Throw Off Your “Cloak”: Seeking God’s Attention, Not the Crowd’s.
Inspired after listening to “Jesus Stopped” by Hillsong Church in London on a free Podcast
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight (Mark 10: 46-52)
Bartimaeus was a blind man sitting by the roadside begging. He knew when Jesus was about to pass him despite being blind because of Jesus’ presence. He cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” amongst a crowd of people. Many people rebuked and told Bartimaeus to be quiet but he shouted all the more for Jesus to have mercy on him. After being told to get on his feet, and that Jesus was calling him. He jumped up, threw his cloak aside and came to Jesus! After Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted, he said he wanted to be able to see. Jesus told him that his faith had healed him and after receiving his sight, he followed Jesus along the road.
How many of us can relate to this story in that we are the “blind man” like Bartimaeus? We don’t know what to say or do but we cry out to Jesus for help. Bartimaeus knew that it was the time in which Jesus would walk past him, when the time came. He knew that this opportunity might never come again and that he would make the most of it through his faith. He may have felt like he had everything stacked against him. He was poor, blind, and did not have any importance in society. The crowd yelled against him, but Bartimaeus only got louder when the crowd rebuked him. He had a spirit of boldness and knew that Jesus was his one and only TRUE hope.
It is so easy to run to other people with our problems, and struggles. Not everyone will understand our concerns like our Father will. God is just waiting for you to go to HIM with those concerns in faith. Many of the people in the crowd told Bartimaeus that he was a nothing and that Jesus wouldn’t bother with him. Do you ever feel like other people are telling you that Jesus will not bother with you because of what you have done, or who are are not?
It is good that God doesn’t look at you the way the world sees you. He sees SO much more then that. Jesus will always listen to our difficulties, even when others don’t have time. Jesus is available 24/7. We need to be willing to cry out for help to him when it is time to. Bartimaeus did not give up. He didn’t let anyone keep him quiet and he was not afraid to beg and cry out for help when he needed it, as the time arrived. Jesus WILL stop for you. Any time, any day, any hour. Jesus is always on time for appointments. Even when we are late for appointments with him, he sits and waits there patiently for us to come. To seek wisdom, understanding and healing.
The crowd doesn’t have the answer. Jesus Does. In fact, many times the crowd will steer us wrong. Are we trying to please God and his Kingdom, or the crowd?
You see Bartimaeus knew who’s attention he was trying to get. It was God’s attention, not the crowd’s. We need to be bolder in following Jesus, and in asking him for help, we need to tear down our walls of pride.
” But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.” Psalms 109: 21
