3. FAITH THAT WILL NOT STOP DEFIES THE PREFERENCE OF
THE RELIGIOUS. “Many
were sternly telling him to be
quiet, but he
kept crying out all
the more . .
.” (Mk. 10:48).
Religious people prefer things compact, quiet, predictable and
appropriate. They have little patience for anything that seems off script. The best friends of the religious are an agenda and a clock.
The religious crowd – the “many”
– reasoned this way:
- “Jesus would've stopped already, had He wanted to minister to you. He's not interested. What part of that don't you get?”
- “Jesus is teaching right now; He's not doing miracles. Don't be disruptive!”
- “Don't you know Jesus doesn't have time for this right now? He's on His way to Jerusalem, where we will publicly recognize and welcome Him as Messiah.”
Bartimaeus didn't listen; and it is good for him (and a good example
for us) that he didn't. A person who wants mercy from Jesus cannot be at the mercy of the
crowd. Seizing your moment with Jesus must rank higher than satisfying a
placid crowd.
You must not only act wisely around the religious preferences of
others, but you must also act wisely concerning your own
religious preferences. Very rarely will God ask you to do what is comfortable, convenient,
popular or without cost. For example, verse 52 will tell us that Bartimaeus “began
following [Jesus] on the road.” This infamous road from Jericho to Jerusalem would be a 15-mile ascent with sporadic places for rest. Forget 60 laps around a flat track.
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