Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
Mark 10:48-50
When someone is motivated, they’re actively working towards something. They have it in their sights and they’re doing everything they can to achieve the goal.
It doesn’t matter what people say. It doesn’t matter what people think. It doesn’t matter what people do. You’re focused and energized. Nothing is going to distract or deter you from achieving, finishing the race.
When’s the last time you were engaged in something like this? Where your whole person, your whole being was pointing towards accomplishing a task? A goal?
Bart was such a person, on such a mission. And nothing was going to discourage him.
Many people following Jesus tried to shout Bart down. After all, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem where he might be made King of the Jews. And the first order of business would be to kick out the hated Romans. So, anyone, anything that distracted or slowed Jesus down was to be avoided or removed at once.
But, because Bart was totally committed and focused on meeting Jesus, he didn’t let them slow him down. Their negativity was not going to change his mind. He wasn’t going to be slowed down or distracted from his goal – to meet Jesus. He doesn’t stop shouting. Just the opposite, he shouts all the more. Louder, with more energy and emotion.
This is the kind of commitment that Jesus responds to. This is the kind of faith that stops Jesus. But Jesus more than stops, he gives an order for the man making all the noise to be called over to him.
And when Bart hears that Jesus has responded to his calls, he doesn’t try and figure it out. He doesn’t evaluate what got Jesus’ attention. He doesn’t boil it down to a science so he can write an app, or publish a checklist.
He jumps up. Blind Bart jumps up and throws his large coat off and heads to Jesus. Bart throws off perhaps his only possession. He doesn’t hand it to someone for safekeeping. He just tosses it up into the air and makes his way to Jesus.
Rejected and put down by the crowd, Bart gets to meet Jesus. He’s not part of the spiritual leadership. The rich, or famous. But calling out to Jesus is the ticket to get his attention. It’s the price of admission for an up close and personal meeting with Jesus.
We don’t like this kind of Jesus. We want a more controlled and subdued Jesus. One that we can control. Who does things the way we want them to be done. When we want them to be done. How we want them to be done.
But Jesus isn’t like that. He’s God and sees things in a much different way. We see life from what’s going to benefit us now. He sees things from an eternal perspective, what’s going to be best in the long run. And he’s more than willing to wait for the best.
I used to take a bus to work. Monday thru Friday I’d wait at the corner for the right bus to come along. Sometimes I’d let a bus go by. Sometimes two. Or more. I purposefully let a bus go by so I could catch the right bus. The bus that would take me home.
At first, it seemed illogical to let a bus go by. After all, it was a bus and it was headed in the right direction. But it wasn’t the right bus to take me home. Somewhere along the line it was going to turn and take me someplace else. Someplace where I’d be a stranger.
How we don’t like to wait for anything. But without waiting, we can miss the best. God’s best. God’s plan. God’s timing. God’s provision.
So, how’s your calling for Jesus going these days? Are you jumping when he calls? Do you get discouraged when the crowd or circumstances put you down? Discourage you? Push you aside? Or are you someone that’s going to keep calling on Jesus, no matter what?
Let me let you in on a secret. Are you ready? He’s well worth the calling. He’s well worth the effort. He’s well worth the discouragement. He’s well worth the waiting.
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