Reflections for Easter: Open the Eyes of My Heart

Mark 10:46-52 ~

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.

The blind man sat day after day, hoping and praying for a miracle. When he realized that Jesus was in the temple, he began to shout, "Have mercy on me!" And Jesus did. He spoke the words, "You are healed."  And the man could see. 

Did he run back home to family and friends?  No, these verses tell us he followed Jesus.  Immediately following this passage of scripture, is the narrative of Palm Sunday.  The crowds shouted and cried, "Hosanna!"   They were shouting for a king to release them from bondage.  They were looking for an insurrection.  Their cries of homage and praise were the words that actually sent him to the cross as those in leadership looked on in anger.  The crowd was blind to who Jesus really was.

The blind man called Jesus, "Son of David" which was a Messianic term.  In other words, he already saw who Jesus was before his physical eyes were opened.  His following of Christ on the road showed his devotion to the One who opened his eyes.

The contrast is amazing here when you get down into the details of the story.  It's a comparison between a blind man who saw with his heart and eventually with his eyes, and a seeing crowd who were spiritually blind.  This crowd shouting praises were the same ones who shouted curses a week later. Soul blindness can be a terrible thing.

My prayer is that my heart will see the One I worship.  That I won't shout praises one moment and yet, when things don't go my way, I begin to spout off anger and curses. I don't want to be fickle as I follow Christ. I have been given sight and I want to sing God's praises.  Following Jesus along the road led to the foot of the cross.  And often it leads me to pick up a cross as I follow Him.

As I walk along the road, my prayer is that the eyes of my heart remain open. That I will see what it really means to follow Christ. That I will also see people through His eyes. So often, we look and think we see but we are blind. The angry neighbor may be hurting inside. The irritating person sitting next to me in the pew may be going through a severe trial. That disruptive child may be acting out because of a home situation. The rude clerk may have just received bad news. 

May we see with our hearts. May we see others as Christ sees them. May our prayer be , "Open my eyes!"