Imagine being blind all your life, then one day miraculously receiving your sight. And the first face you see is the face of Jesus. That’s what happened to Bartimaeus. Jesus was passing by the spot where he sat begging every day. Recognising this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he cried out for help. This would probably have caused quite a scene. In fact, ‘many people warned the blind man to be quiet, but he shouted even more.’ ‘Jesus stopped’ (v.49 NCV) when Bartimaeus shouted. We don’t have to shout to get God’s attention; He’s always ready to listen to us. But sometimes we need to cry out to God with everything we have. We can confidently approach God with our troubles. The Bible says: ‘Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NCV). We’re told that Bartimaeus ‘jumped up, left his coat there, and went to Jesus’ (Mark 10:50 NCV). Why did he leave his coat? One reason could be that a long robe could have tripped him up. But another reason is that his clothes showed that he was a beggar. To get to Jesus, we must be willing to throw aside everything that stands in our way. Things like the shame and failure of our past, our lack and our limitations, and the labels other people have put on us. When Jesus restores us and makes us whole, we won’t have to wear those things anymore. We’re set free to live for Him and His kingdom. There’s no problem too big or too small to cry out to God about. So let’s cry out to Him and be prepared for our chains to break.

What Now?

Write down any things which stop you approaching Jesus with your problems. Then rip the paper to show that you don’t need to be held back by those things anymore.