The Rebuke

The Rebuke

Luke 18:39, NLT

“Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Setting the Scene

The people standing near Bartimaeus tried to keep him quiet. We don’t know why—perhaps because Bartimaeus had been blind for so long, they considered him a lost cause. Perhaps they thought the dirty and noisy man would cause Jesus to turn away. Maybe they wanted to hear what Jesus was saying to his disciples, and the noise was making that impossible. They may have been embarrassed by the man’s actions. Or perhaps they were trying to keep Jesus from being harassed by beggars. Presumably these people knew Bartimaeus and may even have responded to his begging from time to time, giving him money. Whatever their reasons, they didn’t appreciate his causing a ruckus, and they tried to silence him. But Bartimaeus shouted even louder, risking an angry response from the crowd. He would not miss this opportunity to receive mercy and healing from Jesus. His blindness meant he could not find his way through the crowd to touch Jesus’ cloak, as the sick woman had done (Mark 5:27-28). So he kept on shouting in an attempt to gain Jesus’ attention. And it worked.

Getting Personal

When have you felt uncomfortable or embarrassed by a person’s expressions of faith or of need?

When have you been the one “shouting,” only to have people say or imply that you should be quiet? How did you feel? What did you do?

If we’ve ever stood in the crowd’s place in a situation like this, we can identify with the crowd’s feelings and reaction. A misfit—perhaps a child, a teenager, someone with a severe physical or mental need, or a stranger—gets a bit too enthusiastic in worship, doesn’t use the religiously correct language in a testimony, dares speak up in Bible study, or confesses a desperate, embarrassing prayer request. Our internal impulse is to tell them to be quiet, to keep their thoughts and needs to themselves.

God wants to hear our sincere questions, requests, and exclamations, whether whispered, sung, or shouted. He welcomes sinners, seekers, and saints of every type—even you.

Talking to God

Admit to the Lord that some expressions of need or worship make you feel uncomfortable. Ask him to help you react like Jesus would to people who are difficult for you. Ask him to improve your level of truth and candor about your own deepest needs.