DCLM Daily Manna Friday 10 March 2023
TOPIC: Lessons from A Blind Man
Text: Mark 10:46-52 (KJV)
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
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.
KEY VERSE
“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
(Mark 10:47)
DCLM Daily Manna Friday 10 March 2023 MESSAGE
One of the many tips teachers offer students as they prepare them for the examination hall, is that they should tackle the easiest questions first. They must not allow themselves to be bogged down by the difficult and time-consuming ones. Otherwise, they would find out that as the invigilator calls for the submission of answer papers when time is up, they would have done little with several questions unattended to.
Bartimaeus was a blind man and a beggar, all rolled into one. However, these handicaps did not bar him from knowing, like well-drilled learners, that he must not waste time battling difficult naysayers who sought to stop him from accessing Jesus, the Friend of the needy. Jesus was not difficult like the others. Therefore, he went to Him, appealing to His Messianic status: “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me”. Bartimaeus got instant attention and healing.
If humanity would recognise their destitution like the blind beggar and assuredly reach out for the help of the One Who came to save them, they would likewise command Christ’s attention and receive deliverance from spiritual and material deprivation. They would be saved from further squandering of their time and resources seeking solutions in wealth, idols, man- made doctrines, philosophies and religions, when the answer is just within a stone’s cast.
The final lesson from Bartimaeus is that getting help from the Lord places some demands on those who call on Him and receive. He did not just receive; he gave something in return. Having had his eyes opened after throwing away the garment that marked him out as a penurious fellow, he followed “Jesus in the way”. We must put off the ways of the world and take to the ways of Jesus as He answers our prayers.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Jesus’ yoke is lighter than the world’s.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 8-10
