Mark 10:46-52
And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Previously the rich young ruler had come to Jesus, seeking for eternal life. But now a different man comes to Jesus with a much different situation. This man is a beggar. He is blind, and so he could not work and had to depend on the mercy of strangers and neighbors. Maybe he only had enough to get by one day at a time. Maybe some days he didn’t even have that. So day after day he goes out merely hoping he’ll be able to meet his daily needs. What a life of uncertainty and one that lacked the sure earthly security of the rich man.

Blind Bartimaeus also hears of Jesus. He can’t go running to Him, but he can cry out with a call of faith and a plea for mercy. Others would try to dissuade and disregard him, for surely he also lacked the respect and position in society of the rich man. But Jesus loves Bartimaeus just as much as the rich man. And Jesus has time to hear Bartimaeus’ request. And Jesus has the power to give him what he seeks, as well.

And this man who has next to nothing casts away his beggar’s garment and rises up to go to Jesus. This man is not burdened by the weight of his possessions, for he has nothing on earth to lose. He is in the unenviable position of being blind, but it is that blindness, that struggle, that less-than-ideal situation that ultimately leads him to Jesus. So maybe that is his most valuable treasure after all, for anything that would lead a soul to Christ surely has more value than all the money in the world. And after he is made whole, Jesus tells him to go his way, but the only way he wants to go is where Jesus goes.

What about you? What’s your situation? Can you relate more to the rich ruler or the blind beggar? No matter the circumstances of our lives, we all deal with things that can drive us away from Jesus or pull us ever closer to Him. We all have things—questions, needs, desires, empty places—that cause us to seek for something more outside of ourselves. And often it is our neediness, our desperation, our vast struggles that cause us to see our need for Jesus, to seek Him and accept Him, to allow space for Him to come into our lives and work as only He can.

Is there room for Jesus in your life? Is there a problem in your life that may seem like a hindrance but can actually draw you closer to the Lord than you could have ever been without it? Don’t disregard the value of anything that causes you to seek for Jesus and ultimately to follow Him closer than you had before.