Confession and Following

Mark 10:46-52

 

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Until you realize you’re blind, you’ll never see Jesus.

Perhaps stated more accurately—Until you realize you’re blind, you’ll never be able to follow Jesus.

In two weeks, Chris will lead us through a week of devotionals on following Jesus. I really love this story from Mark 10 because it shows how Confession and following Jesus are so intimately tied up together.

Blindness is connected with ignorance or self-deception. Ignorance may protect us from the harsher elements of life, but it also protects us from the full truth of ourselves. Blindness is a type of self-protecting. Too often we build walls (literally and figuratively) blocking our sight from the rest of the world in a rebellious statement of refusing to see—of not wanting to see the world or our own hearts as it truly is. We have to stop self-protecting and fall into the truth of our hearts and world. We have to daily ask for the gift of sight if we want to follow Jesus.

What are things that you don’t want to see? What are things that you would rather be blinded to? Do you realize the costs of asking Jesus for sight?

 

~ Heidi Johnson