Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)
In this story, doesn't it seem odd that Jesus asked "What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked this question multiple times. Once, when he asked it of the disciples, they said they wanted to be elevated in his kingdom.
Maybe Jesus asks to draw out our true intentions. Do we want to receive material comforts? Do we want relief from stress and burdens? Do we want a miracle for ourselves or someone else? All of these things are not necessarily bad. We can definitely ask for them! But, then we have to ask ourselves another question. If you don't receive what you ask for, will you still love Jesus? Will you still seek him?
Sadly, some of us would not. And that is the most important reason to reflect on the question He asks.
What is it that you really want?