Jesus Christ's Compassion

I was asked to write a page on one of the stories of Christ and how it relates to me and my life.  I was reading in Mark and the verses that spoke to my heart was where Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus.  In Mark 10:47-52 it reads:

And when he heard it was Jesus of Nazereth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried that more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called, And they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And 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 sight.  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.  And immediately he received sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

How miraculous, hope filled is this simple set of verses.  I love the messages inside this story.  First of all, Bartimaeus needed the Savior so much that he cried out for him repeatedly.  He was persistent.  He knew he needed help.  I love the deep level of humility illustrated by his asking and asking.  When I am on my knees asking Heavenly Father for help, I am in a better position to receive.  My heart and mind are turned to Him.

The next part I adore about this story is that Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he needed from him.  This very simple, but profound exchange teaches me the importance of asking God for things that I am in need of like my children ask for things from me.  A perfect being having a normal exchange with an ordinary human being.  And with all His might and power, he wants to give me what I believe I am in need of.  For me, that speaks to the great degree of compassion the Savior has for my needs.  He wants to know what I think and feel.  He wants to take care of me.

After Bartimaeus asks for what he needs, Jesus gives him what he needs.  And this because of the great faith he had.  He had enough faith to ask and enough faith to receive.  I know it is my faith in Jesus Christ that will allow Him to make me whole.  He stands ready to provide what I need.  I just need to follow Him and believe in His name.