What Color is Your Parachute, Bartimaeus?

This is one of my favourite stories. But it's not because of the actual event as told in Mark 10 -- it's because I loved a song that I used to sing about it.

Here's the story of Bartimaeus: he was blind, begging on the side of the road going to Jericho. Jesus and His entourage were passing by, and pretty much all Bartimaeus heard was a big parade of people. So he started yelling -- "Son of David! Have mercy!" This is probably what every beggar was yelling that day on the Jericho road. Can you imagine the noise? People walking, people yelling, the crowd (which was pretty substantial by that time).

And then Jesus stops dead in his tracks, says "bring that guy, that particular one, over here." And then Jesus asks him what he wants. Bartimaeus says "I just want to see." So Jesus says "Ok. On your way. Your faith has saved you. You're healed."

Jesus healed a lot of people when He was here on earth. But why some and not others? It's probably got to do with faith -- He recognises Bartimaeus' faith, and that's why He heals him. Since begging by the roadside was pretty much a career, you had to be open to new career choices if you were going to be healed. This may have had something to do with why not everyone ended up getting healed.

But I digress. The song is what I loved, because it made Bartimaeus a real person for me. Here's the chorus:

Bartimaeus, there's no

need to be afraid of someone you can't see,

when you know He can bring you sight

And we, your blind brothers, well, we

We too have discovered

When you turn to Him,

He turns then

And in Him you'll find life.

(from "Bartimaeus" by Rich Mullins)

So quit that dumb job, Bartimaeus. Your possibilities are endless.

xoxox