Tell Blind Bartimaeus to Chill

 

The feelings I felt inside of me were not new. I groaned as I heard the pleas, again. The same whiney voice crying out for attention.

"We all have problems man!" the words formed in my brain. I wish I could help relieve the pain, but I really can't. Somehow, part of living in this fallen world, means that we will all experience pain. 

Suddenly, as I pondered these things, a verse popped into my head. I had often heard that verse, tucked in the middle of a common Bible story: "...they rebuked him... (Luke 18:39)" I often wondered why.

Why would anyone rebuke a blind man who was crying out for Jesus to heal him?! Even if they didn't have compassion on him as a person, wouldn't natural, human curiosity want to stand by and see if Jesus might heal him?

But, here I was, in the crowd, and my heart was saying the same thing. Suddenly I understood.

Maybe Blind Bartimaeus was well know. Maybe, every day he felt his way to the same spot on the highway and cried. All day, every day. 

"Even Samson ground grain when his eyes were poked out!" someone reprimanded. "Surely there is SOMETHING even a blind man can do!"

Sometimes he sat in the middle of the road. "I can't see." he reminded people when they complained. "You can tell where the road is." they argued. And, he cried again.

This was a main highway that people traveled on almost constantly. 

If there was a wedding, or a funeral, or some other kind of procession, everyone knew there would be one uninvited guest: blind Bartimaeus, sitting on the side of the road, dressed in rags, drawing the focus of the day onto himself, even if it was just for a moment.

"It's embarrassing," someone may have said, "to have him begging right outside our city gates."

Why do I think that?

Because I have thought those things as I watched someone begging for someone to notice him. The crazy thing is: literally everyone DOES notice him. 

No amount of pennies in a cup, or friendly conversations, or drinks of cold water, could change the man standing on the side of the road, just outside of the city gates. 

Not then.

Not now.

Some days, we are busy and tired and don't want to be bothered.

If I was in the crowd, this would have been a day like that.

Jesus of Nazareth had risen in popularity. He was a wise teacher. He told stories that made a person think. He talked as he walked. It was hard to hear with everyone around. Maybe I would have caught a word here, or there. 

The people in the front tried to quiet everyone down and clear the path, so everyone would have a better chance of hearing.

They were almost to Jericho, to the city gates, when a blind man yelled to whoever was on the road. "Who is coming? I hear a lot of people!"

"It is Jesus of Nazareth." they answered, hoping he would quiet down so they could hear what Jesus was saying. It was a really important topic. He was telling them about his upcoming death and resurrection. This was not the time for interruptions. Bartimaeus could collect coins all day every day. Jesus was only here for a little while and there was so much to learn. Couldn't the blind man hear that he was interrupting an important discussion?

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus yelled even louder, planting himself in the middle of the road. His young nephew, who had the job of leading him around, hid his face in embarrassment. 

"Stop! Just stop!" came out of MY mouth. And, I finally understood. ALL of the interrupted important conversations. All the celebrations that turned into being about him instead of the person who we met to honor. Even interruptions of my time with Jesus!

I paused when I heard it, and I saw the crowd and my Lord. Oh how I wanted to hear every word He had to say. Just this one day I wanted to be able to walk past the blind man without having to shower him with attention.

I tried to shush him, to shoo him away, but he just hollered louder.

Then, Jesus saw him...

                                        ...and stopped.

Jesus walked right up to that annoying, pestering beggar and asked him a question.

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Now don't go thinking that maybe I should have thought to ask him that question. Because, I had, many times. That exact question! 

True today I was hushing him, but many times I had stopped and asked him exactly the same question. But, his requests were always impossible! It was no use even listening to his outlandish demands.

"Lord, I want to see again." the blind man requested.

I held my breath.

Finally he was asking the right question to the right person.

"Receive your sight; your faith has made you whole!" Jesus said.

Suddenly the blind man wasn't blind anymore, but he wasn't quiet either. He was shouting the praises of God. But, now he wasn't blocking the road. He was following. Following the only One who could give him what he longed for.

The little boy, who was his guide, was smiling, a free happy smile, and so was I. 

And, now I also see that it wasn't just the blind man who received healing that day. Many other burdens were lifted.

Jesus, really did come to lift heavy burdens, set captives free and give life: abundant, beautiful life!

I don't know what this realization will change in me. Maybe nothing. Or, maybe, next time I feel like telling someone to "just chill" I'll just get out of the way and let someone handle this who can see deep into the heart and provide what I can not.