Episode 32: Prayer of a Blind Man

What do you really want Jesus to do for you?

Episode 32 brings Walker Gossage to the table with Pastors Steven and Travis as we close out Mark 10. Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples and telling them plainly that he will be mocked, flogged, and killed. James and John respond by asking for the best seats in his glory. A few verses later, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar sitting by the road outside Jericho, won't stop shouting for the Son of David to have mercy on him.

Jesus asks each of them the same question: "What do you want me to do for you?" The conversation digs into why Mark pairs these stories so closely, why Jesus answers ambition with a call to be the slave of all, and what it takes to ask God for the thing we actually need instead of hedging our bets. Walker also opens up about praying for healing as a parent and previews his Sunday night devotion from Isaiah 35.

So, what about us? We come to Jesus with mixed motives and misguided requests more often than we'd like to admit. The good news is that the one who stopped for Bartimaeus still stops, still calls, and still receives us gently.