你的話是我腳前的燈，是我路上的光！~詩篇119:105
耶穌在耶利哥城時，曾經遇到一個瞎子叫做巴底買，他是一個討飯的，對他而言，人生只是個夢想，凡事只能想像。他可以想像這個世界有多漂亮，有多少種的顏色，或是有什麼令人驚嘆的美景；他也可以想像人長什麼樣，男男女女、老老少少或是想像世界上來來往往的人有何不同；他可能聽過千百個人的奇遇冒險故事，也很想要親自去經歷，然而這對巴底買而言，都是夢想，太過遙遠，近乎奢求。
在巴底買的想像中，有一些是很特別的，比如說他聽說過耶穌的大能，他可以醫治生病的人，比醫生還行，甚至死人都能讓他復活；他也聽說過耶穌能藉著五個餅和二條魚就讓五千個人吃飽而且還有剩下；他更聽說過耶穌能呼風喚雨、平靜風暴，甚至能在水面上行走；曾經有人被鬼附，趕出來的鬼能讓一大群豬發瘋、跳下山崖。巴底買有很多的聽說，也對耶穌有了許多的想像，他不只對耶穌好奇，也對那些看過耶穌、認識耶穌、經歷過耶穌的人充滿好奇，遇見耶穌之後的人生，會有什麼樣的改變，改變過的人，會有一個怎麼樣的人生？但想像就只是想像，就只是一個白日夢。
一直到有一天，巴底買又有新的聽說，他聽說耶穌要來耶利哥城，而且會從路上經過，巴底買突然發現，他過去聽說過的故事離他非常的近，近到令人不敢相信，這一次巴底買是否會成為故事中的主角，認識耶穌？他很想，但是他不能，因為他看不見。突然間，不知道從哪裡來的勇氣讓他開始大聲喊叫，「大衛的子孫，可憐我吧！」，這種勇氣使他不再低聲下氣的求人，這種勇氣使他突破自我的限制，他大聲喊叫要引起耶穌的注意，不管旁邊的人如何阻止他，都不能讓他停下想要認識耶穌的渴望。終於，耶穌聽到了，叫他來，而且在他的身邊問說，「要我為你做什麼？」巴底買終於有機會成為故事中的主角了，他回答說：「我要能看見！」，巴底買想要看見聽說過的每一件事情，他想要成為一個有正常功能的人，他更渴望能在別人的面前與人平起平坐，而不是靠人的憐恤與捨施過日子，他願意像別人一樣，辛苦流汗、在生活中享受勞碌所得的幸福，而不想過一個輕鬆容易卻沒有尊嚴的日子。巴底買真心相信耶穌能改變他的生命，也用盡全力讓耶穌知道他的需要，「我想要看見！」。如今的巴底買，不再只是聽說別人改變生命的故事，而是成為生命改變的人了。
我想巴底買看見之後，第一眼應該是耶穌，看看讓他看見的人長什麼樣子，或許也想看看過去施捨他的人長什麼樣子，他也一定很興奮看到這個世界以及他曾經想像過的人事物。但是當他看到自己的時候，也一定很驚訝自己的樣子，因為他之前沒有概念，不知道自己是什麼光景，也許巴底買眼睛看見後的第一件事是去「洗澡」，把自己洗乾淨好去迎向新的人生。很多人眼睛沒有瞎，但卻不一定能看到自己的光景，也看不到未來要走的路。有可能我們不知道我們正踩在什麼樣的處境中，也不一定能看見希望，或是應該扮演的角色。然而耶穌是開人眼睛的主，當我們遇見耶穌，認識耶穌時，不只是清楚看到這是一個怎麼樣的神，也使人看清自己的樣子，當我們改變自己後，才能重新面對未來的挑戰。
人生需要有夢想，但如果夢想只是白日夢，那最終還是一場空。認識耶穌才使我們看清楚自己，也才能看見前面要走的路。
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. ~Psalm 119:105
When Jesus was in Jericho, he met a blind man named Bartimaeus. He was a beggar; for him, life is just a dream, and everything can only be imagined. He can only imagine how beautiful the world is, how many colors there are, or what amazing sceneries there are; he can also imagine what people look like, the difference between men and women, young and old, or the people coming and going in the world. He may have heard stories about the adventures of hundreds of people, and would like to experience them in person. However, for Bartimaeus, this is a dream, too far out and almost extravagant.
In Bartimaeus’s imagination, some things are very special. For example, he has heard of the power of Jesus, who can heal sick people, is better than doctors, and can even resurrect the dead; he also heard that Jesus was able to feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, and still have leftovers; he had even heard that Jesus could call on the wind and rain, calm storms, and walk on water; at one time, someone was possessed by a demon, the ghost got driven away by Jesus towards a large group of pigs, which went crazy and jumped off the cliff. Bartimaeus had heard a lot about him, and he had a lot of imaginations about Jesus. He is not only curious about Jesus, but also curious about those who have seen Jesus, knew Jesus, and experienced Jesus. After meeting Jesus, how will life change; what will life be like for those who have been changed? But imaginations are just imaginations, all but a pipe dream.
Until one day, Bartimaeus heard something new. He heard that Jesus was coming to Jericho and would pass by on the road. Bartimaeus suddenly discovered that the stories he had heard in the past were very close to him, so close it was hard to believe; will Bartimaeus become the protagonist in the story this time, knowing Jesus? He wanted to, but he couldn’t, because he couldn’t see. Suddenly, he felt a surge of courage and started shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” This courage made him not ask for help in a low voice anymore. This courage enabled him to break through his self-restraints. He yelled at the top of his lungs to attract Jesus’ attention. No matter how the people beside tried to stop him, they couldn’t prevent him from wanting to know Jesus. Finally, Jesus heard him, called him over, and asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus finally had a chance to become the protagonist in the story. He replied, “I want to be able to see!” Bartimaeus wants to see everything he has heard of. He wants to be a normally functional person. He wants to be on an equal social level with others, instead of relying on compassion and charity. He is willing to sweat hard and enjoy the happiness of hard work in life like others, and he does not want to live an easy life without dignity. Bartimaeus sincerely believed that Jesus could change his life, and tried his best to let Jesus know his needs, “I want to see!” Bartimaeus no longer only hear stories about other people’s lives changing, but became a person whose life has changed.
I think that after Bartimaeus can see, the first person he wanted to see was Jesus, to see what the person who gave him eye sight looked like; perhaps he also wants to see what the people who helped him in the past looked like. He must also be very excited to see everything in this world that he could only imagine before. But when he sees himself, he must also be surprised by the way he looked, because he had no concept before and didn’t know what he was like. Perhaps the first thing Bartimaeus did after being able to see was to take a bath, washing himself clean to welcome this new life. Many people are not blind, but they may not be able to see their own situations or the way to go in the future. It is possible that we do not know what kind of situation we are stepping into, nor may we see any hope or the role we should play. However, Jesus is the Lord who opens people’s eyes. When we meet and know Jesus, we not only see clearly what kind of God this is, but also see who we are. When we change ourselves, we enable ourselves to challenge the future.
People’s lives need dreams, but if the dreams are only pipe dreams, it will be nothing in the end. Knowing Jesus lets us see ourselves clearly and also see the way ahead.