Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give account of Jesus restoring the blind man’s sight, but it is Mark who gives the man’s name – Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). Jonathan pointed out to us that Bartimaeus’s blindness was physical, not spiritual. We know by several key facts in this passage.
- Bartimaeus couldn’t see Jesus with His eyes but still recognized Him with his heart. He knew Jesus to be the Messiah, calling Him “Son of David” when the rest of the crowd referred to Him as Jesus of Nazareth (vs 47).
- When Jesus called him, Bartimaeus threw off a piece of clothing that likely identified him as a beggar and would have been one of his only and most prized possessions – his cloak. And he went to Jesus (vs 49-50).
- Jesus told Bartimaeus it was his faith that made him well (vs 52).
Someone else came to mind with a similar story to Bartimaeus. You may already be familiar with her. I sang hymns written by her for decades before ever learning her name and story. Fannie Crosby was born in the early 19th century and became blind at only six weeks old. Remaining that way for the rest of her life, Fannie would never know what it was like to look at the sky and see it painted with the vibrant colors of a sunrise or meet the gaze of her husband and see love in his eyes. There was much she would have missed out on due to the loss of her eyesight… yet she could see. Like Bartimaeus, she possessed keen spiritual vision.
A few of her most popular hymns include “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Blessed Assurance,” “To God Be the Glory,” “Near the Cross,” “I Am Thine, O Lord,” and “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.” In each of these hymns is the inclusion of wording that has to do with seeing – “looking,” “visions,” “sight,” “see,” “scenes.”
The Worship Team led us through Fannie’s song, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” on Sunday. These are the opening lines, specifically how Fannie wrote them:
All the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Now factor in her blindness and read those words again. Can you sense the trust and worship behind her words? Lord, many of us have not struggled with blindness like Bartimaeus or Fannie, yet we’ve so often failed to recognize You as Rabboni – Master, Lord – and the Savior who leads and guides. Forgive us, Father. Thank You for working through faithful individuals like Bartimaeus and Fannie to reveal our blindness and remind us to follow You.