When (Bartimaeus) heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him, and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:47-48 (NIV)
All of us have the desire to be listened to when we have something to say. Nothing can be more disheartening than to observe that the person to whom were sharing something is distracted or bored. This hurts our feelings. Perhaps we’ve been guilty of not listening attentively to others’ sharing as well. In order to gain another’s attention to what we consider important, we often try to strike some keyword, or a topic they also consider interesting. We really struggle with being a good listener even though we want to be heard.
Blind Bartimaeus knew how to get Jesus’ attention by calling his name, adding that he was the Son of David. Although he was chastised for shouting, he knew Jesus could heal him. He knew Jesus, and he shouted louder a second time because he knew Jesus was merciful and could restore his sight.
Others didn’t deem Bartimaeus worthy of getting Jesus’ attention, let alone being healed. They may have thought that he was blind and had to beg for his daily provisions because he was a very sinful person – unworthy of being recognized and having his sight restored by Jesus. Bartimaeus pleaded with Jesus to show mercy to him.
We need to remind ourselves that none of us are worthy of eternal life. Calvary demonstrates how much Jesus loves everybody. Jesus listens when we pray. Jesus is never too busy to hear our prayers.
Prayer: Father, help us to be good listeners as your disciples. Help us to listen and share that Jesus, our loving God and Savior, welcomes our daily talks with Him. Thank you that he indeed hears and answers our prayers 24/7.
Contributed by Ron Merritt
Bible Reading
Read Mark 10:46-52 and record any insights you gain here.
Call to Connection
Reflect on a person you’ve met who was an excellent listener. What made them a good listener? Reach out and thank them for listening to you and loving you, or write a prayer of thanksgiving for them.