Mark 10:46-52.People follow a man with a vision

While on a flight to Yangon on 10 Aug, the flight was diverted to Penang due to a medical emergency. We were on the ground, sititng in the aircraft for about three hours. I turned to the scriptures and this passage showed some interesting insights on vision.

We see Jesus, a man of vision while Bartimaeus was without. The scriptures tell us that a large crowd followed Jesus and he was leading them from Jericho to Jerusalem (v46). This is what happens when a man has a vision. He is a blessing to a large group of people and people follow him because they know he has something that's worth following. John Maxwell says that if you are a leader and do not have any followers , you are just taking a walk in the park. Bartimaeus, on the other hand without vision, was living off the blessings of the large crowd. He was dependent on someone else. Many in the church today do not have any sense of a God given vision. They are always running to some "prophet" or the church leadership for directions. Worst still, a man without vision is stagnant, does not move forward in His Christian walk but remains where he is and begging. 

Didn't the Bible tell us that God has a plan for us. Jer 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Is this verse only for the leadership. I don't think so. Its for all believers and God is waiting to reveal His vision, His plan, his purpose for your life, just like how he did for Bartimaeus. How did  Bartimaeus get his vision?

1.  Total dissatisfaction with the present state.   Bartimaeus thought that no one will be able to get him out of his present situation. In fact he had thought that that's how God made him and that's how he should die.  "Blind". He was resigned to the fact that he was blind. Until Jesus came along. Now he realized that there is hope. He must have heard how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. Bartimaeus was sick and tired of the status quo. He did not want to continue being a beggar.

2.   He wailed in desperation to the one who can give him the vision.  “Jesus, Son of David, have  mercy on me!” Visions are birthed when we wail in the presence of God. Just before the child is born, there is so much pain that sometimes the mother screams. Birthing a vision is also very similar. Nehemiah wept for many days when he heard about the broken walls. After four months a vision was birth. Jer 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. It was after wailing in prayer for many days that the Lord gave me a vision for the lost in India and that region. 

3.   Faith unlocked the vision (verse 52).   Jesus said to Bartimaeus, "Your faith had made you whole".  Bartimaeus persistence in asking Jesus, who he knew will not disappoint, became the key that unlocked his miracle.  Persist in faith. Don't give up. Yes the people tried to quieten him, but Bartimaeus would not give up. Instead of being influenced by the crowd, he influenced the crowd. He persevered when there seems to be no end. God is waiting to answer you.  "Without faith its impossible to please God".

4.   Having found his vision, he followed Jesus along the way.   Getting the vision is only the beginning. Accomplishing it with the help of the Holy Spirit is another thing and that what matters. Get the vision and after getting it fulfill it. With God in it, victory is assured.