Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. One thing that photography has taught me is to notice things that I would have just passed by in the past - like trees. I always see them now, their leaves, the color, their shape, their surroundings. I noticed them in a special way on a recent trip through the prairies of the Dakotas. The funny thing is that this noticing of things that I used to skip over has carried over into other areas of life, especially my Bible study. Noticing new details requires that you study the cultural context and geography of the passage in a good commentary as well as reading the passage over and over again. When you do dig deep you find a richness and complexity in the details that is beautiful and insightful.
I have read the story of blind Bartimaeus many times but this time when I read it I noticed the phrase, “throwing his cloak aside.” After reading several commentaries I learned that if you lived in Jericho you would rarely ever need a cloak to keep warm. For Bartimaeus his cloak was his identity. It was where he earned his living, for as a blind man his only source of income was from the coins thrown onto his cloak. But when he met Jesus he threw it all aside - his way of life, his identity - for a new identity in Christ. He didn’t go back and get his cloak. He followed Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. What will you throw aside to meet Jesus today? Read and study the story again. What else did you notice? Prayer Father God Teach us how to truly study your word, to dig into the scriptures. Thank you for the scholars who share their knowledge and study through their writings. Give us the insight to notice the small details insights you have for us in scripture. Amen
1 Comment
Frances Bouler
11/1/2021 10:51:56 am
Karen, I still look forward to enjoying and learning more about Jesus and the world.
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan