Be the Someone (to Listen). Day #5 of “Where Do We Listen?”

10 Sep Be the Someone (to Listen). Day #5 of “Where Do We Listen?”

Read Mark 10:46-52
Thought for the Day: There is someone in my life who isn’t being listened to!

For blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, life seemed pretty bleak. He had no steady job. He had no faithful friends. Instead, Bartimaeus was used to having people telling him to be silent… but in order to even exist in his society, he had to learn to publicly beg on the side of the road. Despite constant attempts to be heard, no one ever bothered to really take the time to stop and listen. Then one day, Jesus came to town and Bartimaeus hoped he had found someone who would finally listen to him. Running towards Jesus, Bartimaeus quickly found himself on the receiving end of the crowd’s disapproval. Once again, he found himself surrounded by people asking him to “shhh!” But, Bartimaeus could tell that something was different this time… and then Jesus called for him.

Amazingly, Jesus didn’t simply perform a miracle and then move on. Instead, He asked Bartimaeus a simple question: “What do you want me to do for you?” After a lifetime of being told to “shhh!” this must have been incredibly shocking. In that interaction, Jesus performed more than just physical healing. Instead, He chose to restore the dignity of a man who had never been heard. While to others he was a nuisance, Jesus saw that Bartimaeus needed someone to listen.

Too often, we find ourselves defaulting to “shhh!” when we could be listening. It is easy to look at those like Bartimaeus and simply brush them off. However, when we do this, we give up an incredible opportunity. The person who is ignored by everyone else is simply asking for someone to not say “shhh!” but instead take a moment and listen. Today, let’s learn from Jesus’ example and be the person who listens!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David