“Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.”—Mark 10:51-52, NRSV
Have we ever had a question like this proposed to us by the divine? “What do you want me to do for you?” Did we ID correctly? The question seems to be asking us to identify what would make us whole by naming the need that separates us from God and maybe others?
If we heard the question, do we have enough humility to ID our needs? This particular interaction with Bartimeus, the blind man, that Jesus was having shows boldness,(called out) humility,(removed his garment) trust, (faith)hope,(expectancy) and desire (aptitude for).
What do you want me to do for you, asked Jesus?
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“The question seems to be asking us to identify what would make us whole by naming the need that separates us from God and maybe others?”
As I thought on this question (and others above), Sara, and read the account of Bartimaeus, a couple things stood out to me. He had ears to hear from others that Jesus was near. Someone besides himself helped him know that. He cried out for help even when others tried to shut him up. He is able to ID his blindness because he couldn’t see things others could see… maybe he would never have known there was anything to see unless someone else told him. When Jesus opened his eyes, then he was not separated from Jesus because his seeing enabled him to follow him.
I was reminded of something you wrote in your book, “The Dance of Healing, The “Ultra-Healing Spirit” Comes From Within”: “Sometimes it is difficult to face the Indwelling Presence. Many times we are not aware of this mystery. We do not feel the Indwelling Presence of God in our season of blindness. Our gates are closed. The light is out and it is very dark.”
I have often been blind and in this dark place. Through truth in books like these you wrote, as well as the blogs and words on the site and direct words of help from you and your gift of seeing, I have been able to recognize my blindness, hear Jesus is near and then cry out for help. I think it often takes another that can see, when we can’t, to help us ID our need.
Great reminders Debi! And, I love hearing “the Indwelling Spirit dwells within”! He calls some, He knocks on some heart’s doors, He comforts, He teaches, He counsels and He calls and He answers.
A few examples…
SIMON by the sea Matthew 4:18… “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And, Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20) And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
Levi at the tax booth, the call came from Jesus. “…as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.” Luke 5:27
For Simon of Cyrene, the call came under compulsion from soldiers. He was forced to carry the cross of Jesus on one specific day. Mark 15:20…
Yes, Debi I agree in response to your comments sometimes the calls come directly from Jesus. Often times from others. Regardless of the call and the obedience of our answer, do we embrace the moment and then quickly go on with our lives with memory slack? Or, do we use these experiences to open ourselves up to ways to change our lives and hopefully those we encounter where we are the caller.
As I pause to meditate on the power of this Easter Season I am reminded, yes, The Indwelling Spirit of God dwells within” But, His power and work dwells globally with His 🌍 earth. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,…”
What do I want? I want to be able to ditch old attitudes and pre-conceived ideas that grew tree suckers in my heart that hindered my spiritual growth. I want to: “Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:17b-19 The Message) See a world where love, joy, peace and truth sharing becomes a bridge to vision. See and hear the heart cries of those without hope.
Pr 29:18a “Where there is no vision, the people perish:”
Could we say Vision is sight!
Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.”—Mark 10:51-52, NRSV
Sara, you stated, “Could we say Vision is sight!”
I think you have pointed out through the verses and examples above that it is and how important it is. When I thought on your statement and reflected on the comparison of these two words, vision/sight, I was reminded of one important word you taught on from “Step 1, The Fallow Season – Cultivating the Mind – The Dance of Healing – The “Ultra-Healing Spirit” Comes From Within”. That word was “Behold”.
You explained,”God tells us to Behold -call attention to the flowers and trees through perceiving through sight. To gaze upon! Behold! How many times in The Word did God say Behold! I found Behold in 52 Books of The Word…How many Books are in The Word? Try 66! Wow! Does this equal about 78%? Behold must be important to us.”
This seems to also tie into your verse comment above, ” But, His power and work dwells globally with His 🌍 earth. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,…”. For regarding ‘Behold’ you taught in “Step 1/Cultivating the Mind”, “Psalm 46…Be still and know that I am God…I will be exalted in the earth. I plant flowers and trees all over the earth…Come and behold my works!… Use your mind’s eye (visualize) God’s Garden, flowers and trees all over the earth.”
I believe it Debi, snow gone, flowers and trees budding all around me. My snow man melted to make my flowers bloom. WOW Behold the beauty of Our God!
More to come on this as I now need to run to see the red, blue birds chirping among doves and other tree symphonic delights!
