Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)
Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 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!”
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My rabbi, ” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
I’m what some people refer to as a church-hopper. Not content to be confined to the clutches of congregational conformity, I’ve been known to show up at any group where Jesus is praised. (I was a refugee long before landing at Refuge.) Now that I’ve found a home at Refuge, it's allowed me to reflect on many of my experiences. And in all my experiences, Refuge is a unique part of the body. This isn’t to say Refuge is “the church” or “the greatest” or “it.” But it’s a breath of fresh air when it comes to people and their desire for everything Jesus. One that sticks out the most (and that I’ve never experienced in all my wanderings) is the dire hunger of the people for the Word.
Verse 48 in The Message reads, “Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David [Jesus], have mercy on me!””
The desperate plea of Bartimaeus here reminds me of the hunger and enthusiasm for the Word that Marla and Mary display during the sermons many times. While their inquisitive outbursts may be seen as interruptions in many churches, to me they’re evidence of hearts crying out and reaching out for every word from GOD. They aren’t content to wait until after the sermon to jot down the note. They’re not satisfied with hearing a verse or quote on the website later. Their desire is to capture every word from GOD coming through John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) or any other speaker. They’re modern day versions of Bartimaeus, who want a touch from the LORD so bad, they’re willing to forgo what social protocol or entrenched religious tradition dictates. To them (and hopefully all of us), its an invitation to experience GOD on a deeper level, not an interruption messing with the “flow” of a service.
May we all have a heart as hungry.
Application: Take inventory. When is the last time you threw caution and reputation to the wind and simply cried out to GOD. If it wasn’t this morning, there’s no day like today.
