There seems to be no end to people who tell us what to do, what to think, and how to feel. And most are shouting at us!
Disagree with any of them, and they shout all the louder. The din comes from all around us. Every social media channel has its share of people demanding we do this or that. Television news anchors, talk shows, and everyone else with a camera have an opinion about how we should live, what to think, and how we should feel about nearly everything. Disagree with any of them at your peril.
It’s no wonder that so many folks I know have turned away from it. They have cut their cable and rejected social media. It’s the only way to get peace away from the shouting crowd.
Turning off the shouting crowd is the only way we can listen for Jesus and hear His plan for our lives!
Bartimaeus’ Faith Journey
Mark’s gospel shares a poignant story of a man who ignored the shouting crowd and instead listened for Jesus. It’s a story of faith and discipleship (Mark 10:46-52).
As Jesus and the disciples were leaving the city of Jericho, a large crowd followed them. A blind man named Bartimaeus was begging by the roadside. When he heard Jesus was approaching, Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Annoyed that Bartimaeus had called out to Jesus, the crowd told Bartimaeus to be quiet. But Bartimaeus ignored the crowd and shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and told the crowd to call Bartimaeus, so the crowd told Bartimaeus to come. Bartimaeus was so eager to come to Jesus that he threw his outer cloak away and ran to His side.
Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Him to do for him, and Bartimaeus replied that he simply wanted to see. Jesus said, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately Bartimaeus’s sight returned, and Bartimaeus followed Jesus along the road.
Are You Listening to the Crowd or Jesus?
In Mark’s recounting of the healing of Bartimaeus, we see a man who went from living a life of despair at the bottom of the social ladder to a man freed of his disability. His dramatic reversal of fortune occurred because of his faith and determination and because he refused to listen to a shouting crowd.
Here are seven things I learned as I studied the story of Bartimaeus.
1. Endured Adversity
Bartimaeus endured adversity in that he was not only blind, but his blindness forced him to live a humiliating life of a beggar sitting at the side of the road, depending on handouts from strangers to survive. Additionally, the scripture said he had lost his sight, which suggests that at some point, he enjoyed life with sight and now was blind. Finally, Bartimaeus apparently had no one to help or care for him. He was alone in the world.
2. Leveraged Opportunity
Jesus’ ministry was well known. So, when Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was nearby, he would not let this opportunity for healing pass him by. He boldly shouted to get Jesus’ attention. In fact, the word is better translated as “scream.” Bartimaeus screamed at the top of his lungs to get Jesus’ attention.
3. Focused on Priorities
Typically, Bartimaeus spent his day begging for donations to survive, but when he heard Jesus was nearby, his priorities changed. His focus became on having his sight restored. Nothing was more important in his life at that moment than the opportunity to meet Jesus and be healed.
4. Ignored the Crowd
Whenever someone earnestly seeks Jesus, some will stand in opposition. Hearing Bartimaeus cry out, the crowd responded by forcefully telling him to be quiet. Bartimaeus ignored the crowd’s warning to be quiet and shouted even louder for Jesus.
5. Humble Faith
Bartimaeus revealed his faith when he referred to Jesus as “the Son of David,” whom Jews regarded as the promised messiah. Then he humbly asked Jesus only for mercy. Even facing opposition from the crowd, Bartimaeus cried out once again, even louder, affirming his faith in Jesus as the Son of David, the promised messiah, asking for mercy.
6. Responded with Abandon
When Jesus commanded the crowd to call Bartimaeus to Him, Bartimaeus responded immediately. He rose from his seat, cast off his outer garment that would slow him down, and rushed to Jesus’ side.
7. Confessed His Need
Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you” and in front of everyone, Bartimaeus confessed his desire to have his sight restored. Jesus responded by restoring Bartimaeus’s sight by simply saying, “your faith has healed you.”
From Beggar to Disciple
Bartimaeus began the day like any other day, begging beside the road. However, within minutes of his encounter with Jesus, Bartimaeus had his sight restored. What did Bartimaeus do once this happened? The scripture tells us simply that Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus along the road.
From beggar to disciple in a matter of minutes because of his faith, determination, and God’s mercy.
Bartimaeus received his sight because he refused to listen to the shouting crowd who told him to be quiet. The crowd tried to keep him away from Jesus.
The question for us today is, do we listen to the shouts from the world trying to keep us from Jesus, or do we, in faith with determination, seek Jesus and His will for our lives?
More Articles
I have written several articles about our dependence on God. You can find them by typing “Dependence on God” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #462: 7 Reasons to Have Hope in The Face of Uncertainty!
- #434: Will God Use Me Even If I’m Not Perfect?
- #421: Have You Ever Felt Hopelessly Lost Following God?
- #415: Do You Want to Live A Life of Impact and Purpose?
- #385: Is the Path You Are on the Right One?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Are there times when you are tempted to listen to the crowd instead of for Jesus? How do you tune out the crowd and respond when you hear Jesus?
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Category: Personal Development | Dependence on God
Social media definitely reflects today’s crowd, with its endless, superficial noise. Bartimaeus reminds us to ignore the din of the crowd.
Yep, social media is a challenge. The greatest benefit of enhanced communication comes with the downside of, as you call it, superficial noise! And boy has it gotten noisy in the last few years! That noise is precisely why so many folks I know are stepping away from social media entirely.