Think differently. Seeing like Christ.

My husband and I are reading in the gospel of Mark this week. In Mark chapter 10 there are two very different situations in which Jesus asks this same question, 

“What do you want me to do for you?”

The first time is when a couple of his disciples come up to him and say, “Jesus, we want you to give us whatever we want.” 

In essence they are telling Jesus: Cosmic vending machine. That’s what you are to us. Magic genie in a bottle, that’s what you are to us. But before I get too much on my high horse condemning them for their presumptuous, self-focused, greedy ways, an honest look at my own prayer life doesn’t look much different some days.

Jesus doesn’t eyeroll. He doesn’t yell. But he does emphatically answer, “No.” And then patiently calls all the disciples together for a teachable moment about perspective. Don’t persist in a worldly perspective. See things the way I do. Giving is better. Humility is better. Serving is better.

The second time Jesus asks this question, he asks it of blind Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus was a poor, blind man. Unable to work to support himself, he was forced to beg for bread on the streets near Jericho. One day Bart heard that Jesus, the Bread of Life, was passing by. And so he upped his begging game.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He cried out. 

The proper, well-behaved crowds tried to shush him, but he cried out all the more.

Jesus stopped in his tracks and called Bartimaeus over and asked, 

“What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus answered simply, “I want to see.”

Have you ever asked yourself, “What do I want Jesus to do for me?”

Do I want him to just be a genie, waiting to grant my three biggest wishes? Do I want him to be a heavenly Amazon drone, dropping blessing, peace and healing on my front doorstep? Or do I want him to give me eyes to see?

• Eyes to see things the way he sees them.
• Eyes to see people the way he sees them.
• Eyes to even dare to see myself the way he sees me?

Jesus corrected his disciples for their selfish motives but blessed Bartimaeus for his faith. 

So if the Lord is asking “What do you want me to do for you?” my prayer for me and you and everyone is this: “Lord, I don’t want to persist in a worldly perspective. I want to see things the way you do.”

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

 Let me know how else I can be praying for you!