Rev. Leili Shirmast unpacks the story of blind Bartimaeus in Luke 18:35–43, inviting us to reflect on Jesus’ question: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Through this final miracle before the cross, we’re challenged to consider our own spiritual blindness and cry out in faith to the One who still hears and responds.
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Our Bible reading today comes from Luke chapter 18, verses 35–43 (that's on page 163 of one of the red Bibles, if you have one of those):
Luke 18:35–43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
This is the word of the Lord.
Good morning. Have you ever wondered what it's like to be blind? When one of our five senses is lost, the others often become stronger. For those without sight, the world is not empty; it's full of sound, touch, and imagination. They experience the world in a different way by sensing the heat of the sun, hearing the rustling of leaves, and identifying objects by touch. But blindness also brings challenges. Reading, recognizing faces, completing everyday tasks, or moving through a busy street requires adaptation and creativity.
One inspiring example is Helen Keller, a blind and deaf author and speaker. She once said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.” Despite being deaf and blind, Helen learned to read, write, and speak, and became a powerful advocate for the blind.
A few years ago, we helped a blind lady stay at our place for a few days while she took care of some government-related tasks before returning to her city. When she arrived, we showed her around the house and helped her navigate the space. After she left, I tried to put myself in her position to understand her experience. I closed my eyes and attempted to move around different areas of my house and do normal daily activities. It was incredibly difficult and stressful. After just two minutes, I had to stop and couldn't continue.
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
In today's miracle story, we see a blind man sitting by the roadside begging. This is the last recorded miracle of Jesus in Luke's Gospel, before He goes to Jerusalem and is crucified. In this moment, He restores the sight of a blind man. We don't know for certain whether this man was blind from birth or if he lost his sight later in life. What we do know is that the only thing he could see was darkness.
When we face sickness or struggle in life, many of us hold on to the hope of healing. Perhaps this blind man also carried that same hope. Luke does not mention his name in his Gospel, but in Mark 10 we learn that his name was Bartimaeus.
In the first century, being blind was often seen as a punishment from God for a person's sin. Because of his blindness, Bartimaeus had no way to earn a living and was forced to beg on the roadside to survive. There were no schools for the blind, no job opportunities, and no government support system like we have today. He couldn't take care of himself independently and had to rely entirely on the generosity of others for food, shelter, and daily needs.
Bartimaeus’ blindness was only physical, and Jesus taught that there are two types of blindness: physical and spiritual:
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Physical blindness – the loss of sight, making it hard to navigate the world.
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Spiritual blindness – the inability to see the truth of God. People may hear His words but fail to understand them. When we are spiritually blind, we can't navigate our way in God's world or find our way into His Kingdom.
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we see both types of blindness addressed. Isaiah prophesied that God would open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” Isaiah speaks of the coming of God's Kingdom and the Messiah, declaring that when His Kingdom comes, the blind will see and the deaf will hear. There will be physical healing because the Messiah is ushering in God's restoration for humankind.
But in Isaiah 42, we see that the Messiah also comes to address the spiritual blindness and deafness of Israel. After explaining more about the Messiah's mission, God then rebukes Israel for their spiritual insensitivity. Though they have witnessed His works and heard His words, they fail to truly see and understand. They don't pay attention; they don't listen. It is as though they are blind and deaf.
The Old Testament prophecy that the coming of the Messiah would be a time of physical and spiritual healing for blind eyes and deaf ears is fulfilled in the miracle of Bartimaeus. When the blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging, he heard people passing by and got curious. He asked what was happening, and they told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Bartimaeus, without any hesitation or second thought, called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
This is interesting, isn't it? The crowd identified Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth,” but Bartimaeus called Him “Son of David.” In 2 Samuel and Isaiah, we see that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David and establish an everlasting kingdom. Bartimaeus was physically blind, but he recognized Jesus as the Son of David—the promised Messiah, the Savior, and the one who has the power to heal.
Bartimaeus’s cry was a prayer; it came from a place of faith. It recognized who Jesus was, and it humbly yet boldly asked for His mercy. Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” People tried to silence him, but he didn't give up or listen to them. Even though he could not see Jesus' miracles with his own eyes, he had heard about them and believed. He trusted that Jesus, the Son of David, could restore his sight.
Meanwhile, the disciples who had witnessed Jesus' miracles still struggled to fully understand who He was. Bartimaeus, though blind, saw Jesus for who He truly was. Another of Helen Keller's famous quotes is: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision.” Bartimaeus was blind, but he had the spiritual vision to recognize the Messiah.
There may be moments in our faith journey when we face obstacles—things that try to stop us from believing, trusting, praying, calling out to God, or obeying God. But like Bartimaeus, we should not be discouraged. Instead, we should cry out even more. The Bible tells us to pray and not to give up.
