O my soul,
Have you told Jesus what you want him to do for you?
I’m not interested in ambition or covetousness or grasping or self-interest, and neither is he, but rather life and health and strength and deliverance and mercy. Have you told him what you want him to do for you?
As [Jesus] drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
― Luke 18:35-41a
Isn’t this interesting? “What do you want me to do for you?” This question was asked by the Word of Life himself, the omniscient Creator God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
― John 1:1-5, 14
Jesus already knew this blind man whose name was Bartimaeus. He knew his hopes and his dreams and his heartbreak and the debilitating affliction of his blindness. He was and is the giver of life itself, the one who knows and the one who loves and the one who heals, and yet, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Why would Jesus ask this? Consider Bartimaeus’ answer and what happened next.
He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
― Luke 18:41b-43
How much faith is articulated in that simple request, “Lord, let me recover my sight”? O my soul, if you would receive from Jesus you must believe. A previous encounter with two other blind men teaches us this.
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened.
― Matthew 9:27-30a
O my soul, according to your faith be it done to you. Even if you are that desperate father of the boy with the unclean spirit.
“But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
― Mark 9:22-24
What do you want Jesus to do for you? If you believe that he can, you must ask him. Did Jesus not say as much?
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
― Matthew 7:7
Before we finish, there’s something to notice from the context of the account of Bartimaeus’ healing in Luke’s gospel. Do not overlook that the Bible was written under the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit. It is hugely significant how the various accounts were assembled, so let’s see what else Luke put together here in what later became Chapter Eighteen of his gospel. There are five preceding paragraphs and they are all so very relevant.
The first is the parable of the persistent widow.
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
― Luke 18:1
O my soul, don’t give up telling Jesus what you want him to do for you.
The second is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
― Luke 18:14
O my soul, you must ask Jesus as one crying out for mercy. You deserve nothing, so repudiate that spirit of entitlement which is always so eager to raise its head.
The third is of the little children whom the disciples rebuked.
But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
― Luke 18:16-17
O my soul, be that little child and depend on Jesus. Has there ever been such an age as ours of rugged individualism? When Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” would you reply, “Ah, I’m alright thanks Jesus, I’ve got this”?
The fourth is the tragic story of the rich young ruler.
Jesus … said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
― Luke 18:22-25
O my soul, you must want Jesus and his Kingdom above all else. And do not overlook what Jesus said next.
But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
― Luke 18:27
O my soul, do not hold back in what you ask Jesus to do for you, even if it seems impossible.
And the fifth and final and by far the most important is Jesus again telling his disciples,
See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.
― Luke 18:31-33
O my soul, the very Son of God poured out his life for you on that cross at Calvary, and today and every day he pours out his love. His death paid in full both your own debt and that of all humankind. His resurrection is victory over sin and death and all that drags you down. Praise, O my soul, the King of Heaven!
Bartimaeus did not hold back in telling Jesus what he wanted him to do for him, and neither must you.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
― Luke 18:41-43
God is glorified when all the people see what Jesus does for humble sinners who ask in faith, believing and not doubting.
O my soul, believe and do not doubt, and tell Jesus the full extent of what you want him to do for you! 🙏