Courage To Cry Out - Bartimaeus

When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Mark 10:47-48

Babies cry—that’s just their thing. They cry when they are hungry and when they don’t feel well. They cry when they want some affection. It comes to them naturally.

When babies cry, do you suppose they ever worry about etiquette or decorum? Do they fret about good manners or respectability? Never. They simply want their needs to be met.

In a simple but profound way, a baby’s crying can point out an important part of our relationship with Jesus Christ, just like the story of a blind man named Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus had apparently heard stories of Jesus’ miraculous healings and somehow knew that the Teacher planned to visit his hometown of Jericho. As far as he knew, this would be a one-shot deal. He had to get Jesus’ attention.

As Jesus and his followers left Jericho, Bartimaeus committed a breach of etiquette by crying out so loudly to Jesus that it annoyed those in the crowd. They all told him to pipe down.

But like a crying baby who screams even louder when its needs don’t immediately get met, Bartimaeus shouted at the top of his lungs for Jesus’ attention. He didn’t care what others thought; he simply wanted Jesus to meet his need.

Bartimaeus made a spectacle of himself. He didn’t care about decorum or how he looked or sounded to onlookers—he only cared about getting a chance to tell Jesus what he wanted. Because of his loud persistence, Jesus turned his attention to him.

In one instant and with one command, Bartimaeus’s blind eyes could suddenly see. At that moment, the direction of his life changed forever. He left behind his days as a blind beggar and exchanged them for a new identity as a follower of Jesus.

Never let decorum or etiquette stand in the way of crying out to Jesus Christ to meet your pressing needs. Your efforts may annoy others, but a genuine cry of faith never annoys Jesus. It simply attracts his attention.