Do You Go To God For a “D” Or With a “T” ???

     Lately, the strides of my lake walks have revolved around the stride of wondering why Jesus chose the words of Mark 10:51(ESV) – “What do you want Me to do for you?”   Jesus spoke these words to the blind man, Bartimaeus, who, sitting by the roadside begging as Christ passed, shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47(ESV)  

     Jesus, as member of our Trinity God, is all knowing.   Thus, the need for Him to ask a human what was needed seemed baffling to me.   My belief is Christ always chose His words carefully – meaning them to be thought provoking, not randomly blurted.   Over and over, I pondered why Jesus vocalized “What do you want Me to do for you”; for the answer appears obvious.   Bartimaeus was blind.   He was seeking sight!!!   So, why did Jesus ask what Bartimaeus wanted???

     My eventual, and enlightened, perception of Jesus’s choice of words was not a short excursion where the answer was mapped out during a speedy trip around the block.   In honesty, days of walks mulled through this before inspiration, from above, removed the scales from my own blind eyes.   My focus had been on “what”.   Could it be, Jesus intended to bring light to “want”?  

     Too often, we, Christians, sit back and wait for God to abracadabra solve our needs and make things right – or more accurately, to our liking.   Passively, we look to God as the one who actively is responsible for delivering our answers.   Problem here is we are looking for answers and not answered prayer.  

     Prayer, herein lies my perception of core vision behind why Jesus asked, “what do you WANT Me to do for you?”   Christ was signaling the need for us to go to Him with our wants, in other words, to pray.   The real question then becomes do we actively spend time with God, talking in prayer?   Or, do we passively wait for God to use His power and magically deliver our desires?    It boils down to, do we go to God for a “D”; or do we go to God with a “T”?   Do we wait for God to wave a magic “wanD”; or do we cry out to God, and, into His miraculous hands, entrust our “wanT”???   Wands are for make believe fairy tales.   God is real – both His power and His caring for, and about, us and our “wanTs”.

     Jesus asked Bartimaeus (and us) what do you want?   This requires two way relationship, not one sided gifting.   Jesus’s words signaled conversation as means for communication.   Today’s lazy tendency is for us to save our breath and expect God will telepathically know our needs and, as a magician waves his wand, make them appear/disappear.

     Many, many centuries ago, Jesus blatantly directed Bartimaeus to tell Him his wants.   Christ’s instructions ring the same for you and me today.  Thus, next time we are in need, let’s not forget Christ didn’t say, what do you “wanD” Me to do for you.   He asked, what do you “wanT” Me to do for you.   Then, and always, may each and every one of us, prayerfully, place our “wanT” into God’s miraculous, not magical, power and care.