46And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. 48And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Son of David, have mercy on me. 49And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
The chosen verse of the day comes from the Gospel of Mark. In this passage, Jesus and his disciples are walking along the Jericho road to return to Jerusalem before Passover. The pilgrimage road is crowded with travelers moving toward the city. Along the road, a blind man named Bartimaeus sits begging at the roadside when he hears Jesus of Nazareth approaching.
The passage describes a striking scene: Bartimaeus, blind and on the margins of society, learns of Jesus' approach and shouts "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." Bartimaeus approaches Jesus, and Jesus asks what he wants. Bartimaeus requests his sight. Jesus declares "thy faith hath made thee whole," and Bartimaeus's sight is fully restored.
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