He was blind. Unable to work and unable to carry on a normal life. He was a beggar. Sitting on the side of the road, day in, day out, hoping someone would toss him a few bucks. What hope could there be for a better future? None, until he hears about a man that performs miracles. The man was named Jesus. As luck would have it, he heard that the man was coming his way. There was excitement in the air as Jesus approached and a flurry of people trying to get a better position. Bartimaeus only had one option. To cry out. “Have mercy on me,” he shouted.
If the story stopped there, you could tell me how it ends. It is obvious because we know the character of Jesus. He saves people. He is a healer. The only requirement he ever puts on people is to believe. In fact, he asks us directly to express our beliefs (Romans 10:9-10). There is a problem though. Not everyone agrees.
Bartimaeus discovers it first hand. As soon as he expresses his belief and reaches out to Jesus, they immediately pull him back. Verse 48 says that they rebuked him and told him to be silent. In other words, they said “hey, shut up you, idiot!” I’m sure they were forceful and intimidating. True faith, however, promotes persistence. Frustrated by the people, Bartimaeus realized that he needed Jesus to save him from more than just eyesight. He needed freedom from these wretched people too. So, he shouted louder. Loud enough to get Jesus’ attention.
Yes, crying and shouting to God will get his attention. Do we know what to do once we have it? Bartimaeus knew with 100% clarity what he wanted. “I want to see,” he says in verse 51. In an instant, he was cured. Thankfully, Bartimaeus’ request was clear, not muddled. What if he said, “Hey, I’d really like a more comfortable blanket or, I need a bigger bowl to collect tips in?” I love that he didn’t ask for those easy things. He asked for the impossible, with clarity and specificity. Not only did he ask, he believed.
We have an advantage over Bartimaeus. Jesus died and sent us the Holy Spirit. That means we have his attention. It means that our tears and shouts are not wasted. He hears them. In fact, just like Bartimaeus, he wants to radically change our lives. He is there, waiting for us.