Rise; He calleth thee!

Mark 10:49

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.

What a wondrous day this was for blind Bartimæus, the man who sat by the highway side begging! He was blind and unable to acquire income for himself. He was without resources, without a dream to live out, and without much hope in this life. He was a beggar! He was dependent on others because of his handicap. And then one day! One day! Everything would change for him. He heard that Jesus was coming to town, the man who could heal anyone and could raise the dead. He heard of this man to whom the deaf, dumb, and blind were coming to be healed. And as Jesus approaches on that day, Bartimæus cries out, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” He knew that Jesus could heal him, but he needed mercy. Have mercy on me! he says. And although those about him sought to hush and silence him, he more formidably cried out and incessantly begged for mercy. And the wonderful compassion of our Lord is on display here as He turns and calls for the man. Now, the same people who had been trying to silence his cries were now comforting him. “Be of good comfort,” they say, “rise; he calleth thee.”

He calleth thee! Rise! Come to Jesus! Was it not a most amazing day in your experience when the Lord Jesus called you to Himself? It wasn’t only that you sought after Him, but that He sought for you also, for He came to seek and to save the lost. And when He calls, we must rise in response and obedience! When the Lord Jesus called this man, he immediately got up, and cast away his garments, and came to Jesus. He came at once, and eschewed all hindrances and impediments. He arose and came!

Now, my beloved, I hope you will allow the Lord to speak to you. Is He calling to you to have a closer walk with Him? Has He stopped by to encourage and speak to you about your condition, beckoning you to come to Him? Is He calling you to something new, something incredible, something for which you do not have the strength. Are you held back in life because of impediments, and cannot seem to move forward or make significant progress? Come to Jesus! Arise, He calleth thee! And be of good comfort! But do not ignore His voice! Heed it at once, and come to Him! Obey Him! Cast away hindrances and obstacles, and come to Him. All blinders and obstructions will only be removed when we obey and follow Him. The end of this passage tells us that blind Bartimæus (now seeing Bartimæus) followed Jesus in the way. Will you follow Him in the way? Will you depart your former path to enter His? Be of good comfort! Rise! He calleth thee!

“Father, we praise You, as always, for the tremendous and helpful principles of Your Word. That which was good for Bartimæus is good for each of us. We thank Thee that Thou dost call us from our own pitiless and sinful state to come be with You and follow Your ways. May we now not delay, but answer immediately in obedience and compliance. We want to follow You in the way. We cast off that which doth so easily beset us, and ask that You would give us the light that is needed and the guidance necessary, that we may follow You to glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”