Nazareth” was. He knew His reputation. He had heard many stories. Here, obviously, was a man in whom Bartimaeus could put some faith. Why else would he ‘cry out’ to Him for attention – for mercy. Instinct had told him that here was a chance to be taken out of the cruelty of life as a blind beggar. So he cried out to Him – I suspect he yelled at the top of his voice – “Have mercy on me!” What a strange request – “Have mercy on me.” Was this Jesus a judge? Had Bartimaeus done wrong? Neither, but Bartimaeus had worked out that this Jesus had the power to help him get out of the life of begging. So he was asking Jesus, “Don’t leave me here like this. I believe You have the power to change my life. Have mercy on me.”

The crowd were angry at Bartimaeus. They told him to keep quiet. Why – probably so they could hear Jesus for themselves. They didn’t care about this blind beggar until, of course, Jesus called him over. That’s when it all changed for Bartimaeus. The lights came on and he was to take centre stage. I wonder what went through his mind at that moment. We are told that he threw off his cloak – perhaps signifying that his life as a beggar was about to be behind him. How would he have known that? I believe it was a statement of faith in Jesus ability to change his life for him. But then Jesus asked Bartimaeus the most extraordinary question.

“What do you want me to do for you?” I wonder if the Father said to Jesus, “Give him what he asks for.” Whatever the reason, Jesus asked Bartimaeus the question – He did not assume anything. There was no doubting the honesty of Bartimaeus response. “Rabboni” (teacher, Rabbi, man of honour) “That I may receive my sight.” We already know the answer to that and the happy ending to the story. Bartimaeus simply stated quietly what he believed was within Jesus power to do for him – i.e. that He could make his blind eyes see once more.

Have you been praying, asking, maybe pleading with God for something? So many of us blame God when prayers are not seen to be answered. What if God were to ask you that same question - “What do you want me to do for you?” How would you answer that question? Would you snap back words to the effect of, “You know what I want – I’ve been asking for long enough.” Or would you, like blind Bartimaeus, quietly and confidently, just answer the question – expecting the answer to be both in your favour and immediate.

I think we can learn much from both Bartimaeus and Jesus. On the one hand, be persistent with your asking. On the other hand, don’t assume anything but ask the question – even the most obvious question. We may sometimes be quite amazed by the answer. God asked Solomon what he wanted. Rather than asking for riches and power, Solomon surprises us by asking for wisdom before all else. God loved that response and we all know the result – wisdom, riches, and power.

So – what will you ask for when God asks you how He can help you?