Remember the Bartimaeus nearby who needs someone to say Jesus is calling

During our seasons of being blessed, we sometimes forget that all around us there are people living in darkness. That darkness could be of their own making, or it could be beyond their choosing. Such was the case of a man known in the Bible as blind Bartimaeus.

This man lived as the lowest of the low most of his life. He lived near the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Don’t miss that symbolism. And we don’t even know this poor fellow’s name. Bartimaeus was not his name, it was his description. Bar-Timaeus means son of Timaeus. He was legally blind and had a Roman government license to beg, his cloak.

As Jesus and the disciples were leaving Jericho, they encountered Bartimaeus begging at his usual spot. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was coming, he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Bartimaeus had heard all about Jesus’ healing power and, since he called Jesus “Son of David,” it was evident that Bartimaeus believed Jesus was the promised Messiah. The crowd, lacking compassion, told Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he cried out even more.

Jesus stopped and told the disciples to call him over. It was that moment that changed Bartimaeus’ life forever. Scripture says he sprang up and threw off his cloak. The cloak in those days was very important to a beggar because it was a license to beg by the Roman government. When he threw off that cloak, Bartimaeus was saying, “I’m leaving the old life behind. From now on, I trust Jesus as my source of provision.”

We live among many right now who need to throw off the cloak of hopelessness. They may not be sitting along the roadside, but they are out there. They are at the grocery store, the department store, the hospital, everywhere.

And here is where you and I are found in the narrative of Bartimaeus’ story. Notice that Jesus didn’t personally go over to blind Bartimaeus and tell him to get up. He told the disciples, the common people, to tell him, “Jesus is calling. He wants to see you.”

Nothing has changed. Jesus is still telling his followers today, “Go tell that down-and-out person that I want to meet their deepest need.” It’s you and I that have the great privilege to link the Bartimaeus near you to the only one who can bring them out of their darkness, Jesus.

Ken Staley is pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove, 9:30 a.m., and Harrisville Methodist Church, 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. Text Ken at 918-852-9797.