When We Face Problems, God Cares
Have you ever wondered if God cares about your problems, or hears your prayers? Today's meditation answers that question when Jesus hears the cry of a blindman and stops to care for him. I hope this story encourages you, and gives you new incentive to hear and help others as Jesus did. As always, to get this in your inbox, scroll to the bottom and subscribe, or share it with others on Facebook. I hope your weekend is wonderful!
When We Face Problems, God Cares
Mark 10:46-52 NIV
46 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. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Crying Out to God for Help
Have you ever wondered if God cares about the problems people have? Or if God hears us when we ask Him for help? I certainly have wrestled with those questions at different times in my life. Maybe you or someone you know has had the same experience.
In Disney's animated musical, “Hunchback,” there's a poignant scene when Esmeralda, a young, kind gypsy woman, seeks refuge in the cathedral of Notre Dame from evil henchmen.
Surrounded by the cathedral’s classic architecture, the desparate Esmeralda cries out to God. Unlike the other worshippers asking for personal gain, Esmeralda's prayer is for others facing problems, including her people.
The cry of her song, "God Help the Outcasts," echoes not only through the great cathedral, but in our hearts as she expresses her doubt about whether God hears us or cares about our problems.
I don't know if you can hear me
Or if you're even there
I don't know if You will listen
To a humble prayer
They tell me I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to You
Still I see your face and wonder
Were you once an outcast too?
Esmeralda's musical plea illustrates the plight of the blind beggar in our scripture today. He's a man known as Blind Bartimaeus, a name that succinctly describes his situation. He is someone's son -- Bartimaeus means "son of Timaeus" -- and he is blind. I'm sure Blind Bartimaeus felt in his heart some of the same ambivalence our fictional Esmeralda expresses - Can God hear me? Is God there? Will God listen? Should a beggar like me even bother Him?
As we delve into Mark's account of this story, we're invited to see the world through God's eyes - to notice those on the margins, to hear their cries, and to understand that when we face problems, God really cares. And not only does He care, but He actively works to help us.
In this scripture passage from Mark 10:46-52, we see Jesus doing what Esmeralda's song imagines – God helping those facing difficulty. Let's explore how this encounter challenges us to a deeper understanding of faith and compassion, and what it means in God's kingdom.
The God Who Sees and Hears
In ancient Middle Eastern culture, disability or disease was often seen as punishment for sin. In other words, your problems were your fault. In John's account of a similar story, the disciples ask Jesus, "Master, who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind?" (John 9:1-3) Of course, Jesus replies that neither the man nor his parents had sinned, but that this was the occasion for the power and presence of God to be shown.
In a world that often rushes past people with problems, Jesus stops. The contrast in this story is stark: a bustling crowd, eager to move on, and a man whose life has been permanently disrupted by blindness. Bartimaeus calls out from the side of the road, shunted aside by the society rushing past. But Jesus, the Son of David, pauses on his journey to Jerusalem to answer his cry.
This moment when Jesus stops captures a profound truth: when we face problems, God cares. He doesn't just care in an abstract, distant way. He stops. He listens. He asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" (v. 51)
Persistence in the Face of Silence
This divine attention to our needs stands in stark contrast to how the world often responds to those crying out for help. Bartimaeus' cry for mercy was met with resistance. "Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet" (v. 48).
Maybe, like Esmeralda, many in the crowd thought that a poor person -- and a blind beggar, at that -- shouldn't bother Jesus. Or perhaps in their rush to Jerusalem for the Passover season, those in the crowd simply did not want to be delayed by the suffering of an insignificant blindman. Whatever the reason, we know that some would discourage us from crying out to God.
Sometimes discouraging voices about whether God cares come from others, and sometimes they come from our own doubts. The crowd's attempt to quiet Bartimaeus reminds us that the world doesn't always understand or welcome our deep cries for help.
But despite the crowd's attempts to silence him, Bartimaeus persists. It's a powerful reminder that in our moments of struggle, when answers seem delayed and hope feels distant, faith that holds on is not pointless. God hears our cries, even when the world tries to drown them out.
The Transformative Power of Being Seen
Not only does the crowd hear Bartimaeus, but Jesus hears him, too. Above the din of pilgrims shuffling on their way to Jerusalem, and the repeated loud and callous rebukes of Bartimaeus, Jesus hears his cry for help.
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks. In asking this question, Jesus does more than acknowledge Bartimaeus' presence - he affirms Bartimaeus' dignity and worth. For a man who had been defined by his blindness for years, Jesus' question was empowering to the sightless man. Although it might seem obvious what Bartimaeus needs, Jesus' question invites his response.
