(Mark 10:46-52 ESV)
Jesus and his people are leaving Jericho.
A blind man named Bartimaeus, is sitting along the way. Hears the commotion and asks "Who is coming"?
Folks tell him that Jesus is coming.
Bartimaeus starts calling out... Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
The people around him want to shush him, but he persists.
In his persistence, Jesus hears him and said "call him".
The people did so, telling him to "take heart".
Jesus asks "what would you have of me"?
Bartimaeus respectfully says "Rabbit, let me recover my sight".
Jesus' response "Go your way, your faith has made you well".
Bartimaeus' response was to follow Jesus on the way.
My thoughts:
My son asked when he heard this passage. "Why did the people want to shush him"? And honestly, we can't know. It may have been for selfish reasons of wanting to hear Jesus speak, they may simply have been telling someone loud to be quiet, they may have been dismissing him.. we can't know. What we DO know is that Bartimaeus was persistent in the face of opposition.
We also know that his persistence had it's own reward. Jesus heard him and called Bartimaeus to him. His request to be made well was heard. Bartimaeus' faith made him well.
He didn't go on his way though. He followed Jesus.
I have to admit, in a similar circumstance I would have done the same. Make me well and I will follow you even if you tell me to go on my way. :)
It took faith though for Bartimaeus to persist. He believed that if he kept calling out Jesus would hear him. AND if Jesus would hear him healing could happen. (at least that's my impression based on this reading). It's faith in action calling out for help.
It's something I need to get better at. Persisting with Christ despite opposition. It's too easy to take the "easy way out" and just be silent when people don't want to hear about my faith in him. Persistence does have a reward.... Jesus will hear, Jesus will respond, I just need to keep at it.
How about you?