In Mark 10, a blind beggar cried out to Jesus for help.

Jesus heard his pleas and called him forward. A miracle followed. Jesus healed his sight! With a word, Jesus changed his life. In response, the man followed Jesus. He expressed his gratitude by dedicating himself to the Lord.

But there’s a telling detail in verse 50. Just prior to the healing we read this: “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.”

Mark’s Gospel is the sayings and stories of the apostle Peter, an eye-witness. As you go through the story, there are often little details which have been preserved for us. They are details that could only be preserved by someone who was there. This is one of those details. But why did Peter (through Mark) think this was important to remember?

A beggar’s cloak was often his most valuable possession. In the ancient world there weren’t the social supports that there are today. A blind beggar at the side of the road was in a VERY desperate situation. He lived inches from death on a daily basis. A cloak doubled as a bed mattress. It could also be rolled up as a pillow.

With that in mind note that the beggar throws it aside. He casts aside what was probably his most valuable possession. Why? Because he had total trust that Jesus could help. After that encounter, his cloak would no longer be needed.

Do we have that level of trust in Jesus?

If you’re like me, some days your Trust-O-Meter is going strong. Other days it is quivering a few millimetres above empty.

Maybe we forget who God is. Maybe we forget what God can do. Maybe the grime of the world has made its way into our thinking and deposited too much cynicism in our brains.

Let’s learn from the blind beggar. Let’s be inspired by him. Let’s pump up the Trust-O-Meter to 10!

“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.”

---

Notes and extra content:

-“A prayer to a king who leads the charge.” Click here to listen (4 minutes), or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan.’

-Bible quotes are from the NIV.