Lord, I Want To See

There was a certain blind man mentioned in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. His name was Bartimaeus, and his eyes were physically blind. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road side begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43 (NIV) Bartimaeus was physically blind, and he called out to Jesus for physical healing. What he received from Jesus that day was both physical and spiritual wholeness. He received physical healing in his eyes, and He also encountered the Messiah who saved his soul and provided sight to his spiritual eyes. When Bartimaeus called out and even shouted, “Son of David,” he was shouting, “Messiah!” Bartimaeus believed he was crying out to the Hope of Israel, the promised Messiah who was sent from God to bring salvation to the Jews. Those around him tried to quiet him down, but he was not going to let this chance at wholeness pass by him. The nearer Jesus came, the louder Bartimaeus shouted. I can almost see his hopes rising, and hear the excitement and anticipation in his voice. Incredibly, Jesus stopped walking. He paused on His way to listen to the cry of a poor beggar. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted. When Bartimaeus answered, his desperate request was heavy with the burden of the blindness he had lived with day after day. When he said, honestly, “Lord, I want to see,” he was telling Jesus, “I can’t see, Lord. Every day I wake up in darkness and I cannot see. I struggle through every meal, every task. My struggle keeps me from getting ahead and I am reduced to begging. I cannot make it in this world because I cannot see. I want to see. I want to be free. This is too heavy a burden for me, too dark a shroud. Help me, Lord, I want to see!” Bartimaeus had lived many years with blindness. One would think he would be better adjusted to his physical limitation, and even overcome it. There are many people today without physical sight who enjoy wonderful lives, achieve high levels of education and success, and even compete in physical sports. Physical blindness may be a challenge, but it does not have to mean a diminished life. Even in the Bible, blindness was not the death sentence that so many diseases of that time were. Bartimaeus also could have politely asked Jesus to meet the immediate needs of the day. When Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus could have asked for clothes to eliminate the embarrassment of wearing rags, food because he was always hungry, money so he would not have to beg, or a job to bring him respect in his community. There are other things Bartimaeus could have asked for which would have improved his life significantly. But, instead, he asked for a complete life changing miracle from Jesus. He did not ask for help and comfort while he coped with his blindness, he boldly asked Jesus for sight.