“What do you want me to do for you?”

Mark 10:46-52

“What do you want me to do for you?” The question is almost insulting. Bartimaeus has been screaming over the crowd trying to get the attention of Jesus and his disciples, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” As blind as he is, at least he can see that Jesus is the son of David, the Messiah. Once in the presence of Jesus, he quickly responds with an eager humility, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Miraculously, Jesus restores his vision.

“What do you want me to do for you?” That is a powerful question from Jesus. Every sick, blind, or lame person who comes to Jesus in the Gospels wants to be healed. Yet how they are healed varies greatly. Jesus plainly states that Bartimaeus’ faith healed him. But a few chapters earlier in Mark 8, Jesus spits in a guy’s eyes to heal him. In John 9, Jesus makes mud paste to give sight to another. In Luke 7, people touch his robe and are healed. And again in Luke 7, Jesus heals someone he never meets with only the promise to a Centurion that it would happen.

Why?

Because Jesus meets us where we are. Miracles come in forms the recipients understand and almost expect. The Centurion believed in giving orders, therefore Jesus gave an order. The blind men believed in physical contact or medicine and that is what they received. The crowds believed in proximity, therefore the robe was enough. Bartimaeus had faith, and that’s all it took.

Jesus meets us where we are and heals us in a way we can receive.

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:

What cultural and contextual elements are at play in our understanding of how “Jesus works” in our midst? Do we limit how God can work on other people since that is not how we think God would work in our lives?

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, help me receive from you what is best for me. Thank you that you work in my culture and context. Help me believe and understand the ways you work in other cultures and contexts. Amen.

READ THE PASSAGE IN CONTEXT:

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. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Mark 10:46-52