One Blind Beggar

His infirmity dictated his livelihood. He was a beggar. The options of education and gainful employment were denied him by the blindness that had limited his life. Survival required that he crouch by the roadside, tin cup in hand, and endure the abject humiliation of asking for something while giving nothing in return. He was a burden on society. His handicap reaped a bountiful harvest of shame for him and his poor family.

Eyes that could not see made for sharp ears that heard better than most. A commotion along the roadway captured his imagination and brought all his senses to bear on the goings-on. Then, he heard the name that had been on the lips of passersby for almost three years.

What he could not see with dead eyes, he saw clearly with faith. The crowd pressed closer. Over and again he heard that name mentioned. With muscles tensed, nerves on edge, sensing that the very air was filled with possibility, Bartimaeus began pressing his way through the crowd and crying out that name:

“Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!”

The Lord’s well-intentioned entourage tried to quiet the blind beggar. After all, honored guests should never be accosted by the needs of the lowly. Guests should be treated with dignity and honor. They should be given gifts and served the best the host has to offer. But, Jesus was always reaching for the “ONE.”

A poor blind beggar cried out His name and the God of Heaven stopped dead still. He called for Bartimaeus. The blind man threw down his cloak, the one possession that even the law could not take from him. But, Jesus was worth more to him than any worldly possession. He would give away anything, everything, for just one gentle word from the Master.

Mark 10:52 “And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

If one poor, begging blind man could arrest the attention of the King of Kings, imagine how God’s great heart longs to meet the desperate needs of a dying world. He reaches for each man, each woman, each young person one soul at a time. He reaches for them through you.

2006

THE YEAR OF

“ONE”

Are you doing your best to reach ONE?