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.
