And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:49-52

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The stories in the gospels always amaze me. Here you have this blind man named Bartimaeus on the side of the road wanting desperately to be healed. Then he heard Jesus and called out to him. Even though others were giving him a hard time and telling him to quiet down, he called out to Jesus anyway. I love that Jesus, fully human yet also fully God, asks questions. He asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Throughout the gospels, every time God did a miracle, it required two things: God doing his part: power. And humans doing their part: taking action. Bartimaeus had to get up, walk to God, and then speak words of faith out of his mouth. Why did Jesus ask him what he wanted when Jesus already knew what he wanted? I don’t know. But, perhaps he wanted Bartimaeus to exercise his faith and speak it out of his mouth!

This story reminds me of the story of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:4). Ezekiel came across a valley of dry bones, and God told him to speak to the dry bones to live—and they came back to life! Since the beginning of time, God has given mankind the authority to speak and declare things in line with His will. That’s why he warns us about taming our tongues (James 3:8). It took faith for Bartimaeus to ask God to heal him. 

What are you looking for God to do this season? Have faith and ask for it! Even if others are giving you a hard time, don’t let that stop you. Speak it out of your mouth and tie it to the name of Jesus because he is the one who can change, transform, make new, and raise to life!

Next Steps

We are nearing the new year. Try to carve out some time over the next few weeks and reflect on the last year and what you are hoping for in the next year. Are there places in which God is calling to greater faith?