Bourland Family Blog

51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:51-52

The is the continuation from the day before yesterday on Bart, the blind man who was calling out to Jesus to have mercy on him.

We now hear Jesus’ question to Bart after he had jumped up, threw off his cloak, and was assisted toward Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knows what Bart needs – He knows that Bart is blind but asks him anyway. In a very simple response, Bart says that he wants to see. Even though Jesus knew what Bart needed, He asked and wanted to hear his response anyway. This is the same question Jesus asked James and John in verse 36. But unlike them, Bart doesn’t ask for glory—he asks for his sight. He knows exactly what he needs…and he believes Jesus can give it.

Additionally, this is not just about Bart’s sight. Jesus uses the word that often refers to salvation. Bartimaeus’s faith was genuine—it was saving faith. He believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and his faith brought BOTH healing and salvation. What happens next is an indicator of true conversion — Bart didn’t just get what he wanted and walk away. He became a follower. He joined Jesus on the road to the cross.

Bart is an example of every sinner who genuinely comes to Jesus. He knows he’s blind. He accepts that he can’t fix himself. He cries out for mercy, he believes Jesus is the only one who can save him, and he follows Jesus after being healed.

APPLICATION:

Today this is simple…do I live out my salvation every day?

• I am no longer blind because I can see the world for what it is.
• I accept that I must rely on Jesus to make it to the end.
• I cry out to Jesus when I need help.
• I believe that Jesus knows what is best for me.
• As long as I am following Him, I am doing all that He would have me do (Psalms 1:3).

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” Mark 10:46-49

Please remember that my posts are what the Lord reveals to my heart when I read His Word. I simply want to share with the reader (in an accountable way) what applicability I take away from what I prayerfully read every day.

I labeled this post “Persistence without resentment” because this story about Bartimaeus (I am going to call him Bart) is convicting to me. Bart was persistent but there is no hint of frustration, bitterness, or resentment in Jesus not answering him right away…and, he would not be deterred by the nay-saying people around him. This was a personal call from Bart to Jesus, the Son of David, to have mercy on him.

I was convicted this morning because I am taking an inward look at my motivations and expectations when I make requests of my Savior while I am here on this earth, under the sun. There is no doubt that Jesus heard him the first time Bart called out. So, what does Jesus finally do? He tells his disciples to “Call him…” over. I happen to think that what the people said to Bart about Jesus calling him over, was probably a little comical. “Hey Bart! Jesus is calling for you! Cheer up man, get up, He wants to see you!” Bart immediately jumps to his feet, throws off his cloak, and came to Jesus.

APPLICATION:

1. Bart knew Jesus was there – So, given the promise of the Helper, I know that Jesus is always with me.
2. Bart called on Jesus – Every circumstance I am in, I need to think of calling to Jesus as my first response, not my second, third, or last.
3. Bart was persistent – I need to continue to call on Jesus even when to everyone else, it seems frivolous.
4. Bart’s response when Jesus answered was immediate – When I hear the answer Jesus has for me, first do I recognize that He is answering, and second, do I accept and respond with deliberate action?

Tomorrow I will be looking at Jesus’ response and conversation with Bart.

28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:28-31

[Spoiler] I have used some of the late John MacArthur’s thoughts on this passage here in my write-up today. His perspective really resonated with me.

True Riches in the Kingdom – In this passage, Jesus is redefining wealth—not in terms of material possessions, but in terms of spiritual blessings and eternal reward. The “hundredfold” promise is interpreted as spiritual family and provision within the body of Christ. We as believers gain a new community and deeper relationships that overcome biological ties.

Persecution Is Part of the Package – Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat the cost of discipleship. The blessings come “with persecutions,” which is a mark of genuine faith and a refining tool in the believer’s life.

Reversal of Earthly Status – The phrase “many who are first will be last, and the last first” is a warning against pride and worldly ambition. This is a call to humility and trust in God’s justice, where the true value of a person is revealed in eternity.

APPLICATION:

There are so many questions from this passage I feel compelled to ask myself!

• Would I give up my house? — 100% yes. Our home is a gift from the Lord and I take no possession of it. If I felt the Lord leading us to sell it and go into the mission field, I would do it in a heartbeat.
• Have I left family or my current living location (Washington)? My family means a lot to me but my Lord and Savior means ‘everything’ to me. In this time in my life, I feel called to be there for my mom and dad especially while my mom is battling Alzheimer’s. I am currently living out the command to honor my mother and father by being here close to them.
• Finally, am I prideful? Yes, is the simple answer. I sometime struggle with selfishness or rights-based expectations. The Lord has brought me a long way in my pursuit to eradicate this from my life, and He has brought me through trials that bring me to the humble realization that He is the only answer; the only One who can bring peace and satisfaction.