So Bartimaeus cried out louder, and Jesus heard him and stopped. He ordered the man to be brought to Him. Then Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus’ Question: “What Do You Want Me to Do for You?”
What do you want Me to do for you? What do you want Me to do for you? We are in a series on the questions Jesus asks, and here is perhaps the most powerful one: What do you want Me to do for you? What is your real need? What are you seeking that only God can provide?
Imagine Jesus is passing by Deep Creek today. Would you cry out for His help? And if He asks you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” what would your response be?
Last week, after our Saturday service at the cathedral, a young Australian man came to me and asked for prayer. When I asked how I could pray for him, he said, “I want to know God more. I want to know who I am and learn to trust the Lord more.”
How would you answer Jesus’ question? Maybe you would ask for:
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physical healing
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spiritual renewal
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freedom from addiction
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the ability to see not just with your eyes, but with your heart
Perhaps you might need:
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restoration
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God's mercy
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wisdom
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a deeper understanding of who God truly is, and who you are in Him
Or maybe you're in a season where it's difficult to ask God for anything at all.
Bartimaeus could have asked Jesus for many things. He could have had a long list, but instead he asked for one thing — God's merciful healing. Jesus heard Bartimaeus and stopped for him, meeting his need. Bartimaeus didn't hesitate; he didn't worry about being an inconvenience. He didn't second guess what Jesus was asking him. Bartimaeus went straight to the center of his need and urgently came to Jesus with that need.
If we want to receive from God, we must ask. We must act with urgency, calling out to Him and being ready to respond. We should not be discouraged — when we cry out with faith, He will be merciful to us just as He was merciful to Bartimaeus. Jesus paused His journey to respond to Bartimaeus. He is not distant or too busy; He is actively listening and responding when we call out to Him.
Do you believe that Jesus stops for us today? Do you believe He hears our cries, meets our needs, and is able to give us hope? When I ask myself these questions, especially during seasons of struggle or when I find myself wondering "Why me?", I remember the times in the past when I cried out to God and how He faithfully responded. Reflecting on those moments of God's faithfulness encourages me to believe that He hears me even now, and that He is at work in my life.
Conclusion: Call Out to Jesus in Faith
In the last couple of weeks, as we've gone through Luke's Gospel, we have focused on how Jesus' questions can bring hope into our lives. As we conclude this series and prepare for Palm Sunday next week (followed by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus), let's hear Jesus ask this final question again: “What do you want Me to do for you?” This question invites us to have faith in Him and to cry out to Him.
Today is the day we have to call on God and ask for His help. We never know if we have tomorrow, so we shouldn't waste time or lose hope. He is the only one who can heal our blindness and give us new sight. He is near, so let us call out to Him.
Why not come into this Easter seeking to answer this question from the depths of who we are? To do this, we need to use Easter as a time to reflect on:
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who Jesus is
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what His cross and resurrection promise us
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what they might say about who we are
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how He sees us
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what we truly need
Only then can we fully answer His question.
No matter what we face, the cross stands as a powerful sign that brings light to our darkness. Jesus invites us to follow Him to the cross and the resurrection, knowing that He is with us and can bring true hope. He calls us to worship Him and to invite others to do the same.
As we prepare to celebrate Easter in two weeks, we ask ourselves: What do we want Jesus to do for us? Let us fix our hearts on the cross and reflect on how it brings us hope. The sacrifice of Jesus reminds us of His deep love, and His resurrection assures us that hope is never lost.
Let's take this moment to come before God in prayer and cry out to Him together. (With the band, let us pray together.)
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, with all our hearts we believe that You are here today. You are passing by and You are near. You hear our cries, and You see our needs. With this confidence, we come before You, laying down our burdens, our desires, and our deepest longings.
Lord, help us to examine our hearts. What do we need today? Do we need eyes to see You for who You really are? Do we need to know our identity as Your beloved children? Do we need hope — hope for transformation, renewal, and healing?
Jesus, we cry out to You. We don't want to waste time. We don't want to miss this moment. Come and meet us, Lord; come and meet us in our place of need. We need You. We need You to hear our prayers. We need Your healing touch — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We need freedom from anything that keeps us distant from You and Your love.
Lord, restore us. Heal our broken relationships with You, with our spouses, our children, our families, and our friends. Teach us patience, and help us trust in Your perfect timing. Open our eyes so we can clearly see the path You have prepared for us.
Lord, we want to see You not just with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our hearts. We want to behold Your glory; we want to know You more deeply and walk in Your truth.
Come, Lord Jesus. Stop for us; turn Your face toward us and meet us right now. We surrender everything into Your hands. Come and meet us, Lord. Amen.
