“Call him.”
– Jesus, to the crowd around the blind man, Bartimaeus (Mark 10:49)
The outskirts of Jericho: home for the city’s outcasts. The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, sat next to the road, appealing to the mercy of those traveling the well-worn path to Jerusalem. To the travelers, Bartimaeus was just another beggar, a nuisance to pass by whenever leaving or entering the city.
Once Bartimaeus heard Jesus coming, he began to cry out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” By calling Jesus the “Son of David,” Bartimaeus was expressing his faith in Jesus as Israel’s promised King. Yet, as the blind man cried out, the people around him pushed him back down, telling him to be quiet. Bartimaeus refused to be silenced. In spite of the protests and rebukes of the crowd, the beggar screamed louder and louder, until he was sure that his desperate cries would reach the Messiah’s ears.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus yelling, He stopped. He didn’t call Bartimaeus out directly. Instead, He turned to the people who had been seeking to silence Bartimaeus and told them to call him. Suddenly, those who had been pushing down the blind man were the ones commanded to lift him up.
Some people today are like Bartimaeus, so desperate for healing that they will do whatever it takes to find God. They look past the discouraging words of those around them, ignoring those who say they can never change. They continue to cry out to God, even when others belittle their intentions or see their neediness as bothersome. Other people resemble the crowd. They see people in need of healing and shove them back down into their misery. Just trying to be “realistic,” they stifle the spiritual growth of others by discouraging them in their journey.
Jesus speaks to both groups. For those of us who are desperate and helpless, Jesus’ words of hope cut through the other voices that surround us and give us the boldness to come directly to Him. For those of us quick to rebuke and slow to show mercy, Jesus’ words command us to stop squelching the problem and start offering the solution.
written by Trevin Wax © 2007 Kingdom People blog
