The title of this months article sounds incredulous until you understand the circumstances of this event in Jesus’ ministry.

It reflects the story of blind Bartimaeus taken from Mark 10. It has long been one of my favourites. Here is Bartimaeus begging on the side of the road in Jericho. We have no idea how long he had been there but events would suggest that it had been a long time.

We join this story at the point when Jesus is heading through on His way to Jerusalem and ultimately His crucifixion. The word elsewhere says He “set His face like flint’. In other words he was on His way through and no one was going to stop Him fulfilling His destiny in saving humanity from their sins. Bartimaeus hears that it is Jesus (note that is the first part of making the faith connection) Clearly faith rose up on the inside of him and then he began to cry out activating his faith
“Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me”
Now we may wonder at the significance of those words but they were spoken in faith and the words had covenant connotations and an appeal for Jesus’ steadfast love and mercy to come into play.
Then when everyone told him to be quiet he pressed on in and shouted even louder. Again we see this aggressive determination to press through even though there were contrary circumstances. How often do we do the same?
Do we give up when nothing seems to be working or do we continue to believe and stand on our faith and trust in the Lord regardless?

Amazingly we see in verse 49 that those words stop Jesus in his tracks. He then calls Bartimaeus to come.

The very next verse Mark 10:50 is what caused me to use the headline statement.
It says “and throwing away his garment, he rose and came to Jesus”
That garment was his official begging clothes. It stated that he was blind and was allowed to beg where he was. Bartimaeus by faith threw it aside knowing on the inside that he was getting his healing and that he would not need that anymore.
He came to Jesus and asked for healing of his eyes.
Jesus said to him “Go your way your faith has made you well”
Immediately he received his physical sight

Bartimaeus received his sight by faith before Jesus healed him. That is another key for us. We have to believe that those things we are standing for belong to us by faith before we see the evidence of it happen.
The words of Mark 11:23 come to mind when Jesus said we have to say something with our mouth and believe it in our heart and we will receive.
The action of Bartimaeus throwing away that begging garment shows us that he really believed this in his heart. So he acted on what he believed and he received his healing.

We have to come to that place ourselves. Not just over healing but any area of our life that we are using our faith for.
Something has to get deep into our heart that God is for us and believe that he always wants to confirm His word. He is not withholding from us. So we can make that faith connection with Him and answers will flow.
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Faith is activated by what we speak and what we believe. Do that afresh today and press in to receive all that you need in whatever you are facing.