‘re-thinking’ some of the parables No.3
Mark 10:46-52. And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and to say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me". And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, "Son of David, have mercy on me." And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, "Be of go comfort, rise, He calleth thee." And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" The blind man said unto Him, "Lord, that I might receive my sight." And Jesus said unto him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole." And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Jesus, along with those that were close to Him - His disciples, His disciplined ones - and a large number who were keeping up with the Living Word, left Jericho behind en-route for Jerusalem. Quite a long time ago God had to break down the restricting walls of Jericho thinking and He didn’t plan for His people to dwell there! Bartimæus was probably from there. His name has an interesting meaning; it is just ‘son of Timæus’. Timæus s means in the original, UNCLEAN or CONTAMINATED in a religious sense. Thus we can conclude that he came from a ‘contaminated’ religious background and had no vision and thus no walk!
Bartimæus had his regular ‘pew’ very near the highway where he knew people walked and journeyed to their next stop. There he sat, not going anywhere, just begging for a small handout of what other people had . . .if they had anything having been in Jericho! He had nothing and for some time he had been separated from any that had vision. Yes, he was lonely too! Being a ‘saved’ person (he knew enough to call out to Jesus), there was a deep longing within that his lack of clear vision would someday be met....probably some future time ‘when Jesus comes!’ as some folk today would say. He knew that with Jesus - if only he could get face to face with ‘the Son of David’- the answer to his cry would be met. He understood enough to realize that Jesus - ‘The Son of David’ - was God’s way of declaring that He was the future King of God’s kingdom.
Bartimæus was sitting in the same place as he’d been for years - yes, sitting...going nowhere on a highway meant for going places. He was in bondage to that place because he had no vision. Now he hears a people coming and about to pass by; he then heard someone mention Jesus, so he shamelessly began to cry out for Jesus to answer his need. Some of the followers of Jesus (probably those not so close to Jesus and not wanting to miss anything He might say) told him to be quiet; to them it wasn’t necessary for Bartimæus to get his eyes open right then! Glory to God, he knew what he wanted and he was not going to be put down by either the hard of hearing, the majority vote, or the uncaring. When you, or I, or Bartimæus cry out to Jesus, He will desire your presence and He will speak to you. Don’t be afraid of what He might say or show you. The response of the man was dramatic; first he cast aside his old covering, that special coat (outward display) that marked him as a blind man. It represented his old carnal, self-centered thinking that he’d hidden under for so long....yes, that ’ought-to’ cloak and that old ‘traditional-thinking-behaviour’ coat. With that discarded, he then got up, no more of the earth, earthy, and in that risen state he was more aware of Jesus than ever before in his life.
Jesus spoke to him: "Bartimæus, What do you need from Me the most?" The answer spilled out of his mouth, "Rabboni, I need my vision." Jesus just spoke: "Go thy way, your ‘hanging-in there’ faith has been noticed." He received his sight and followed JESUS, THE LIVING WORD where HE WAS GOING!
Are you sitting in the same place of experience and understanding that you have been in for a long time? Do you have a clear vision of the Kingdom of God? Can you see clearly what is ‘present truth’? What is God doing in this hour? There is a new and fuller vision for God’s people in this hour. We have been in a rut because of our inability to see something greater.
GOD’S PLAN
Jesus (The Word) is God-thought mediated in and to the flesh. Jesus is passing by. God is releasing His thinking, His will, in us via the mind of Christ which the Bible says that we have. He is desiring that His still small voice be recognized within. This is how He is apprehending His firstborn sons.
BLINDLY ACCEPTING THE SONSHIP VISION WITHOUT THE ACCOMPANYING DESIRE FOR CHANGE TO MATURITY IN OUR THINKING AND WALK, WILL BE EXPOSED as ‘knowledge that puffeth up.’
The processing of our lives, which shows the thinking that we have yielded to, will most certainly touch every one of our attitudes. Dealings that we have thought to have been accomplished in us, will be challenged again. Religious phrases out of our mouths will get exposed as just being that, religious phrases! Initial beliefs in our understanding will start to look very incomplete until the Holy Spirit teaches us His new emphases.
The Holy Spirit will be birthing in us an expectation of change; the corruptible putting on incorruptibility and this mortal putting on immortality. He will enable us TO BELIEVE His Word and not just give mental assent to it’s content or the way it has been presented to us by others. "Oh, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Let the cry in your heart be shamelessly expressed to the Lord Jesus; He will open your eyes as to where He is going in this hour. HE is moving towards Jerusalem.. the heavenly Jerusalem (us) which is Father’s desired end...to the city of the Living God...to the church of the FIRSTBORN (Hebrews 12:22+23). This Church will be those who are pressing towards this mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus which is His Fullness. §