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As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside
begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was
happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He
shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking
in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling
out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Luke
18:35–39
This beautiful story of the healing of this blind man, named
Bartimaeus in the Gospel of Luke, sets for us a model of how we
must come to Jesus in prayer. Bartimaeus and his encounter with
Christ is an icon upon which we must meditate so as to imitate him
in his weakness, openness, confidence and perseverance.
To begin, this “blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.” We
must see this as an ideal image of how to begin our prayer. When we
start to pray, we must see our littleness, weakness and extreme
poverty in our spiritual life. We come to God with nothing. Unable
to see. A beggar. And one who is incapable of meeting our own
spiritual needs. This is Bartimaeus, and this must be the way we
come to our Lord in prayer. Sometimes we can fall into the illusion
that our prayers are so elevated and pious that God must be very
impressed. If that’s your struggle, then you are more like the
Pharisees. This blind man, however, is the ideal to aim for. So
when you begin your prayer, come to our Lord as a spiritually poor
and needy beggar.
In this state of humility, just as it happened in this Gospel
story, you can be certain that “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
So as you sit in your humble and needy state, wait and be attentive
to Jesus passing by. Wait upon His gentle voice, His quiet
inspiration, His calming and unmistakable presence.
If you can humble yourself this way and then sense our Lord’s
divine presence touching you in some way, then further imitate
Bartimaeus by calling out interiorly, “Jesus, Son of David, have
pity on me!” The cry from the depths of your heart in prayer must
come as a result of Jesus “passing by.” It must be a response to
Him coming to you on His own. As Jesus passes by, spiritually
speaking, He waits for you to call to Him. He desires that you call
to Him. And He desires that you do it with firm confidence and
perseverance.
Notice that as this blind beggar cried out, there were obstacles
put in his way. The people “rebuked him, telling him to be silent.”
But even this was a gift, because it enabled Bartimaeus to cry out
all the more. So also with us, when obstacles arise in our prayer,
such as distractions, temptations, a lack of consolation, or any
other challenge to our prayer, we must see these obstacles as
hurdles that must be overcome. Doing so will deepen our union with
Jesus, turning that apparent obstacle into a source of
blessing.
Reflect, today, upon these four aspects of a deep prayer life that
are presented to us through the witness of this blind beggar.
First, ponder your weakness and poverty as you turn to God in
prayer. Second, be attentive to the presence of God as He passes
by, waiting for you to call to Him. Third, cry out to Him and beg
Him to come closer. And fourth, work to overcome every obstacle to
prayer and see those obstacles as opportunities to call out to God
all the more.
My compassionate Lord, I come to You in my weakness and poverty,
I come in need of Your divine touch and healing. As You do pass by,
I acknowledge Your presence and call to You. Jesus, please do come
to me, have pity on me. Help me to overcome every obstacle to Your
love and to trust in You always, never wavering from my commitment
to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Workshop of Fernando Gallego, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons
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