Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. Psalm 38:22  

The blind Bartimaeus cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” Mark 10:48-49  

Psalm 38 is attributed to David, another penitential psalm, like Psalm 51, where he is asking God to forgive him.. He is suffering physically and mentally from his sins. Our verse for today is the last verse of this Psalm; a plea to have God help him quickly. He prays in confidence that the Lord is his salvation. Then in Luke we have the familiar story of Bartimaeus who is blind. As Jesus is walking along, he makes the same sort of plea that David did. He requests mercy.  

Now, does this mean that Bartimaeus has done some grievous sins like David confesses in the Psalms? Not really, although he sins just like all of us do. . He is blind for some unknown reason, maybe from birth, maybe from injury. He is pleading loudly for mercy, so much that the many in the crowd tell him to be quiet. But Jesus then stops walking, He stands still, and listens to this plea for mercy. He takes time to stop and help saying to call Bartimaeus over. He “springs up’ according to verse 50, and comes to Jesus, who asks what he wants. Of course, he wants to see. Jesus heals him saying that his faith has made him well.   

We may not be physically blind, unable to see through our eyes. however, we often are blind to what is happening around us. The numbers of homeless people in our communities, of whom about 25% are children. We don’t see the lack of affordable housing. The speaker we had in Open Forum on Sunday from Oasis for Youth related all the needs of those 16-24 that her organization helps with a drop-in center, getting clothing and hygiene items, helping with housing instability. and other support services. There is a reason learning some of these facts is called “eye opening.” Too often we have had our eyes closed to those around us.   

We too need God to heal us from our blindness to the needs of those around us. Like David and Bartimaeus we can have confidence that our loving God and Savior stops to listen to us and then heals us in body and spirit.  

God of love, mercifully hear our cry for the healing of our bodies, minds, and spirits. Restore us and the communities in which we live and work, that our transformation may testify of your care and honor you.  Amen 

Chris Gabel  

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party