Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus was a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road outside Jericho. That was his life — defined by what he couldn’t do, reduced to what he needed, ignored by the people walking past. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming through, he did the only thing he could do. He shouted.

The crowd told him to be quiet. Not the Pharisees. Not the religious elite. Ordinary people on their way to see Jesus told this blind beggar to stop making noise. To know his place. To not bother the man.

He shouted louder.

And Jesus stopped. In the middle of the crowd, with somewhere to be, Jesus stopped and said “call him.” The same crowd that had just told Bartimaeus to shut up suddenly turned around and said “cheer up, on your feet, he’s calling you.” Bartimaeus threw off his cloak — the one possession a beggar owned — jumped to his feet, and came to Jesus.

Jesus asked him the same question he had just asked two of his own disciples: “What do you want me to do for you?” Not assumed. Not presumed. Asked. Bartimaeus said he wanted to see. And Jesus healed him — and told him his faith had done it.

He was the man everyone talked over. Jesus stopped the whole procession for him.