Throwin' off your cape! 8.29

What holds you back? What puts you down? What makes you turn back from doing bigger and better things?

In Mark 10, it tells the story of blind Bartimaeus. Obviously, Bartimaeus had a few things that would hold him back. Being blind would make life difficult alone. Second, disabled people were separated from society. He was poor and could not earn enough money to take care of himself. He had to beg. His cloak or cape was an identifier, it showed he was a poor, blind beggar.

Bartimaeus was sitting begging on the side of the road when he heard that Jesus was walking by. He couldn't see to know for sure, but Bartimaeus got so excited he started shouting

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

People around him told him to quiet down, but that made him shout louder,

"Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Now we know that David the shepherd King lived loooooonnngg before Jesus and Bartimaeus wasn't saying that Jesus was really David's son, but rather his descendent. This is important because scripture had prophecied the savior would be a descendent of David. So when Bartimaeus called him "Son of David", he was proclaiming him Savior.

49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

Bartimaeus didn't take off his cape and fold it neatly so he could come back to it later - NO! he THREW it off and jumped up. He couldn't see where he was going, but he knew he wanted to go to Jesus.

51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

Rabbi means teacher, but Bartimaeus didn't ask to learn anything, he asked to get his sight back - to be healed. So far Bartimaeus has been shouting and proclaiming Jesus as Savior, teacher/prophet, and healer. He believed big stuff about who Jesus was and what he could do.

52"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Bartimaeus didn't run off to throw a party, no, he knew that what he wanted was to follow Jesus.

Bartimaeus had his cape, something that held him back, marked his life. He decided he didn't want to continue and he knew Jesus was the answer.

What is it that holds you back?

Is it something people have told you? People told Bartimaeus to be quiet, not to disturb the master. He ignored them. He even shouted louder over them. He knew what he needed and he made sure he got it. Maybe someone has told you that you can't do something or that you are worthless. Don't listen.

Maybe it's your circumstances. Bartimaeus was stuck at the bottom of society. He had no way to make his life better - no way to change anything. He was powerless. Maybe you are in a situation where you're powerless - you can't fix your problems. Will you shout out to Jesus as your answer?