Blind Bartimaeus has gotten the attention of Jesus and is being escorted to an encounter with Him. We witnessed Bartimaeus seizing his moment to receive his healing as he learned that Jesus was passing by. He made known his determination with his persistent shouting of, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me" in spite of opposition from the crowd (and probably the disciples with Jesus.) Be reminded again, this is where many fall by the wayside and do not receive from God, and then say that this "faith stuff doesn't work," or, "See, I told you that God doesn't heal anymore!" No. It is simply that receiving from God often requires us to step outside of our comfort zone. In other words, your healing will come the way God wants to get it to you, not necessarily the way you told God to do it.
Remember the risks that the woman with the issue of blood took, and that Jairus took? Bartimaeus took a huge risk as well. Watch this.
Mark 10:50-51 "Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And the blind man said to Him, 'Master, I want to regain my sight!' " So where is the risk? You may think his persistent shouting for mercy was it, and perhaps it was part of it. But look more closely at what the scripture says: "Throwing aside his cloak..." Bartimaeus was a beggar. Even in those days the government was into regulating and issuing licenses, and one of those permits they issued was a license to beg. That permit was issued in the form of a cloak, which was to be worn by the beggar when he was "at work."
Jesus called, and what did Bartimaeus do? He threw down on the ground his license to work as a beggar. Ask yourself, did he already have a copy of the Bible? Had he already read Mark 10:52? Let's read it now: "And Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well.' Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road."
Once more: Did Bartimaeus exercise his faith by saying, "If Jesus can heal me and restore my sight, I will turn in my beggars cloak?" What did he do? His action, by throwing aside his cloak, said more loudly than the shouting he had just been doing to get the ear of Jesus, that he had no "Plan B." From personal experience over more than 30 years, I have seen Plan B cheat hundreds, perhaps thousands of people from receiving what God had already done for them. But not Bartimaeus! What if he had not received his sight whole again? Read the verse again. Did "what if" even occur to him? This testimony of Bartimaeus receiving his sight is evidence of God's willingness to do it again. And He does every time that, "but what if" do not come along for the ride.
One other quick, but important point, and we will move on. Jesus said in verse 52, "...your faith has made you well." In the KJV, it says "whole," and in the Amplified, "healed you." Remember the word, "sozo" back a few chapters? "Sozo" is that word from Romans 10:9 that is translated "saved." But, as a reminder, it also means, "healed," "made whole," "delivered" and "protected." When God saves (redeems from the power of sin) someone, He goes all out, doesn't He?
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