COMING CLOSER TO CHRIST:
In the Gospel story, we see Bartimaeus throw aside his cloak, spring up, and turn to Jesus. Why did he need to throw aside his cloak? The cloak was among Bartimaeus’s few possessions, and his willingness to throw it aside before Jesus even healed him is a witness to his faith in Jesus’s healing powers, and that he would no longer need the clothes of a beggar.

SERVING OTHERS:
Many things in our lives hold us back from fully trusting in Jesus. We could be held back by bad friends, an addiction, a habit of wasting time on technology, overeating, etc. These are all things we use to cope because we don’t really believe Jesus will heal us. What material object in your life prevents you from truly seeking healing from Jesus, and how can you strive to “throw it aside” to grow your faith in Jesus this week?