What Do You Want Me To Do For You?

 

As I read through Mark Chapter 10 in the barn yesterday, the Lord pointed out something. 

At Mark 10:32-34, Jesus tells His twelve disciples the gruesome details of how He will suffer and be put to death, and then rise again three days later. Then James and John say to Jesus, “We want You to do for us whatever we ask.” Jesus responds, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And they ask to sit on His right and left when He is revealed in His glory. They ask for power and position. 

A few verses down, once Jesus gets to Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is passing through. He cries out to Jesus for mercy, addressing Him by the Messianic title, “Son of David.” Jesus calls him over to Himself and says, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And Bartimaeus simply answers, “Rabboni, I want to see.” He asks not to be blind anymore. 

We see Jesus ask the same question in both of these pericopes, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the first two ask for power and position, but the other asks for mercy and sight. The Lord communicated that there are many in the church still today, whose heart-longing is more for the power of the Holy Spirit and maintaining an honorable position, rather than  to be given clear vision by Him that will lead to right understanding. 

After blind Bartimaeus asked to receive sight and was healed, Jesus told him that it was his trust that restored his sight and enabled him to “follow Jesus along the road…” (Mark 10:52). 

(Rev 3:17,18)  …you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

(John 9:39-41) Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

(Matt 5:3-5) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.