Asking for the Right Thing

Bartimaeus reminds us to ask of God that which helps us follow Him.

By Mark McDermott

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Are all of us as blind as Bartimaeus? The human condition, blind to the future and the totality of the circumstances of the world, can appear as little more than begging for subsistence from others. In living this condition day after day, however, Bartimaeus had clearly not despaired. He knows who Jesus is. Perhaps he even spent weeks and months hoping that Jesus would happen to pass by on the road. When Jesus finally does come by, Bartimaeus does not treat him as any ordinary traveler. Any other passerby would only be able to give some food, water, or money – if they gave anything at all.

But Bartimaeus knows Jesus is different. His first request is not for something tangible, but for Jesus’s compassion: “ ‘Son of David, have pity on me!’ ” (Mark 10:47). And when given the opportunity to make his needs known to Christ, he asks for sight, something only God can give him.

We are always encouraged to pray to God for our needs, but Bartimaeus embodies the importance of separating worldly concerns from the problems that keep us away from God. Dependence on God cannot reduce our relationship with Him to transactions centered upon what we do not have in the physical world. Bartimaeus is healed, and his worldview is literally transformed. This transformation allows Bartimaeus to follow Jesus. His previous lifestyle as a beggar is unthinkable. Is this the kind of request we make of God, for something that will transform our understanding of ourselves and the world?

Compare Bartimaeus with the rich young man Jesus encountered just earlier in this chapter. That man also runs to Jesus to ask a question – but not for Jesus’s pity. Instead, he hopes to justify himself: “ ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ” (Mark 10:17). He hopes to not have to change, and Jesus’s invitation to transformation leaves him crestfallen. Bartimaeus clearly values that “treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21). Jesus offers the rich young man. Bartimaeus’ story is a reminder to ask of God those things that the world cannot give and bring us closer to heaven.

The needs of the world are real to us – Bartimaeus does, after all, receive his sight. But those things which God grants in the physical world are just stepping stones to help us realize the true source of life. Because God loves us, He does not merely provide for us, but grants us the grace we need to choose to follow Him.