Have you ever ached for Mercy? Cried out to God for a miracle or just simply asking Him to meet a need in your life?
This Bartemais was blind from birth. He has never seen a sunrise or a sunset, the face of his mother and father or sibling’s. He had never walked by himself, always needed someone to walk beside him. This blind man that everyone mocked at as they walked by him as Bartemais sat at the town’s square everyday, pleading, begging for relief. He was waiting, expecting a miracle until one day Mercy walked by.
Luke 18:35-43
[35] As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. [36] And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. [37] They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” [38] And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Are you persistent in your walk with God enough to where if you don’t see Jesus working in your life you will give up? Or are we going to seek His face so that we may hear him just like Bartemais had to do because that was his only option?
Persistance Pays Off
[39] And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
We tend to listen to the crowd more than Jesus. But this man was desperate more than ever. He wasn’t embarassed and didn’t listen to the crowd by crying out for Him he was wanting His attention because Bartemais had heard of this man they call Jesus. This was his only chance for a miracle. Nothing or no one got in his way.
[40] And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, [41] “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” [42] And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” [43] And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. (Luke 18:35-43 ESV)
Jesus stood still. All the comotion of the crowd, the shouting the noise on the journey to Jerusalem for His brutal death, He still took the time to stop and answer a persistent plea for mercy. After years of desperation and incredible faith, Bartemais was made whole and followed Jesus.
This story would have never been known if Bartemais would not have cried out for a miracle. He would not have been able to see the sunrise or a sunset, the face of his mother and father. He would be walked to this particular spot where he would sit and beg with no one knowing that he was aching for Mercy.
Jesus knew what Bartemais needed. Jesus asked the question with full knowledge. But God still wants us to tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust on Him.
Are you aching for Mercy?
compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
What is mercy? There are several Hebrew words that are associated with God’s mercy:
Kapporeth
- – means “ransom,” “propitiatory,” or “the mercy seat.”
Racham
- – means “to love,” “to have compassion,” or “to show mercy.”
Chesed
- – means “goodness,” “kindness,” “mercifulness,” or “loving-kindness.”
These Greek words are associated with mercy in the New Testament:
Eleemon
- – means “to show mercy,” “to pity,” “to have compassion,” or “to be merciful.”
Oiktirmos
- – carries the concept of “compassion” or “pity.”
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