The Man on the Street
There were many men like him in Jericho. Sad and forlorn, seeking alms with vacant expressions, looking for some lucrative street corner or some gullible person who could rescue them from their misfortune. It was a daily mission for people like him. A strategic spot had to be chosen and ensure one reaches there before the others. The pitiful wailing had to be carefully rehearsed for maximum emotional impact. And, the sackcloth and ashes had to be torn at just the right angles for that ‘look’.
It was a routine he performed with precision for as long back as he could remember. It had become a way of life for him, and though there were times he craved for something different reality would soon sink in and he would wallow in the misery of the inevitable. He was blind from birth, and he was poor. Both were qualities that were frowned upon in Jericho. Success was preferred, and disabilities were ignored especially if accompanied by the ugly scars of poverty.
He knew there was something more to life than the alms he received each day. If only he could see with his eyes he would be able to explore the world beyond the darkness, and discover the meaning of life that, often, eluded him.
Someone told him about the man called Jesus. They said he was the Messiah, and that he could heal the sick and restore sight to the blind. He heard stories of lives that were changed, and wondered if it was just possible that even his might. He pondered and when he heard that Jesus was walking past his street that very day he knew he had to call out to him.
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus turned to Bartimaeus and asked him to come.
It was a routine he performed with precision for as long back as he could remember. It had become a way of life for him, and though there were times he craved for something different reality would soon sink in and he would wallow in the misery of the inevitable. He was blind from birth, and he was poor. Both were qualities that were frowned upon in Jericho. Success was preferred, and disabilities were ignored especially if accompanied by the ugly scars of poverty.
He knew there was something more to life than the alms he received each day. If only he could see with his eyes he would be able to explore the world beyond the darkness, and discover the meaning of life that, often, eluded him.
Someone told him about the man called Jesus. They said he was the Messiah, and that he could heal the sick and restore sight to the blind. He heard stories of lives that were changed, and wondered if it was just possible that even his might. He pondered and when he heard that Jesus was walking past his street that very day he knew he had to call out to him.
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus turned to Bartimaeus and asked him to come.
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