What does Luke 18:41 mean?

A massive crowd of people surround Jesus, as everyone makes their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. None of them realize that in about a week, He will be crucified and buried. His time is short. Passing through Jericho, He hears a man yelling. He stops and tells the crowd to bring the man to Him. He turns out to be a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:35–40; Mark 10:46).

When Jesus heals, He does so in a way that maintains the person's dignity. In Decapolis, a crowd presented Him with a deaf man. He drew the man away from the crowd and showed him what He was doing. Then He healed the man (Mark 7:31–35). When He healed Jairus' daughter, He included a small group of witnesses, inside the house, in the girl's room. Then He told them to keep the miracle quiet (Luke 8:51–56).

Here, the issue is evident. What could a blind person wish but to receive his sight? Still, Jesus asks (Luke 18:40). It's important that the man has a say. It's also important that he voices his request as an act of faith. Jesus says, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well" (Luke 18:42). By allowing the man to ask, the crowd sees his faith in Jesus to heal him and Jesus' power to heal. There is no ambiguity in the chain of events. As a result, the man—and the crowd—break into praise (Luke 18:43).