The Miracle

There was nothing wrong with his hearing; that was for sure!

He heard the farrier's hammer hit the anvil as he shaped the horseshoe.

He heard the market sellers call out their deals of the day.

He heard exhausted mothers reprimand their boisterous children,

He heard the unpleasant sound of desperate rats scratching the dry, dusty ground, hoping for crumbs or scraps of food that people may drop.

He was glad of his other senses.

He smelled the fresh bread on the barrow that wheeled past him. It made his mouth water.

 

Bartimaeus felt the ground with his hands, finding the edge of his well-worn mat. He smoothed it so it lay flat beneath him.

He sighed, knowing it would be another long day sitting, waiting, and hoping for a few kind and generous people who would drop a few coins into his bowl.

He needed food today as he had gone to bed hungry the night before.

 

The delightful sound of a coin dropping into his bowl made him jump. He called out, “Thank you for your generous spirit”

He waited to hear their footsteps fade away until he reached for his bowl and felt the shape of the coin. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a start!

He tucked it into his cloth pouch tied around his waist.

He tried to work out how many coins he would need to have a hot meal.

 

A wave of grief washed over him. He grieved for the sight that was taken away from him by the stupid accident.

Tears slowly fell down his weathered cheek.

How he longed for the days when he would sit at his potter's wheel, creating works of art that would light up the faces of people who came into his workshop.

He grieved for the times when he had enough money to choose where he would eat that day, not what he could afford.

He grieved for the wife and family he could have had.

 

Bartimaeus had tried so hard to keep throwing pots even with no sight, but he had to admit defeat. You just needed the ability to see whether or not the pot was formed perfectly. People didn’t want to spend their well-earned money on misshapen pots.

 

Bartimaeus tried hard to sit upright. But soon the sun beat down on him, his head drooped, and he started to doze.

He dreamt of a time when he could see. He noticed trees that stood erect beside a babbling brook.

He splashed cool water over his hot face and kicked water at the nearby children.

He looked up into the blue sky and saw buzzards soaring high.

He noticed the delicate, vibrant colours of the flowers.

He was jolted awake by a thundering sound.

He was confused as he didn’t really know what the sound was.

Then he realised he was hearing crowds of people walking towards him. He heard excited voices.

He strained his head to try and hear what they were talking about.

Another wave of grief hit him, then frustration and anger. I just want to be able to see what is happening.

As people walked past him, he heard the name, Jesus.

A sense of excitement flooded Bartimaeus. He had heard many people talk about this man. Some said that he was the messiah.

He had heard stories of how this Jesus had healed the sick and the lame.

He sensed this Jesus just might be able to help him.

Could this Jesus be in the crowd?

Bartimaeus, giving no thought to what others may think of him, started to cry out.

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

People in the crowd told him to stop shouting.

This made him want to shout louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”

 

Jesus heard his heart cry and told the people close to him, “Tell the man to come to me”

Bartimaeus felt warm breath on his cheek, and a man whispered in his ear.

“ Cheer up, Jesus wants you to go to him”

Bartimaeus, for the first time, felt hope. He leapt up, threw off his cloak, and, with his arms stretched out in front of him, tentatively felt his way through the crowd. hoping he wouldn’t bump into people. He walked to where he thought Jesus would be.

The first words that Bartimaeus heard Jesus say were:

“What would you like me to do for you? ”

With no thinking required, he replied, “My rabbi, I want to see”

Jesus replied, “Go; your faith has healed you”

Bright light hit his eyes, and then the first person he saw was the beautiful, gentle eyes of his healer.

Bartimaeus blinked again and again, testing his sight. Was he dreaming?

He reached out and touched Jesus' face.

His heart was full of pure joy.

Jesus smiled at him.

“Thank you seems so feeble a response to what you have done for me“ Bartimaeus whispered.

“You have given me my life back

I will be forever changed.”

Jesus reached forward and enveloped him in a warm hug.

Then he turned and walked away.

 

Bartimaeus wanted to talk more.

He had so many questions.

He turned to look around at all the different faces that had swarmed around Jesus.

He couldn’t stop smiling.

 

He was once blind, and now he could see.

 

The crowd began to move forward as Jesus walked ahead of them. They all began following him.

Bartimaeus left his mat and begging bowl.

He no longer needed them; he had received his miracle.

 

There was only one place he wanted to be, and that was to be as close to Jesus as he could be.