Take Heart! Rise Up…He is Calling You (Part I)

April 12, 2018

“Take Heart, Get up , He is calling YOU! Mark 10:49 

Bartimaeus was a blind beggar at the city gate. When he heard that it was Jesus who was coming with a huge crowd, he cried out to him. The crowd, quite chagrined at his need, tried to silence his voice with harsh words. “Stop talking”, the account reads they say. In essence maybe- “You are not valuable enough to be heard”.      Yet Bartimaeus was undeterred. It simply caused him to cry out louder. The Bible tells us it was a  “very large crowd” and I might think voices were coming from all directions with shame and mocking him.  

Yet there was something about his plea that Jesus heard and was drawn to,  and here’s the thing,  I don’t believe that it was his voice….I believe it was his heart and faith, that was louder than his voice.  And in essence - Jesus validates that.  The blind man cries out, “Have mercy on me”. It wasn’t a matter of whether he knew Jesus could give the mercy to heal, i think it was his plea that it would be to heal him.

I love how the Bible records the first of the blind man's faith  -- “when he heard it was Jesus, then He began to shout”. He knew who Jesus was. He knew He had the power to heal.  “ It was the man’s faith that moved Jesus to turn to the crowd and say “Call Him”. 

The crowd quickly changed their tune. “Take heart, Get up, He’s Calling you!”  With this statement, I began to wonder why Jesus asked the crowd to call the blind man over. Couldn't Jesus have called him? Yes, probably, but that would not have told the crowd nor the blind man who Bartimaeus was! 

The Bible is very clear concerning this as it emphasize the meaning of Bartimaeus -- “Son of Timaeus”. It stems from the Greek, meaning “To Honor” - By telling the crowd to call him over,  he was telling them all to honor this man and to Honor his cry. Jesus was “sharply rebuking” the crowd and calling the man simultaneously. Bartimaeus is worthy to be honored. 

Jesus honored Bartimaeus that day and healed him, “your faith has made you well”.  ( But that is for Part II) 

So "Take Heart" my friends because Jesus is calling YOU. And I am calling you because you have “heard” him and are crying out for mercy to heal you and he hears your faith! Its louder than your words  I don’t know what your up against, and I don’t know who has tried to silence you - but you are worthy to be heard. And If you feel like the blind man crying out for mercy to heal you, .. just as the son of “Timaeus” - Jesus rebukes the crowd with his words.. you are worthy to be  honored.  Jesus calls forth your identity and sees your faith and wants to heal you. 

READ PART II “Take heart, Get up, He’s Calling YOU!” Mark 10:46-52