During the time of Jesus here on earth the Roman Empire ruled the land. They would issue a “beggar’s coat” to people who were blind or lame to identify them so the crowd would not knock them down or harm them. This coat also gave them the legal right to beg by the side of the road.
We read in Mark as a great number of people went out of Jerico blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the side of the road begging. He was secure as long as he wore his beggars coat, for the government protected him from being trampled as long as he was wearing it. He begins to shout, “Jesus have mercy on me.” This man given up by others sitting by the side of the road, still had hope. He wasn’t content with what the government could do for him, and he would not settle for the pity of others. He knew this was his only chance. He would not be silenced as he cried out the more, “Thou son of David, have mercy on me.”
Oh yes! Jesus hears the prayer of the rejected and forgotten. The least the lost and the lonely. Jesus our Savior stopped his journey that day and commanded him to be called. Oh, you see this is the Jesus who said, “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. It says this blind and vulnerable man cast away his garment, the protection of the government; that which caused others to pity him and give an alm for him to eat another day. He left everything knowing if he did not receive his sight, he would most likely perish that day. Then Jesus said an amazing thing. He did not say I will heal you but rather, “thy faith has made you whole. You see it tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth; to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.’` Jesus tells us all things are possible if we only believe. Sometimes the things we trust in and hold onto as we remain by the side of the road need to be cast behind us and we need to cry out, “Oh son of David have mercy on me. Your miracle of life and your great future in Christ today is only faith away.
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