As we continue our reflections on Bartimeus’ healing, let us remember that we are called to encourage and advocate for those who are on the margins. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Mark 10:49 AFV
[49] And Jesus stood still and asked for him to be called. And they called the blindman, saying to him, “Be of good courage; rise up, for He is calling you.”
They called to him
Upon realizing that Jesus not only stood still but also broke His silence by asking for Bartimeus, the crowd changed course. Their proposals for Bartimeus to be silent were now words of encouragement.
“Be of good courage; rise up, for He is calling you.”, they called. It was as though they had always encouraged him.
But they hadn’t. They were shushing Bartimeus when he shouted.
Self-check
Had we been in the crowd, would we have changed tack? Why/not?
Application
Unfortunately, the mercurial (sudden and unpredictable change) crowd response is not surprising. We refer to that as waggonist mentality, since such persons change views in response to popular opinion. Some of us might be known to jump on the bandwagon on political and even religious matters. We change our views based on who is around us and what they espouse.
Yet, as believers in Christ, we are called to operate from a standard of encouragement. Remember Jesus’ standard: service and sacrifice. As ones called to Christ’s service, we should not only encourage the blind person, but we should also have taken him to Y’shua. That should not depend on others. Rather it should emanate from our own knowledge of Christ as a healer.
As we reflect on the crowd’s actions, we cannot help but reflect on our hero, Bartimeus. He, perhaps due to his physical disability, was not a waggonist. Amid the cacophony of No’s, Bartimeus remained constant. He was not deterred. He cried out to Y’shua regardless of the crowd’s opinion. By the time they got to encouraging him, their comments were superfluous.
When we return to the House of Israel’s ‘Wilderness Wandering’, we will meet two young men who did the same. They were not crowd pleasers. Their attitude shifted the crowd. It is not always easy to hold firm to our stance in the face of opposition. But, we must persist.
As we seek to fulfil our calling based on Christ’s commission, may we be the ones who shift the crowd to encourage others, not waggonists or naysayers.
Point to Ponder
How might we encourage others to find hope in Christ today?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
