cloak room
Bartimaeus "threw aside his cloak, jumped up and came to Jesus." —Mark 10:50
Blind Bartimaeus is sitting by the Jericho roadside. There's a big crowd following Jesus as He passes by. Bartimaeus may be blind, but with eyes of faith he sees that Jesus is the Messiah, that is, the "Son of David" (Mk 10:47). He also realizes that Jesus is merciful, so he cries to Jesus, "Have pity on me!" (Mk 10:48)
When Jesus calls him over, Bartimaeus throws aside his cloak (Mk 10:50). This is a tremendous act of faith for a blind man. His cloak is his only means of staying warm. If Jesus does not heal him of blindness, he may never be able to find that cloak again in such a big crowd. In addition, by throwing aside his cloak, Bartimaeus can't prevent someone from stealing it. By throwing aside his cloak, Bartimaeus professes his faith in Jesus far more loudly than any words he screamed.
The way we live screams to the world whether or not we believe Jesus is Lord of our life. What are you holding onto? Is there something you need to throw aside before you are free enough to come to Jesus? Throw it away, and "get up," for Jesus "is calling you" (Mk 10:49-50).
Prayer: Jesus, I will consider everything I have to be "rubbish" so that You can be my Lord (Phil 3:8).
Promise: "You too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." —1 Pt 2:5
Praise: St. Augustine brought King Ethelbert into the Church and, with him, much of Great Britain.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(All of Presentation Ministries' retreats are designed to "equip the saints" to live for the Lord and carry out the mission of bringing the Gospel to the ends of the world (see Eph 4:12). See our website www.presentationministries.com or call 937-587-5464 for a schedule of retreats.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 9, 2009
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