Mark 10:46-52 KJV
46 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.
47 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.
48 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.
49 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.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 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.
52 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.
Matthew 20:29-34 KJV
29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
We have used both Matthew and Mark’s Gospel account of this moment, when Jesus leaves Jericho and is called upon for mercy and healing.
The accounts differ in a few ways, but in one way they are exactly the same.
Both Matthew and Mark say “And Jesus stood still.”
The reason these four words mean so much is that every account of Jesus that is mentioned in the Bible, when describing what He does for one person, describes what He does for all.
In this scripture we find a blind man named Bartimaeus, sitting and begging by the side of a road. Although he cannot see, he can hear. When Bartimaeus hears that it is Jesus who is passing by, he begins to cry out to Him for mercy.
Bartimaeus did not just cry out. He cried out in faith, believing that Jesus could restore his eyesight.
We see where many of those around Bartimaeus tried to get him to keep quiet. In other words, don’t be a bother to the man.
However, no one is ever a bother to Jesus. He heard the cries of Bartimaeus.
When Bartimaeus cried out loudly “Son of David, have mercy on me”, Jesus stopped and stood still.
Both Matthew and Mark record the words “AND JESUS STOOD STILL.”
The throng of people were pushing onward, but Jesus stood still.
Nothing else mattered to Jesus at this point. His journey could wait.
Jesus then commanded Bartimaeus to come forward and asked him what he wanted Him to do.
Bartimaeus said “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Bartimaeus wanted the mercy and healing that only Jesus could provide.
Jesus said to him “Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and began to follow Jesus.
Because of his faith and persistence, the first thing that Bartimaeus saw was the face of the Lord. Oh, how he must have rejoiced in praise and thanksgiving.
This story that is recorded by Mark and Matthew is about Bartimaeus and the love of Jesus.
It is an example of the love of Jesus and the mercy He shows to those who cry out to Him.
Whenever we have problems or difficulties and call upon Jesus to help us, He “stands still.” We are just as important to Him as Bartimaeus was, outside of Jericho. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to ask Him for help. He listens. He helps.
And Jesus stood still.
When we study the Gospels, we find that this is a theme that runs through each of them. Jesus would make time for someone in need.
The Son of God, who is making His earthly journey that would end up at the cross of Calvary, would stop for a woman to touch the hem of His garment. He would stop for the lame man lying by the pool and he would stop and stand still so Bartimaeus could come to Him.
This lesson teaches us to be persistent, as Bartimaeus was.
He didn’t do as those around him asked. Instead of being quiet, or holding his peace, he cried out more.
We can be sure that whenever we call out to Jesus, He hears, He listens…He stands still.
If you are not a Christian, Jesus waits for you to call upon Him. If you want the only true peace and joy available in this life, cry out to Him for mercy and spiritual healing by confessing your sins and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.
If you are a Christian going through a valley of difficult times, cry out to Jesus with the persistence and faith of Bartimaeus.
Four very important words are recorded by both Matthew and Mark in their Gospels.
And Jesus stood still.
He is standing by, ready to hear from you and to help you.
Psalm 145:18-19 NIV
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
1 Peter 5:7 NIV
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
RVH