Light in the WaitingBlind Bartimaeus Calls to Jesus
Lire cette histoire en français →
Have you ever kept asking for help, even when others told you to be quiet?
The illustrated story
Listen to the story
Read aloud with a generated voice, so little ones can follow along.
Read the story
Just outside the city of Jericho, a man sat by the side of the road every day. His name was Bartimaeus, and he was blind. He could not work, so he sat there with his cloak around him and his bowl in front of him, asking the people who passed by for a little money.
Bartimaeus could not see, but he could hear very well. And one day he heard something different: lots of footsteps, lots of voices, a big crowd coming down the road.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“It’s Jesus of Nazareth,” someone told him. “He is passing by.”
Jesus! Bartimaeus had heard about Him, the teacher who made sick people well and blind people see. His heart began to pound. This was his chance.
So he shouted as loudly as he could, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Shh! Be quiet!” people told him. “Stop making so much noise!”
But Bartimaeus did not stop. He shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
And Jesus stopped. In the middle of the noisy crowd, He heard that one voice. “Call him,” Jesus said.
So the people went to Bartimaeus. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up! He is calling you!”
Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, jumped to his feet and made his way to Jesus.
“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
“Teacher,” said Bartimaeus, “I want to see.”
Jesus said to him:
“Go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Mark 10:52
And at once, Bartimaeus could see! The first face he ever saw was the kind face of Jesus. He saw the sky, the trees, the road and all the smiling people. And Bartimaeus did not go home. He followed Jesus down the road, full of joy.
Lots of people told Bartimaeus to be quiet. But he knew Jesus could help him, so he kept calling. Jesus always hears us when we call to Him.
What we learn
Jesus hears us when we call to Him, and we can keep trusting Him even when others discourage us.
Family prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for hearing us when we call to You. Help us to trust You, to speak to You boldly, and to remember that You care about us. Amen.
A verse to remember
Go your way. Your faith has made you well.
Mark 10:52
Say it together a few times, then see who can say it alone.
Talk about it together
- Why did Bartimaeus keep calling out to Jesus?
- What did Jesus do when He heard him?
- What can you do when you need Jesus’ help?
Read it in the Bible: Mark 10:46–52.
Questions or a message for us?
If you have a question about this story, or you would like to share how your family used it, write to [email protected]. We love hearing from readers.
