Mark 10.46-52 tells the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man who lived near Jericho. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Others told him to quiet down, but he shouted all the more. If only the sighted could see our need as well as he!
Bartimaeus was not content to imagine his surroundings; he wanted to see things -for better or worse- as they actually were. He was not content to be a beggar (as was the common practice of the impaired in his day); perhaps he wanted to contribute to his community. For these, he had but one need: Jesus.
In the Old Testament, God often opened the eyes of man to see invisible realty. In Genesis 21.19, God opened the eyes of Hagar to see water in the desert. In 2 Kings 6.17, God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant to see the Army of God. Mind you, these were sighted people. In the New Testament, we see Jesus as the eye-opener. Each of the four gospels contains accounts of Jesus healing the physically blind; his power, mercy and compassion are unmatched! Perhaps more amazing, Jesus also gives sight to the sighted.
Revelation 3.17 sums what I've learned today. "You say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and don't need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, poor, pitiful, blind and naked." I have certainly seen that, apart from Christ, I have all these attributes. And 21st Century American culture could certainly be described as such. We are so rich in terms of finances, academia, power, possessions, influence ... that we need Jesus to open our eyes. We need to see the the truth about who we really are, and we need to see the Truth of who He is.
2 comments:
Great!
God has also opened some people's eyes to what is going to happen when the devil comes down to deceive, if it were possible, even the very Elect. The world will wonder after him--even "Christians". But woe to those who give suck in those days.
If one would read 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, Mark 13, Matthew 24, or, of course, Revelation Chapter 12. one might get his or her eyes opened also. Did they Overcome him by flying away? No, they overcame him BY THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY. Luke 21 covers this very event. They did not meditate what to say , but they let the Holy Spirit speak through them. These are the ones with Oil in Their lamps-- Truth.
That is my 2 cents in the well. Thanks for opening that up.
God Bless.
And I do mean-- read WHOLE CHAPTERS-- just to make that clear. The above post works great, but for what I am trying to show the chapters must be read. That way you hear it from God and NOT ME.
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