In the Gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus’ dramatic encounter with Blind Bartimaeus in Jerich takes up only seven verses of scripture, and yet within these seven verses, we see the crux of the Christian gospel in a swiftly drawn portrait of Christian love. 

As Jesus encounters Bartimaeus here, He portrays for us the ways in which we as Christians are called to love other people. Now, love is difficult to define (as we all know) but it can be demonstrated, and that is precisely what Jesus does here. He demonstrates Christian love: the kind of love needed in our homes, in our marriages, in our friendships, in our interpersonal relationships, with our co-workers, our neighbors, with acquaintances, and even with strangers. 

In this powerful story, we see the anatomy of Christian love. Rememb…