3 Success Lessons From The Story of Bartimaeus

Learn more lessons from the story of Blind Bartimaeus in my newer article: 7 Lessons To Learn From Blind Bartimaeus

In just eight verses of The Bible that tell the story of how Bartimaeus was healed, we can learn three lessons that can help us to be more successful in life. The lessons are:

• Be Ready To Take Advantage of Opportunities
• Don’t Let People Keep You From Pursuing Your Dreams
• Start Working Towards Your Dreams Even When You Can’t See How You Will Achieve It

The story is found in Mark 10:46-52 and since it’s only eight verses long, I included it here:

“46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)

Be Ready To Take Advantage of Opportunities

The first lesson we can learn from the story of Bartimaeus is to be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they are presented. In verse 47 it says that Bartimaeus began to shout “when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth.” It is quite possible that there were other people by the name of Jesus in that era, but this Jesus was different.

Bartimaeus knew that Jesus of Nazareth had the power to change his circumstances for the better. As a result, he immediately did what was necessary to get his attention. What if Bartimaeus didn’t know of Jesus of Nazareth and his abilities in order to take action while he was passing by? It is possible that he could have missed out on being healed!

Throughout life, opportunities are continuously presented that could change our lives for the better. Unfortunately, many times we don’t recognize them or are not prepared to take advantage of them. The more aware and knowledgeable we become, the more opportunities we’ll begin to recognize and be able to pursue.

Going back to the story, there is a chance that some people in the crowd had issues that Jesus could have fixed, but unlike Bartimaeus, they probably weren’t aware and prepared to take advantage of his presence. Every day,  become more knowledgeable so that you can be more aware and ready to take advantage of opportunities when they are presented.

Don’t Let People Keep You From Pursuing Your Dreams

The second lesson we can learn from the story of Bartimaeus is don’t let people keep you from pursuing your dreams.  In verse 48 it states that “many sternly ordered him to be quiet” when he started to shout out. This reaction towards Bartimaeus by some of the surrounding people is similar to how some people react to others when they stand out as a result of pursuing their dreams. “Are you crazy?” they may ask. “Why don’t you just be normal?”, they may imply. Because some people may be familiar with you or can’t picture you achieving your dreams, they may proceed to talk you out of it. In other words, they try to keep you in your place.

When this happens, don’t give in. Push even harder towards your dreams just as Bartimaeus did. The scripture states that he “cried out even more loudly” when the people tried to silence him. History has shown repeatedly, that some of the ideas that people thought to be the most ridiculous had the greatest impact on the world!

Start Working Towards Your Dreams Even When You Can’t See How You Will Achieve It

The third lesson we can learn from the story of Bartimaeus is to start working towards your dreams even when you can’t see how you will achieve them. After getting Jesus’ attention, isn’t it interesting that although Jesus would have known he was blind he said “Call him here” rather than going to him or saying “bring him here.”

Despite this, verse 50 states that “throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” (Note: The Luke 18 35-43 account indicates he was brought to Jesus). I believe that it is with that action Bartimaeus’ faith was put into work which led to him being healed. Being blind, he wouldn’t have seen the exact path to Jesus, but with each step he made, you can imagine him listening and feeling his way through until he got to Jesus.

Oftentimes in life, we try to work out all the details in our heads before we start working towards our dreams. By attempting to do so, we tend to think of all the things that could keep us from getting to the end. These thoughts can paralyze us, keeping us from ever beginning the journey. But with the knowledge of where you want to end up, like Bartimaeus, we should start moving immediately with each step making the next step possible.

Think of it as a road trip. When planning to go on a road trip, you don’t focus on the speed bumps, potential accidents, or diversions that may be encountered. Instead, knowing your destination, you do what’s necessary to start the trip and then deal with any setbacks as they arise. 

Conclusion

Bartimaeus took advantage of the opportunity to be healed. Although people told him to be quiet, he didn’t let them keep him back from getting what he desired. Without knowing how he was going to get to Jesus, Bartimaeus started moving when called. By applying what we learn from him, we can all live more successful lives.