“He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50).
I think it’s such a powerful expression of faith in the encounter the blind man Bartimaeus had with Jesus. Having been marginalized by the community and religious leaders, he was noticed by Jesus. Bartimaeus let it all go to follow Jesus. He could see! He didn’t see the healing words of Jesus as deserved or entitled. He saw the healing as transformative and life changing.
With that in mind, Michael White and Tom Corcoran posed these questions on the sixth day of the journey:
In what areas of your life do you have trouble “seeing” things clearly or knowing the way forward that’s right for you?
Who are the voices in your life discouraging you, and who are the voices encouraging you?
What do you want Jesus to do for you today? How confident are you that he cares and really can help?
On this sixth day, if I’m honest, there are areas of my life that I have trouble seeing clearly or have a way forward. My biases and judgments too often hamper that clarity. Too often, the voices of religious and civil leaders reinforce the biases and judgements.
I’m also blessed with encouraging voices that challenge the discouraging voices to better follow Jesus. I’m grateful to hear the words of people like Pope Francis, “who am I to judge?” Im grateful to witness faith filled parishioners who follow Jesus’ example of touching the Bartimaeus in our world. Focus on the encouraging voices.
I pray that Jesus opens my eyes to be a better follower of Him. I know He sees me in the crowd with my biases and judgements that blind me. I know that he wants me to see and follow him.
How about you?