I love story! I love story that lives from generation to generation. Such a one as the Birth of Jesus and it’s ‘characteristic’ details, if I might use a language that simply seems dim in comparison to the authentic. A Virgin birth and all that surrounds the birthing bed and travel for safety gives rise to story. Then His life confirming the words of the great prophet, Isaiah. It takes a cross to really make it story and a resurrection to make it Eternal for all.
So, of course I love story as recorded by fisherman about things fishermen, tax collectors, and women of the night as well as children among others were seen doing.
Here is one…Luke 19:…3) He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd, because he was small in stature. 4) So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way. 5) When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.”…Have you read that Zacchaeus shared his story?
WOW now that story sure has some seeing eyes spotted by a physician named Luke. Whose story do I tell? Who tells my story? Well, I’m trying now to tell Luke’s story!
Back to our original blind man, wonder why he wanted to see again? Seems he had faith. Maybe at one time he saw many doing the works of Jesus but he had pride, jealousy, bitterness, or a lying spirit etc etc so he only told his story. That being what he thought his story was. He became dark in soul that blinded his view. As he sat blind just as today we might find ourselves blind to truth, sick in body, broke, homeless and the list goes on because we were not the lifter of another’s head so we ask to see again so we can share another’s story. When we get in the Spirit cycle we share another’s story and another shares our story. Now that’s truly having eyes to see.
When we want to understand Jesus we often learn the deepest truths by listening to how another speaks and then see what we see in the depths of our soul.
By now you are probably thinking why is Sara thinking this way. It is the season of lent and thousands or more are praying in concert for the cleansing of souls, revealing of the depths of soul among other life changing thoughts. It’s time to climb a tree, call out, step in the water among other viewing methods. I want to be in the round of prayers prayed for Lent. Don’t you?
Our Sunday school lesson this past Sunday was from Luke 19: 1-10. Sara asked above:”have you read that Zacchaeus shared his story?” Yes, I believe in these verses Zacchaeus shared his story. Verses 8-10 says: “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” If I understand what we are blogging here, and rereading some of my Sunday school lesson, Zacchaeus must have had “enough humility to ID his need?” 🤔 ?? am I on the right track?
Tammy, great storytelling! You are so right Zacchaeus told his story and you are retelling. And, you have have caused the joy down in my heart to spring forth. I read today that it would have been unheard of for a man to climb a tree…truly an act of humility. He truly IDENTIFIED his needs and made restitution openly.
Thanks for storytelling Tammy!
Sara, you wrote above, “When we want to understand Jesus we often learn the deepest truths by listening to how another speaks and then see what we see in the depths of our soul.”
The need to ‘listen’ stood out to me and again words from your book, The Dance of Healing – The “Ultra-Healing Spirit” Comes From Within” reverberated in my memory. The words were from the “Step 4, The Harvest – Listening to the Word.” The words said, “A THOUGHT TO PONDER: Native American saying: “Listen, or your tongue will keep you deaf.”
Later on the same page was this: “Proverbs 4 take my advice; it will add years to your life. I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road…You will glow with light: the longer you live, the brighter you will shine… Tune your ears to My voice.”
From reading your account, and then Tammy’s story of Zacchaeus it seemed to me that Zacchaeus ‘listened’ to Jesus. It must have been noisy, for vs 3 said there was a crowd. And when Jesus looked up to him and spoke and told him what to do, I think he did more than just hear…, he listened. He must have listened because he applied those truths you spoke about above to what he heard and he did what Jesus told him to do. He must have seen the depths of his soul (that you wrote about above) because he was able to confess, repent and receive the salvation Jesus offered to him.
Thank you Debi, I plan to try and use your research as my study guide today! Thanks! I love when others research and give me guidelines! 🤦♀️😱🤗
Hey, I see why your high school students and adult classes love your teaching. You make learing fun! 🎉
And, congrats on your student winning a science award and naming you as teacher of choice!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Hope your studying went well today, Sara and thankful I could gather some helpful info.
Thank you for the congrats for one of my students (who loves research) and me. I would not even be teaching had it not been for your direct encouragement and prayers to accept a position offered to me 17 years ago. Your support and counsel through Biblical teachings has been a life-support raft that has kept me afloat during the many challenges and changes throughout the years. One significant thing I have tried to hold onto was something you shared many years ago that you heard (from a Bible teacher I believe) predicting what would occur in schools…’teachers’ would become facilitators in the classroom.