Perception

In Mark 10:46-52, we read the story of Bartimaeus. Before we go into his story, we must fully comprehend the depth of his predicament.

Bartimaeus was blind. He lived 2,000 years ago in Israel. Back then, the typical Jew had three avenues of income: farming, fishing, and carpentry. All three required eyesight. Blind persons simply lacked the perception necessary to plow a field or to navigate a boat or to build a house. Accordingly, men like Bartimaeus usually begged for their meals.

Naturally, beggars needed to be positioned where people with surplus money would be. So they would beg in highly-traversed places, such as the gates of the city, where travelers would certainly pass. While most people would ignore their supplications, eventually someone would show pity.

And so the beggar learned to live by the law of averages. Like the modern telemarketer bent on selling magazine subscriptions at the dinner hour, the ancient beggar learned that survival is a product of persistence plus humility. The beggar understood that while rejection is painful, starvation is worse.

Nevertheless, even with his humble persistence, Bartimaeus was barely getting by. He was struggling. While sighted people--while people with perception--walked back and forth to their jobs carrying their money, Bartimaeus sat on the roadside.

To Bartimaeus, it seemed as if the world were passing him by.

And so, Bartimaeus had two problems. First he was blind. Second, he was poor.

There was nothing that he could do about the first problem, so he attended to the second, begging and pleading all the day long for a scrap of bread or some loose change.

Then he heard Jesus. Bartimaeus may have lacked sight, but he had hearing. He may have lacked some perception, but not all of it. When he perceived that Jesus was near, he addressed Him with the title, "Son of David," indicating that he, Bartimaeus, thought Jesus was the Messiah--the Son of God capable of opening blind eyes.

Bartimaeus had been trained as a beggar. So how did he approach Jesus? By begging... with all of his might! When people chastened him, he yelled all the more. He recognized his chance. He used what little perception he had-- and what little training he had--to attract the attention of Jesus. The very persistence and humility that Bartimaeus had developed as a beggar would attract the attention of the Person who could solve all of his problems.

Jesus asked him what he wanted. Bartimaeus could have replied, "Lord, I want to have a bunch of money so I will never have to beg again." If he had, who knows, Jesus might have pointed him to Nicodemus.

Instead of asking for a material blessing, Bartimaeus petitioned the Lord to expand his perception. Bartimaeus knew that if he had greater perception, he would be able to work. If he were able to work, he would no longer have need to beg. Bartimaeus knew that perception was the solution to his problem. So he asked for his sight, and Jesus obliged.

To some extent, we are all like Bartimaeus. We all have struggles for which we have never fully seen victory. A difficult marriage. A difficult financial situation. Rebellious children. A dead end job. You name it. One of us will certainly have it.

But like Bartimaeus, we have a series of choices that we must make if we want to overcome life's obstacles.

First, we must choose to persevere, even if our perseverance brings shame.

Bartimaeus could have stopped begging and then starved to death. But if he had done that, he would have missed his miracle; he would have lacked the perseverance to call on Jesus when the rest of the world told him to shut up.

Bartimaeus learned as a beggar that what other people think is irrelevant. We too must learn this lesson. We too must stand firm even though our decisions may bring ridicule or self-loathing.

Second, we must recognize that lack of perception is the root of our problems.

Yes, Bartimaeus was broke, but he was broke because he was blind. But, when he got his sight back, Bartimaeus never had to beg again. Likewise, we too need to learn that if God grants us perception of our situation--if God opens our eyes, giving us insight into the world around us--we will no longer need to struggle. Instead, like the newly-sighted Bartimaeus who could push a plow or cast a net or drive a nail, we will have the clarity to address our respective situations. Such clarity will make begging obsolete.

Third, and most important, we must use the lessons we have learned in the past to direct our search for perception.

Bartimaeus learned how to use his ears masterfully. He learned how to beg with humble persistence. So when Jesus came, he used his ears to hear his voice, and he responded as a beggar would. We also must develop our senses to seek after the Lord. Moreover, we must use our talents--our skills--to seek after Him. When we find Him, we must seek Him more persistently than we have struggled in our own problems. And when we find Him, we must ask for perception, not merely for a solution to our short-term problem.