Why did Jesus ask Bartimaeus what he wanted when he was blind?

Not because he did not know, but to dignify the man by inviting him to name his own desire. Jesus treats people as persons with a voice, not objects to be fixed, and there is healing in being asked rather than assumed (Mark 10:51).

What does this question teach about prayer?

That God invites us to name our real desires honestly. Many people never say plainly what they want from God. Jesus' question encourages specific, honest asking rather than vague, dutiful prayer.

A question Jesus asked

“What Do You Want Me to Do for You?”

Asked to blind Bartimaeus · Mark 10:51

When blind Bartimaeus cried out to him, Jesus asked, 'What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?' (Mark 10:51). He knew, yet he asked, dignifying the man by inviting him to name his own desire rather than assuming it for him.

He asked it

“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”

Jesus · Mark 10:51

Why he asked

Bartimaeus is blind, and begging, and the crowd tries to shush him, but he will not be shushed; he cries out for mercy until Jesus stops and calls him over. And then Jesus asks a question that seems almost absurd. To a blind beggar: what do you want me to do for you? Is it not obvious? He is blind. Surely God incarnate can see the need without an itemized request.

But that is exactly the dignity in it. Jesus does not sweep in and fix the man like an object; he treats him as a person with a voice, and invites him to name his own longing out loud. 'Lord, that I might receive my sight.' There is something healing in being asked rather than assumed, in getting to say the deep want yourself instead of having it decided for you. God, it turns out, is not in a hurry to override you. He asks.

God does not sweep in and fix you like an object. He asks what you want, and waits for you to say it.

And he asks it of youIt is a harder question than it looks. Most of us move through life with a fog of vague dissatisfaction and have never once said plainly what we actually want, or want from God. If Jesus stood in front of you and asked it, could you answer? Not what you think you should want. Not what would sound spiritual. What do you actually want him to do for you? He is asking.

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The question waits for an answer

A question is not a lecture; it waits for you. These were not asked two thousand years ago and closed. The same Jesus is still asking, and Living Bread is a quiet place to sit with the question, read the Gospels, and answer him honestly, at your own pace.

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Frequently asked questions

Why did Jesus ask Bartimaeus what he wanted when he was blind?: Not because he did not know, but to dignify the man by inviting him to name his own desire. Jesus treats people as persons with a voice, not objects to be fixed, and there is healing in being asked rather than assumed (Mark 10:51).
What does this question teach about prayer?: That God invites us to name our real desires honestly. Many people never say plainly what they want from God. Jesus' question encourages specific, honest asking rather than vague, dutiful prayer.

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