“Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging- Mark 10:46. The blind beggar had a clear insight into Christ’s place and dignity. The multitude said to him, “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.” That was all they cared for or knew. He cries, “Jesus, Thou Son of David” [Mark 10:47], distinctly recognizing our Lord’s Messianic character, His power and authority, and on that power and authority he built a confidence; for he says not as some other suppliants had done, either, “If thou wilt thou canst” [Matt. 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12], or, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us” [Mark 9:22;]: he is sure of both the power and the will. Now, it is interesting to notice that this same clear insight other blind men in the Evangelist’s story are also represented as having had. Blindness has its compensations; it leads to a certain steadfast brooding upon thoughts, free from disturbing influences. Seeing Jesus did not work faith; not seeing Him seems to have helped it. It left imagination to work undisturbed, and He was all the loftier to these men because the conceptions of their minds were not limited by the vision of their eyes. At all events, here is a distinct piece of insight into Christ’s dignity, power, and will to which the seeing multitudes were blind. The disciples attempted to stifle the cry. No doubt it was in defense of the Master’s dignity, as they construed it, that the people sought to silence the persistent, strident voice piercing through their hosannas. They did not know that the cry of wretchedness was far sweeter to Him than their shallow hallelujahs. Christian people of all churches very especially, have been a great deal more careful of Christ’s dignity than He is, and have felt that their formal worship was indecorously disturbed when by chance some earnest voice forced its way through it with the cry of need and desire. But this man had been accustomed for many a day, sitting outside the gate, to reiterate his petition when it was unattended to, and to make it heard amid the noise of passers-by. So he was persistently bold and importunate and shameless, as the shallow critics thought, in his crying. The more they silenced him the more a great deal he cried. Would God that we had more crying like that; and that Christ’s servants did not so often seek to suppress it, as some of them do. If there are any of you who, by reason of companions, or cares, or habits, or sorrows, or a feeble conception of your own need, or a doubtful recognition of Christ’s power and mercy, have been tempted to stop your supplications, do like Bartimaeus, and the more these, your enemies, seek to silence the deepest voice that is in you, the more let it speak. In Celebration of Life in Him, Dr. Jim DeBruhl, gembeaux@bellsouth.net " Everything is wrong until God makes it right,"
