Read
Mark 10:46-52
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  Verse 51(NIV)

Reflect
We read in the Gospels that Jesus ministered to people who were just part of the crowd and seemingly not the focus of what was going on in the text. Blind Bartimaeus, as we know him, was one of those. He called out to Jesus, “Son of David,” a title that described the Messiah. This declaration was a prelude to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as the Lord’s anointed, the true King.

Walking into the town of Jericho, Jesus was surrounded by a roaring crowd, but that did not keep him from hearing the cries of a person who truly needed him. Other people ignored or rebuked this “nobody” named Bartimaeus, but Jesus saw his faith and called him.

With God’s help, we must learn, despite life’s distractions, to keep our eyes open to see and our ears attuned to hear the needs of people around us. When Bartimaeus came over to him, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” This question shows Jesus’ focus on serving the needs of others. Never did he say, “Now you owe me.” Instead, highlighting the man’s trust in him, Jesus said, “Go . . . your faith has healed you.”

We learn from Jesus the importance of being selfless and not losing sight of our mission. We recognize that our mission as followers of Jesus is to be attentive to our community and to include the people we meet, each and every day. We need to remember that our help must go out to others, not just to those who can help us or are part of our church community.

Pray
Lord sharpen our senses to see and hear the people around us day in and day out. Give us hearts that long to serve and embrace our community. In Jesus name, Amen.