Jesus, in the Slums

 ^"Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!"  Mark 10:46,47 AMP

Jesus had been in Capernaum dealing with the super-religious and the rich. Maybe, He wanted a break from that type before He faced His "Jerusalem experience". He knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem (Mark 10:33,34), and maybe He wanted one more breath of fresh air that didn't contain ritual, a facade of religiosity, pomp and superiority. You see, Jericho is out of the way when going from Capernaum to Jerusalem. It made the trip longer--and more treacherous; that road from Jericho to Jerusalem (where he met Bartimaeus) was filled with bandits and violence. It wasn't the nice part of town--it's the place that Jesus spoke of in the parable of the Good Samaritan to make His point clear. He used that road as a point of context because they knew it well--and they knew that in spite of the danger, it had to be well traveled by priests and Levites because at Jericho was a community of Levites. When they were not actively serving in the temple at Jerusalem, many of them lived in Jericho. They knew the road well, and they knew its character.

Sometimes, we can't avoid the unsavory or threatening roads in our lives, either--hard as we try. Jesus, however, went out of His way to journey in that direction--that was just His way. He would say, "Learn what this means: 'I want mercy, not sacrifices.' I've come to call sinners, not people who think they have God's approval."  (Matthew 9:13, GWT) Jesus' focus wasn't on external sacrifices offered at the physical temple, but the sacrifices of the heart; and He came for people who recognize they have need, not those who suppose that they can work it out themselves--and have it together already, and are approved by God through their own human efforts. He came seeking those who would throw themselves on the mercy seat knowing that there is no hope save Jesus Christ. So, while we try to play it safe and avoid danger, sadness, poverty, ugliness and suffering, Jesus walked right into its midst. He found it on the Jericho road, that day--and thankfully, He still walks into its midst, today! Bartimaeus sat on that road, begging. It was a common place to beg--I'm sure it was lined with beggars, prostitutes, (we already know bandits), probably murderers, violent people, drunkards, all manner of sinners and the poor who could do no better. Jesus' favorite people. It might appear that it was a wilderness and not busy by the Samaritan parable, but really if you know the background and context of this road, it couldn't be. 

Between Capernaum and Jericho lie three major cities: Megiddo, Beth-Shan, and Shechem. No mention is made of anything happening in any of them during this journey as Jesus traveled with His disciples, but when He comes to this seemingly God-forsaken place and Bartimaeus cries out, things begin to happen. It's significant to me that it even says, "Then they came to Jericho." That indicates that in the place where the "men of God" filled the city--where they dwelt in abundance, God in Christ came, and nothing happened, period. The supposedly righteous had the King of kings in their midst and didn't even recognize Him, but on the road to Jerusalem (from Jericho), in the slum, He was seen and recognized as the Deliverer. If that isn't in indication that we should never look at the outward to determine anything about people, then what is? We are closest to God when we recognize our need for Him. When in self-righteousness--because that is what it is, we assume that we already have what we need of Him, we are far from Him. That was the big mistake of the religious leaders and rulers of Jesus' day. They were so bound in the Law and all of its legalities thinking themselves wrapped securely in the Mosaic Law--and all they had added to it that they couldn't be touched, but in truth, were "white-washed tombs". (White-washed tombs--filled with dead men's bones wasn't simply a metaphor, but because tombs were considered unclean, to avoid accidentally becoming unclean while passing by them, they were white-washed annually--and sometimes more frequently, so this reference by Jesus was well-known to them and quite indicting). Something should happen when Jesus comes into our midst.

On the road, after He left Jericho, Bartimaeus who had been begging for tangible things began to beg for something worth much more, that couldn't be touched. That's really the difference with so many of us. So many are beseeching God for the tangibles, rather than the things that really have (eternal) value--His mercy and His pity, which we so greatly need. We need to receive our sight, too. Bartimaeus literally screamed out for Jesus, even as those present "severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still". If only we could get that desperate for Jesus--to chase Him, for more of Him and what He wants to give us. Bartimaeus didn't give up no matter the difficulty or the odds against Him, and Jesus had pity and mercy on Him--Bartimaeus got what he sought. Jesus asked him what he wanted and Bartimaeus' reply was to receive his sight--but it wasn't just his physical sight because after he received it, he "followed Jesus in the way". He became a disciple of Jesus, too. Receiving his physical sight would have been life-changing and an opportunity to leave the Jericho Road behind--and begging. But rising up and choosing to follow Jesus held eternal repercussions. If only the young religious man (of verse 17) probably from among the Pharisee's who were testing Jesus, had a heart to seek and beseech God, no matter what. That is what makes the difference--and that is what makes the difference for us, too. No matter what.

Jesus comes and goes wherever the need is--He went to Jericho, He went to the Temple, as well as to "the slum", the publican and to the well, but the difference lies in those who recognize their need for Him. Perhaps, those who need Him most, are not those that we suppose. It's not only hard for the rich and the religious to give up what they have (and think they have [John 5:39]) to find Jesus, in reality; but it's hard for them to admit their great need. It is an "eye of the needle" kind of thing, for sure.We need a Bartimaeus mindset, to receive from the Master.