Our Security Blanket

 

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 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!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52 ESV).

 

I suppose all of us have some sort of “security blanket. Like Linus from the Peanuts cartoons, it is the one thing that allows us to achieve a sense of peace and tranquility no matter what the circumstances of life might be. In our reading today we see the character of Bartimaeus as he meets Jesus and has his sight restored. This story has a very important detail within it. Did you notice that in the phrase about Bartimaeus he is “throwing his cloak aside”? We should understand what is being conveyed in this detail.

 

Bartimaeus’s cloak was probably his only possession, and he needed it for his meager life. He was blind and could not see what people might toss to him as they passed by, so he would have to spread his cloak on the ground to catch bits of food or small coins that he might receive. Then he could find them on the cloak. In ­other words, he needed his cloak in order to gather his income. And at night he would wrap the cloak around his body for warmth. It was his bed.

 

When Jesus called the first disciples, they left everything behind to follow him (cf. Mark 1:16-20; 10:28). Similarly, Bartimaeus leaves his cloak behind as he jumps to his feet to come to Jesus, to have his life changed, and to follow Jesus. This really is the gospel in a nutshell. Bartimaeus leaves his security blanket behind as he comes to Jesus, gains his sight, and follows the Lord into a new life. I wonder if there’s something in your life that is keeping you from following Jesus with your whole heart, mind, and soul?