Prayer
As always, we open with prayer. Is there anything on your mind that we can pray for this evening?
Praise
“Blind Bartimaeus at the gates
Of Jericho in darkness waits;
He hears the crowd;—he hears a breath
Say, “It is Christ of Nazareth!”
And calls, in tones of agony,
“Jesus, have mercy now on me!”
The thronging multitudes increase;
Blind Bartimeus, hold thy peace!
But still, above the noisy crowd,
The beggar’s cry is shrill and loud;
Until they say, “He calleth thee!”
“Fear not! Arise! He calleth thee!”
– HW Longfellow
Passage
Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Ponder
1. What part of Bartimaeus’ story catches your attention most, and why? Is there anything here that you may not have noticed as fully as since last you read this story?
2. Why do you think the crowd told Bartimaeus to be quiet? How do you think he felt in that moment?
3. Are there areas in your life where you feel like you’re “sitting by the roadside,” waiting for Jesus’ help? If you are willing and feel safe, please share with us so we can pray for you together right now.
4. Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Why do you think Jesus asked this, even though Bartimaeus' need seemed so very obvious?
5. Jesus says, “Your faith has healed/saved you.” Has there been a time in which your faith has ‘healed’ you or ‘saved’ you and brought about transformation? When was it?
6. In what ways can we identify with Bartimaeus’ persistence, especially when others may discourage us like in this story? Or maybe, for some of us, the better question is, “How can we be more mindful of those around us who may feel unseen or unheard?” Please feel free to answer either one.
Pray & Part
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