"A DESPERATE CRY" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 10/13/26

“…and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” (Mark 10:46-48)

It is significant that as Jesus and His disciples, now in the final leg of their journey to Jerusalem, should be passing through Jericho. As Jesus was going to Jerusalem to become a curse for sin, He routed His approach through Jericho, the city of the curse, where He would lift the curse of sin from some who dwelt there. As He was passing through, He singled out and called Zacchaeus, one of Jericho’s most prominent and wealthy citizens; and as He went out of the city, He responded to the desperate cry of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who sat outside the gate.

Christ came to bring light to a world in darkness - to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Perhaps this accounts for why the Gospel writers record so many of Christ’s miracles done on behalf of the blind. In those without physical sight is pictured the spiritual condition of sinners who are in spiritual darkness. The example of blind Bartimaeus is one which we could wish that every sinner who sits in spiritual darkness might imitate.

Notice how his ears became his eyes. Even out of his darkness and poverty he was made to see. “Faith cometh by hearing” (Rom. 10:17) not by seeing. “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth.” He had been hearing a great deal about Jesus, and from what he had heard from the Scripture about Messiah, he knew that Jesus had to be the long awaited “Son of David” that was to come. His spiritual eyes were opened, and his dawning faith believed in the power and willingness of the Savior to help him. This well-founded confidence distinguished itself in persistence and perseverance, as true faith inevitably will do.

He persisted in seeking Christ despite much harassment and many discouragements. No one prompted him to seek the Lord - no human person, that is. His understanding came from the Holy Spirit. Jesus, without question, was aware of him, and made Himself known to him, but not one person in this large crowd, not even one of Jesus’ disciples, reached out to him. Not only that, but many even opposed him, charging him to keep quiet. Seekers of Christ will always meet with opposition, but to the awakened soul, it will be to no avail. Notice, “But, he cried the more, a great deal.” If you would be saved, do not allow any amount of opposition to hinder you. To those who will dare to hinder seeking souls, remember what Jesus said: “But whoso shall offend (cause to stumble) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

His encouragement came from Him who really matters. Mark tells us in verse 49 that “Jesus stood still.” Blind men walk to sound. Jesus is not playing “hide and seek” with lost souls. The Gospel is not given in riddles to be solved. There are no secret codes to decipher. By Divine Revelation the message is made clear and plain. The terrain around Jericho was rough and potentially treacherous for a blind man. So, Jesus stood still and commanded that the man be called. This is the church’s commission - to take the message to sinners. Oh, what a “joyful sound” the Gospel is! They called out to this blind man, “Be of good comfort, rise: He calleth thee.” This was music to His ears.

This desperate man made the most of his opportunity. In the fiftieth verse Mark says, “he cast away his garment,” not wanting anything to hinder him. Sinners must cast off the old garment of sin that would beset them (Heb. 12:1). He “rose,” or literally, “sprang to his feet,” as the word means, and “came to Jesus”; he came straight to Jesus. Jesus will be found by those who earnestly seek Him. Not only that, He will enable the disabled (which is what we all are) to get to Him. The man received physical sight to go with spiritual sight he had already received, and he “followed Jesus in the way.”