Looking for mercy

46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Once again, Jesus asks someone, “What do you want me to do for you?” Blind Bartimaeus discovers Jesus is about to pass by the spot where he begs every day. He’d heard story after story of Jesus healing those who came to him with need. So as Jesus draws near, Bartimaeus cries out. The Greek word translated cry out means: croak, scream, shriek, cry, or bawl. He makes a scene, and all [but Jesus] find his disturbance annoying. Mark records that many rebuked him, but all that did was make him get even louder.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This is the anguished cry of a desperate man who senses that hope is near. He was frantic not to miss his only opportunity. Over and over, he yells, “Have mercy on me!” He calls Jesus the Son of David, revealing he believes Jesus to be the Messiah. And he asks for nothing but mercy. If he is looking to regain his sight, he has not yet asked. When Jesus asks for specifics, he requests his sight to be restored. Jesus opens his eyes, and Bartimaeus begins following immediately. 

Five verses earlier, James and John requested glory, and Jesus taught them instead. But here, he gives the blind man exactly what he asked. The difference is that the blind man requested exactly what he needed, and it served to glorify God. Err on the side of asking and let Jesus determine if you need to wait, receive a lesson, or receive exactly what you asked.