To Live and Love From a Place of Rest - Day Eight

Day Eight:

Do You Believe?

Mark 10.46-52; Matthew 9.27-28

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving

the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside

begging.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of

David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have

mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his

cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and

followed Jesus along the road.

To a blind man who has been shunned, rejected, and left alone to beg for provision, Jesus stops

and sees him. Jesus stops and calls him. And then Jesus asks him one of the most powerful

questions in all of Scripture: “What do you want me to do for you?”

Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “How’s your quiet time going? Tell me about

your private sins. How are you loving others today?” Jesus doesn’t say any of that, He says,

“What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus doesn’t hesitate to say, “Rabbi, I want to see.” He tells Jesus precisely what he

wants.

I used to think Jesus was after something more in this encounter. Like, this was the first

question, and then there’d be more that would lead to Jesus calling for deeper levels of

commitment and sacrifice from Bartimaeus. But the more I read it, the more I see there isn’t any

of that. Jesus just wanted to give Bartimaeus what he wanted.

Bartimaeus wanted to see, so Jesus gave him the gift of eyesight. That’s it.

I want you to hear Jesus ask you this same question, “What do you want me to do for you?”

No, for real. Don’t go any further in this devo without considering this question from Jesus. Stop

here and rest.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

__________

A few years ago, I heard Jesus ask me this question. My answers were others-focused and

centered around people close to me who were struggling or hurting.

And then I heard Him gently ask the question again. “What do you want me to do for you?”

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t come up with anything. I said, “I can tell you what I don’t want!” And

then, “I’m not supposed to have wants, I’m supposed to want what you want!”  

A third time, “What do you want me to do for you?”

__________

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of

David!”

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe

that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

Hear Jesus ask this question to you. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

Don’t go any further in this devo without considering this question from Jesus.

__________

Our truest beliefs are anchored in the soul. Beliefs that are good, holy, and just and beliefs that

are false and shame-filled. Our beliefs drive our behaviors. So, what we believe about God and

about ourselves is crucial to our soul’s well-being.

When Jesus speaks to Bartimaeus, He knows he’s blind. He knows he’s exhausted. Same with

the two blind guys stumbling in their attempt to follow Him.

__________

“What do you want me to do for you?”

I want to live and love from a place of rest.

“Do you believe I am able to do this?”

I believe. Help me with my unbelief.

Questions to Consider:

How do you hear Jesus ask you these two questions? Do you hear gentleness, compassion,

kindness, or something else?

What would change if you honestly answered Jesus?

Let’s pray: “Lord, thank you for your love. Meet me as I am, where I am in your broken and

beautiful world. Deepen my desire to believe even in my unbelief.” Here Jesus ask this question

to you. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

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