What Do You Want Me To Do For You?

Today’s gospel from Mark 10:46–52, tells the story of a blind man named Bartimaeus begging on the roadside shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” As the story goes, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” To which the man replied, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” And immediately the man received his sight and followed Jesus.

It is interesting to note that Jesus upon seeing the blind man still asks what he wants to do for him. Isn’t it obvious that the man was blind and so it should follow that he wants his sight to be healed so he can see again. Jesus is teaching us that not everything we see in the persons needs is actually what he needs. It can be possible that the blind man might ask something else other than his sight.  How many times do we give because we assume that that’s what the other person is asking? How many times that out of arrogance or sheer ignorance, we think that money is what everything the poor needs and so we go there and give. Their need might be training, work or maybe just a company and not necessarily money per se. What actually Jesus is teaching us is that, we just don’t go there to give money because of what we perceived as their need for it. Instead He is inviting us to start a conversation and build a relationship so that beyond the “blind”, the “poor” that we see in them, we will actually realize there deeper needs.

Giving for the sake of giving will not go far. Giving should tear down walls, open up communication and build relationship. Start a conversation and then you will know the real need. 

by aats