The Man by the Road
Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho with a great crowd. And by the road sat a blind man named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. He sat there and begged.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth passing by, he began to cry out loudly. "Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!"
Many people told him to be quiet. But he cried out even louder. "You son of David, have mercy on me!"
A blind man by the road has no way of knowing that Jesus is near, except by what he hears. And as soon as he hears, he shouts, at the top of his voice, into a crowd that tells him to keep quiet.
What do you think made him keep shouting?
Turn the page. Something stops.
Jesus stood still.
He said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man. "Cheer up!" they said. "Get up. He is calling you!"
Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
And Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man said, "Rabboni, that I may see again."
And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has made you well."
Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight.
And he followed Jesus on the way.
Jesus stopped. Jesus called him. Jesus asked him one question: "What do you want me to do for you?"
If Jesus asked you that, what would you answer?
Bartimaeus answered. Turn the page.
How to Talk About This Story With Your Child
This is a short, clean story, and it is worth keeping it that way. There is no long explanation of who Bartimaeus was, no inner journey described, no moral appended. A man who could not see hears that Jesus is passing, shouts until Jesus stops, is called, answers one question, is healed, and then follows.
The detail children often remember is the crowd trying to shush him and him shouting louder. Let that be the shape of the story.
One thing the story shows plainly: Bartimaeus called him "Jesus, son of David," a kingly name. A man who could not see called out the truest word about Jesus. You do not need to point it out. It is in the scene.
What Bartimaeus did with his sight is also in the text: he followed Jesus on the way.
Pray Together
You do not have to use these exact words. You can tell God what you think about the story in your own words. Or you can pray this together:
Thank You, Jesus, for stopping for Bartimaeus. Thank You that when people tried to quiet him, You called him. Help us know that we can call out to You, and that You hear us even in the middle of a crowd. Amen.
Bartimaeus sat by the road, blind and begging. When he heard that Jesus was passing, he cried out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"
People told him to be quiet, and he shouted louder. Jesus stood still and said, "Call him."
Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus said, "Rabboni, that I may see again." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.
Continue your family Bible time with more free stories and activities from Little Faith Hands.