One Biblical
principle that I have particularly noticed over the last year of Bible reading
is this: God is especially attracted to folks who are passionate. Here are just
a few places in Scripture where this point is noted...
God engaged in an
all-night wresting match with a passionate Jacob (Genesis 32:22-32).
Among his 12
apostles, Jesus was particularly drawn to Peter's passion (evidenced throughout
the Gospels).
When we are called
to love our God, we are to passionately give it everything we've got (Mark
12:28-30).
Regarding lukewarm,
apathetic Christianity, Jesus finds it so appalling that He promises to spit it
out of his mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).
So, it isn't
surprising when we see that Jesus was drawn to a passionate blind man who was
calling out for help in Mark 10:46-52.
This short account
begins as Jesus was leaving Jericho and a huge crowd followed Him. With such a
following, we could assume that Jesus would do what He always did - take
advantage of a teaching moment. He saw people as sheep who needed to be cared
for and instructed and He often told them things to help them through life and
prepare for eternity (Mark 6:34).
But, Jesus was about
to stop everything He was doing to pay attention to one man. The crowds would
have to wait. One, lonely, destitute man sitting on the side of the road would
do something that would cause Jesus to stop what He was doing and take notice.
Look for clues as to what would catch Jesus' attention...
Mark 10:46-48 (New
Living Translation)
"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!'"
Baritimaeus was
passionate in his begging. He wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He
was blind and so he probably couldn't work and take care of himself. He would
have been dependent upon others for charity. Added to this would have been the
stigma attached to those with physical maladies - they had supposedly committed
sin to bring it on themselves (John 9:1-2).
So, he really had
nothing to lose. People were trying to shut him up but his passion for mercy
from Jesus just kept growing. And that passion caught Jesus' attention…
Mark 10:49-50 (New
Living Translation)
"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."
But, Jesus didn't
simply invite the man into His presence. He granted Bartimaeus' desire.
Bartimaeus wanted to see. He was passionate in his desire and he had faith that
Jesus could do it. So, in this particular case, Jesus granted the desire…
Mark 10:51-52 (New
Living Translation)
"'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."
How is your prayer
life? Are your prayers so boring and lifeless that you often nod off or lose
your train of thought? When we realize in our Bible reading that God is drawn
to passion, we also realize that when we offer up boring prayers, they may be
met with the same amount of enthusiasm in Heaven. Not good!
So, God calls us to
pray with passion. Call out to Him with all of your heart! Expect great things
from Him and don't stop until you get them! Be passionate in your prayers!
James 5:16 (New
Living Translation)
"...The earnest
prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful
results."
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