PASSING OPPORTUNITY

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An “opportunity” is defined as a “time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something” (Oxford). The thing with opportunities is that they have a time limit to it. They won’t always be there forever. That’s why, when the right opportunities come, we want to get hold of them and never let go.

Opportunities exist in many forms. For a lot of companies, they are looking for new business opportunities. For the working class, many are looking for better career opportunities.

But for the true believer in Christ, he or she is looking for an opportunity to have an encounter with God.

One such believer was blind Bartimeaus. He was looking for an opportunity to meet Jesus and get healed of his blindness. Such opportunity came on Jesus’ very last visit to Jericho (where Bartimeaus was) before He went to die on the cross and ascend to Heaven.

OUR NEED FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEALED

While we may not be physically blind like Bartimeaus today, it may be that we are also in need of healing but from a different kind of blindness – that is, a spiritual blindness.

Spiritual blindness is not seeing what God wants to do in our lives.

Do we see what God is doing in us? Do we see where God wants to lead us to? Do we know the direction to get there? Or are we just living our Christian lives like a routine? Are we just wandering about and not getting anywhere in our walk with God?

If it is the latter, then be encouraged that God has meant so much more for your life! Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).

The word “abundantly,” in Greek, is perissos, which means “something further, more, much more than all.” God has planned to do so much more in our lives than we could ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

SEIZING THE PASSING OPPORTUNITY

From Blind Bartimeaus’ story, we learn of how to respond when the perfect opportunity to meet God arises.

1. Bartimaeus asked, cried, and threw

The story starts with Bartimaeus being described as a blind man sitting on a road in Jericho, begging. By this time, Jesus’ popularity had already spread throughout Israel.

Every year, as people passed by Jericho to celebrate the Feasts in Jerusalem, Bartimaeus must have heard of stories of people getting healed by Jesus. Hearing those testimonies must have given him hope that he himself can be healed if he, too, will come across Jesus.

But as a blind man, how could he know if Jesus would arrive to his town? The same for us, how do we know when the perfect opportunity has come? The key is the very first thing that Bartimaeus did - he asked.

And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. (Luke 18:36)

In the same way, when a door of opportunity seems to open, may we first ask God: “Lord, what is this? Are you in this?”

And because he asked, he received an answer:

“So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.” (Luke 18:37)

The next thing he did was he cried out to God.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47-48)

Bartimaeus cried out to God to call His attention. When we pray, we will encounter opposition. Many warned him to be quiet, but he continued and even increased the intensity of his cry.

Do we stop when we receive opposition?

One of the forms of opposition is doubt. Maybe we have a weakness in us that we want to be changed. We ask the Lord to change us but we still find ourselves failing in that area.

We pray for the “nth” time for God to forgive us and change us but this time, unbelief and condemnation try to stop us from praying it through. We hear voices saying, “Oh, you’re not going to change anymore. Is your prayer working? It seems like you are not being changed.”

These voices may come but let us drown them out by crying out all the more to God and seeking to hear His voice of truth instead.

As Blind Bartimaeus cried out all the more, he was finally heard and Jesus responded to him:

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” (Mark 10:49)

When Jesus called him, immediately, he threw his garments.

And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:50)

Bartimaeus has been wearing that garment to keep him warm at night as he begged on the streets. But when Jesus called him, he threw his garment because he knew that he will never go back to the streets begging again. He believed that Jesus would change his life forever. He had made up in his mind that when he comes to Jesus, he will follow Him.

How about for us? When we call upon God, do we still carry with us our garment of “back-up” plans in case following God’s plans will not work out?

May we have the same faith as Bartimaeus to believe in God and leave our false security blanket behind us.

2. Bartimeaus spoke.

So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” (Mark 10:51)

We need to be very specific with our requests to God. In his expository on the Book of Mark, Dr. Bailey said, “When the Lord brings you to this place where He asks you what you want Him to do for you, you have to be careful what you ask for, because you will get what you ask for. We should ask the Lord for wisdom that we might hit the mark that He has for our lives” (Bailey 92).

Here, Bartimaeus asked for vision. May we also ask God for His spiritual vision for our lives. Let us pray, “Lord, open my eyes so that I can see what you want for me.”

3. Bartimaeus followed.

Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 10:52)

When Bartimaeus finally received from Jesus that healing he asked for, he didn’t go his own way to do what he wanted in his life. Instead, he left everything behind and followed Jesus on the road.

When we receive Jesus into our lives, are we also willing to follow Him wholeheartedly as Bartimaeus did?

CONCLUSION

The opportunity that Bartimaeus grabbed was not just the opportunity to be healed, but the opportunity to be whole. Not only did he receive physical sight, but he also received spiritual vision. From a street beggar, he entered into God’s calling upon his life to be a true follower of Christ.

Our hope is that we would always know the “time of visitation” of Jesus into our lives (Luke 19:41-44).

When that opportune time comes, may we respond as Bartimaeus did. 

Because if we do, we would be healed of our spiritual blindness and finally, God’s vision for our lives would be clearer than ever before.

Sources:

Bailey, Dr. Brian J. The Gospel of Mark. Zion Christian Publishers, 1999, New York.

“Definition of opportunity.” English Oxford Dictionaries, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/opportunity. Accessed January 2018.