Wednesday, October 31, 2012

He Called


          Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for mercy. The people following Jesus tried to shut him up, to make him be quiet. But he persisted in his cries for help.
          Mark writes that Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over.” Why did he stop for this one person? How was he able to hear him with all those people surrounding him?
          Jesus said, “Call him over.” And then he asked Bartimaeus, “What can I do for you?” All Bartimaeus wanted him to do for him was to heal his eyes so he could see, that’s all. He just wanted to see.
          How many Bartimaeus’ are calling out to Jesus today? How many of those calling out for mercy are being told, “Be quiet. Shut up. Stop shouting you’re bothering the Master.”  How many? Maybe you’re one of those calling out to the Master.
          What if Bartimaeus had listened to the people and did stop shouting at Jesus? What if he’d caved in to their demands to be quiet?  Would it have made any difference to the rest of the world?
          Friends, we can’t stop calling to Him! We can’t let the world dictate to us! We have to keep shouting and demanding an audience with the One who can save us, who can intercede for us before the Father. We must persist in our demand for mercy.
          Sometimes, I know, it feels like He doesn’t hear our prayers, our cries for help, our pleas for mercy. But He does. He hears every word, every breath, every cry for help. He hears because He’s been right where we are. He’s known the pain and suffering we know. 
          Friends, our prayers will stop Him in his tracks. He will hear and he will ask his angels to call us over to him.  This I believe.
           The question is, “What do we want Him to do for us?”  Maybe we just want to see…see what’s waiting for us on the other side. Friends, our hope is in the Lord and I’m sure that he will keep his promise. May God grant us his grace. Thanks be to God. Amen.                    
            The question is, “What do we want Him to do for us?”  Maybe we just want to see…see what’s waiting for us on the other side. Friends, our hope is in the Lord and I’m sure that he will keep his promise. May God grant us his grace. Thanks be to God. Amen.