A blind man who had to beg in order to live calls out to Jesus from the roadside. Only, he does not just call – he cries out loudly. The Greek word behind the description is the same word used for the call of a raven. This man is obviously unafraid of the reaction of others. He is most desperate; He wants his life to be changed, and he recognizes as the Messiah this Jesus from the simple town of Nazareth.
Bartimaeus heard that the man walking down his road was Jesus, and Bartimaeus’ entire paradigm shifted. No more would he look to the crowds around him for sustenance as he begged pitifully from them. Bartimaeus – upon hearing the name of Jesus – realizes that the hope he had formerly pinned on the pity of others needed all to be targeted on the one Man, Jesus Christ.
Though the crowd sharply rebuked blind Bartimaeus for his interruption, his loud annoyance, his audacity; Bartimaeus cried out all the louder to Jesus. The blind man was smart enough to know that the crowd was not his concern any longer – though he had to this point depended on them for physical sustenance. Bartimaeus wisely decided that he needed Jesus, no matter the cost or embarrassing measures to reach Him.
What about us? In a society that teaches us to be refined, measured, and unduly concerned at the thoughts of others; have we ceased to cry out to Jesus as we ought? Has our Savior walked down the road right beside us, but for fear of looking too dependent on Him, have we let Him walk by? Has Jesus stood near – longing to intervene and meet our deepest needs – but we have been too proud to demonstrate our heart’s desperation for Him?
Cry out! Do not allow a classy culture or a too-refined people stop you from calling out to the only One whose mercy can change everything. Let others see that you need Jesus, that you believe He is your only hope, and that you are not ashamed to admit that you are nothing without Him.
When Bartimaeus shouted the second time – despite the discouragement of others – Jesus actually stopped in His tracks! Our Savior paused and told His disciples to summon the blind beggar. Bartimaeus threw off his coat and literally jumped to his feet when he realized the Messiah – the anointed One of God – heard the cry of a broken heart. And then, Jesus poured out His mercy on Bartimaeus; Jesus restored the sight that had been lost.
What is your need that the mercy of Jesus requires? What sight have you lost? The sight of a clean heart, the sight of a hope after death, the sight of peace during troubled times, the sight of a healed body, the sight of a clear mind?
Call out to Jesus with all your heart, no matter who hears, and no matter what they think. Show by your words and actions that you need the Savior more than you need anything else. He will pause, and He will restore your sight.
“Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:46-48 (NASB)