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Mark 10:13-16

This passage is so appropriate today at camp. Tonight PJ Lewis (Middle School Camp Speaker) made a call to all the students to place their belief and trust in Jesus. Leading up to this night, camp chapels have consisted of all of the “I AM” statements. I am the way, I am the gate, I am the good shepherd, etc. PJ laid out the gospel and the character of Jesus so well. He not only covered what Jesus did on the cross for us, but he also covered Who Jesus is for us today. Coming to this passage in Mark today is awesome because I was blessed to spend time with one of the cabins in my Flock Group where 2 boys accepted Jesus into their hearts. I was able to share how they have a new redeemed spirit and the promise of the Helper (Holy Spirit) to come alongside them from this point forward.

The faith and simplicity of a child is how we all need to come to Jesus. It is exactly what Jesus was talking about in these verses — “whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child, shall not enter it”. Kids have this simple innate trust we must embrace when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

There were so many good questions by these Middle Schoolers. I was so impressed with the depth of their inquisitiveness.

APPLICATION:

I need to live everyday with the faith of a small child. Like the little kid sitting on an airplane in turbulence who is watching a movie on their device…totally trusting the pilots and the plane — I need to have trust in my Savior that He wants the best for me in EVERYTHING. That best may not be what I THINK is best for me, but I can walk forward in faith, knowing that the Lord is in sovereign control and as long as I am following Him, He will sustain me until the time set aside for me to meet Him in heaven or in the air.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:2-12

There are several places in God’s Word where divorce is addressed, but here is one of the places where Jesus elevates the standard of marriage above the mosaic concessions. Jesus instead points to God’s original intent by pointing to the “two shall become one” and “let no man separate what God has joined together”. Jesus is berating the Pharisees for using scripture to justify divorce, showing them that their hearts were far away from God’s purpose.

Breaking the marital covenant is a serious thing. It is a shame that today, divorce is used to correct an oopsie or ‘unreconcilable differences’. All throughout God’s Word, Love is an action…a state of heart and mind toward another. God emphasizes that spiritual gifts, knowledge, generosity, and even faith are meaningless without love. –> 1 Corinthians 13 tells us all about this. When we bring all of the aspects of Love into even a broken marriage joined by repentance and the goal of glorifying God, anything is possible.

APPLICATION:

I am so grateful for Marianne. We have had some rocky areas in our marriage but our desire to honor and glorify God above all else, has always positioned our hearts in the right orientation toward each other in light of the Gospel. The order is so important, and this order I must embrace every day –> God is my head and I am the head of my wife and family. When I am seeking the Lord with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength, (and applying to my life all the Lord is teaching me) everything else falls into place.

49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:49-50

July 16 – 20, Marianne, Sophie, Prim, and Brooklyn will all be at Canyon Hills Middle School Camp @ Miracle Ranch in Purdy, WA. Marianne and I will be “Flock Leaders” all week, serving and caring for several Cabin Leaders. We are so looking forward to this time with the Middle School students and coming alongside this Cabin Leaders who sacrifice so much to be there. My Quiet Time posts will be pretty short and sweet and most of them will come rapid-fire as I will post most of the days on Sunday. Cellular Data connections are horrid at camp.

This passage in Mark is one that is kind of tough to understand. What’s interesting is that Jesus talks about 3 different aspects of salt.

1. Everyone will be salted with fire. – This has a couple of potential meanings (or both). If we link it with the previous verses, then Jesus is talking about Judgement. However, if we look at it in light of the following verses, it is more about purification or sanctification of our lives as followers of Jesus. I tend to think Jesus is referring to both and the ‘being salted with fire’ is a cleansing…whether that is as an unbeliever or a justified/redeemed follower of Christ.
2. Salt is good, but how do you make unsalty salt, salty again? – Different commentators have different thoughts on this but when I look at this passage applied to my own life, here is my take-away -> The seasoning of Jesus in my life makes me a preservative and “bringer of good news” to the world around me. I can become unsalty by being distracted by other books and authors say which can keep me out of His Word and what the Lord is revealing to me through it. I must stay salty by keeping my nose in God’s Word and prayerfully supplicating with Him every day.
3. Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. – Jesus calls on the disciples to have peaceful, harmonious relationships among themselves. In Old Testament times, salt was also seen as a symbol when entering into covenants with each other. I think it fits well in that while we look to encourage each other and hold each one accountable, we need to do that with Grace and Love so that we can grow each other up without cutting each other down.

APPLICATION:

I must be deliberate about being the salt of the earth God wants me to be. I also need to welcome the cleansing fire of trials. I need to pivot from feeling ‘hit’ to ‘what does God want to teach me in this’.