Bartimaeus' emphatic statement "Rabbi, I want to see" (v. 51), is both literal and deeply symbolic. Beyond physical sight, he's asking for a complete transformation of his life. In the first century Mediterranean world, people with disabilities - the blind, lame, deaf, and chronically ill like lepers - were outcasts from society. They could not work, they were not accommodated in public, and they were seen as a drag on society. So when Bartimaeus tells Jesus "I want to see" he is not only asking for physical sight, but for the ability to re-enter the social world of friends, family, work and worship from which he has been excluded.
Jesus hears this cry from Bartimaeus. And Jesus takes action. But Jesus doesn't touch Bartimaeus. Nor does he make an eye ointment of spit and dirt as he does in another story. No, Jesus gently speaks to Bartimaeus, acknowledging Bartimaeus' own role in his healing: "Go, your faith has healed you" (v. 52).
From this story we learn that God not only hears our cry and cares for us, but that God engages with us personally. He invites us to voice our deepest needs, and involves us in our own transformation.
From Receiver to Follower
The story could have ended with Bartimaeus receiving his sight and going back to his family and village. Instead, we're told, "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road" (v. 52). This detail is crucial. Bartimaeus' healing is not just a private miracle, it’s the beginning of a public commitment.
In following Jesus, Bartimaeus shows us that experiencing God's care isn't just about receiving help - it's an invitation to a new way of life. Our problems, when met with God's compassion, can become turning points that lead us into a closer walk with God.
Seeing with New Eyes
As we think about Bartimaeus' story, we're challenged to see our own lives differently. When do we feel like we're left by the roadside, overlooked or silenced? When do we need to keep crying out to God, even when doubt or people discourage us? And, most importantly -- What would we say if Jesus asked us, "What do you want me to do for you?"
In addition to our own lives, this passage invites us to see others through the eyes of Jesus. Who are the Blind Bartimaeuses in our world - the ones society overlooks but Jesus stops for? How can we, as followers of Christ, be agents of God's care in a world full of problems?
Conclusion: Seeing and Following
Bartimaeus' story is more than a tale of physical healing. It's a powerful reminder that when we face problems, God cares deeply and acts personally. From the ancient roadside of Jericho to the modern streets of our own community, Jesus continues to stop, listen, and transform lives.
Like Bartimaeus, we're all on a journey from blindness to sight, from the margins to the center of God's love, from crying out to following Him. Our problems, instead of separating us from God, can draw us closer to Him as we experience His care.
We all have our own struggles. But our hope must be for the unbridled courage of Bartimaeus, the faith in Jesus' power to change us, and the willingness to follow Him to a new life.
And as we experience God's care, our eyes will be opened not only to His love for us, but also for those around us who are longing to be seen and heard.
Let's join with others to form a community which acts like Jesus. One that stops for the Blind Bartimaeuses of our world, and shares God’s power and love. And, when we do that we participate in God's compassionate care for His creation.
Remember our fictional friend, Esmeralda? In the chorus of her song she pleads with God to help those facing problems --
God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
The lost and forgotten
They look to you still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will.
While the words describe the historic plight of outcasts, the last two lines – “God help the outcasts, or nobody will “- must be changed.
As the story of Blind Bartimaeus reminds us, God does help the outcasts and those with problems. And as those who have experienced God’s help, we can show God’s compassionate love to others. Perhaps a better ending to the song would be...
God helps the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Shows them the mercy
They don't find on earth
The lost and forgotten
They look to Him still
God helps the outcasts
As we surely will.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Loving God, we thank You for seeing us in our struggles and hearing our cries. Like Bartimaeus, we often find ourselves on the margins, facing problems that seem insurmountable. Give us the persistence to keep calling out to You, even when others would silence us. Open our eyes to see Your presence. Help us to be agents of Your care in the world, seeing and stopping for those whom others overlook. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Reflections for the Week Ahead
1.Monday: Reflect on a time when you felt overlooked or silenced. How did you experience God's care in that situation?
2. Tuesday: If Jesus asked you today, "What do you want me to do for you?", what would you say? Take time to articulate this in prayer.
3. Wednesday: Consider the "crowds" in your life that might be hindering your connection with Jesus. How can you persist in faith despite these obstacles?
4. Thursday: Think about someone in your community who might feel like an "outcast." How can you show them God's care this week?
5. Friday: Reflect on how an encounter with Jesus has changed your life's direction. How are you "following Him on the road" today?
6. Saturday: Look for opportunities to "stop" for someone in need today, as Jesus stopped for Bartimaeus. How might this small act reflect God's care?
