Called

The truth about blind Bartimaeus is short; the word of God giving us only a few verses. But what a powerful truth can be found within those few verses.

Mark 10:46-52 KJV
And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

Blind Bartimaeus sat by the highway side begging.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

Bartimaeus heard. Yet the voices of this world charged in an attempt to restrain the blind man from the Way. "And many charged him that he should hold his peace:" Hands grip in an attempt to prevent and withhold. The worlds hold and oppression of Bartimaeus intensifies. He is seized by the world.

Sit down!
Salvation is not offered to you!
Healing is not offered!
Peace is not within your midst!
You are unworthy!
Keep quiet and let the opportunity to be before the King pass!
Money matters.
Prestige matters.
Work for self.
Obtain.
Consume.
Covet.
Get.
Rise to power.
Who is the LORD?
The world and all its obligations interferes with the Lord's call.

Luke 14:16-21 KJV
[16] Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: [17] And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. [18] And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. [19] And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. [20] And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. [21] So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

Bartimaeus, broke from the hold of the world, in anguish of thirst and hunger, "cried the more a great deal"

Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. !!!

And Jesus stood still,
and commanded him to be called.

And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

And he, casting away his(own) garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

Bartimaeus is offered a new garment. The only way: for the filth to be saturated and covered by the precious blood of the Lamb. Slain before the foundation of the world and standing before a blind man.

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Bartimaeus chose to not go his way but instead, followed Jesus in the way; no longer seated by the highway side begging.

Luke 14: 22-23
[22] And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. [23] And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Proverbs 16:16-17 KJV
[16] How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! [17] The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Isaiah 11:15-16 KJV
[15] And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. [16] And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.


Isaiah 35:8-10 KJV
[8] And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein . [9] No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there : [10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.


Isaiah 40:3-8 KJV
[3] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord , make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: [5] And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it . [6] The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: [7] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. [8] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Isaiah 49:10-13 KJV
[10] They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. [11] And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. [12] Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. [13] Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Matthew 22: 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
What is the difference between being "called" and being "chosen" ?

bbyrd009 said:

good Q, unfortunately no one i have ever met is able to make sense of killing a messenger sent by the king who is just there to invite them to a wedding banquet, nor does torturing someone who was invited (called) and came without the proper clothing. I mean hey, your friends didn't even want to come, so you started asking people on street corners to come, homeless people iow, so how do you expect them to come dressed correctly? i mean gee, i wonder why your friends didn't want to come lol, if you are torturing homeless people you invited for offending you with the obvious.

Nothing about that parable makes any sense to me, and none of the explanations hold any water either imo.

No street person is going to refuse a suit of wedding clothes if it is offered, i don't think. Reflecting upon the parable in Luke, we see a different conclusion, "24For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!'" and, following upon the parable of the guests, wherein we have just been counseled to not invite people who could repay, but invite the "poor, homeless, destitute" etc, to our banquets, like the king (finally) did--but not first, didn't follow His own advice iow--only makes it worse imo.

anyway, the diff to me is one of following, or not following, as imo the Hebrews Wandering illustrates better.

And i'm sure the wedding banquet parables are screaming some obvious truth at us, and these apparent contradictions have some resolution, like they all do

Click to expand...

Do you not see a different response to an invitation in Bartimaeus then others called?

Mark 10:49-50 KJV
[49] And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. [50] And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Mark 10:52 KJV
[52] And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

1)He rose
2) He cast off his garment(rags)
3) when Jesus told him he was free and to go "thy way", instead he followed Jesus in the way.