When Desperation Becomes Courageous
This blog post comes straight from Mark 10, for more reading.
When Jesus and his disciples had passed through Jericho, a large crowd joined them. Upon leaving the village, they met a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road named Timai, the son of Timai. When he heard that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by, he began to shout, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me now in my affliction. Heal me!”
Those in the crowd were indignant and scolded him for making so much of a disturbance, but he kept shouting with all his might, “Son of David, have mercy on me now and heal me!”
There have been times in my life where I’ve been desperate for a touch from God. There have been times I’ve battled with sickness and needed healing. There have been times I needed him to do something miraculous. I’ve begged God for answers to hard situations. But what I admire about this passage and Timai, the blind beggar, is that his desperation turned to courage. He was desperate for a touch from Jesus; so desperate that he made a public spectacle. He did whatever it took to grab Jesus’ attention, and continued to call on His name even when those around him were uncomfortable and tried to stop him.
I wonder how many times I’ve been guilty of “needing” something from God but unwilling to take the necessary steps to receive it, only because of shame or embarrassment. I want to preserve my dignity, and as a result compromise on the answer I’m looking for.
King David was known for his love for God, he was known as a man after God’s heart, and he was known as being completely comfortable with being undignified. 2 Samuel 6 is a great story about his willingness to worship the Lord with no regard for his own appearance - even as the king of Israel, his focus was on the Lord. Not on his dignity, stature, or reputation.
Timai continued to shout before the crowd, begging Jesus to heal him. And the results were an encounter that changed his life:
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him to come to me.” So they went to the blind man and said, “Have courage! Get up! Jesus is calling for you!” So he threw off his beggars’ cloak, jumped up, and made his way to Jesus. Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The man replied, “My Master, please, let me see again!” Jesus responded, “Your faith heals you. Go in peace, with your sight restored.” All at once, the man’s eyes opened and he could see again, and he began at once to follow Jesus, walking down the road again.
His boldness brought healing, because his boldness was an expression of his faith. If there’s one thing that Jesus states over and over again, it’s about how our faith determines his ability to move and do the miraculous for us.
I want my faith to be what unlocks doors, not what hinders me. And in order to do that, it’s so important to be okay with throwing your self-consciousness out the door and seeking God with all your heart. I truly believe that the more we seek God with reckless abandon, the easier it gets to forget about the distracting voices around us.
If you’re waiting on God for something, if you need him to move… don’t give up. Keep pressing in, keep pushing, keep asking.
Luke 11:9-10: Ask and you’ll receive. Seek and you’ll discover. Knock on heaven’s door, and it will one day open for you. Every persistent person will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.