Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Sara Karow.
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:46-52
In modern American life, physical blindness is treated with compassion, with myriad programs and educational opportunities created to enable the sightless to participate as fully and independently as possible. But it wasn’t always so.
In Jesus’ day, blindness was not only a disability rendering a person unable to support himself or herself, but the blind were often outcasts in a community that believed physical flaws were manifestations of sin. But the beggar Bartimaeus, even in his blindness, saw Jesus and recognized His healing power.
Our spiritual and emotional blindness comes in so many varieties. We can be blind to our own shortcomings, blind to the needs of those in our families and circles of acquaintance, blind to the hungry and homeless, blind to the unspoken prejudices we might harbor toward those who are different from us in race, religion, politics, or economic status. These forms of blindness put us at odds with God’s will that we love one another as he loves us.
The Good News is that through Christ we are offered an endless stream of opportunities to be healed of our many blindness’s and to share His healing touch with others. Our eyes and our hearts can be opened. And, like Bartimaeus, all we need do is ask.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father and Healer of all, help us to recognize the parts of ourselves that are blind and broken. As Jesus healed Bartimaeus, heal our own hearts and minds that we may live to bless others with the Good News of your love and compassion. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
February 27, 2015 at 10:17 pm |
Sara, your prayer at the end went straight to me heart. Going to seminary at this time, want to bring a large community of Mexican Americans into my church. There are large families and many children that need a church home. We will obtain the statue of the Lady of Guadalupe to make them feel at home. Thank you for that prayer, felt you wrote it for me.