You are Valued and Worth a Stop: Voice, Not Noise

Luke 18:40-41 – Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

God cares to stop and listen to our cry.

It seemed like just another day, on that dusty road to Jericho.  The rare traveler, and even rarer alms. And along this dusty road sat a blind beggar. Mark 10:46 says the blind man’s name was Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. Nobody really cared about Bartimaeus. He was just another blind beggar. Bartimaeus was all set to beg his heart away and make the most of every passerby.

All of a sudden, Bartimaeus heard the rising tempo of excited voices. Seemed like there was a large crowd approaching. Aah, it looks like this could be a good day, thought Bartimaeus. More people should mean more alms hopefully.

As he listened closely though, Bartimaeus realized it was not just any traveler. It was Jesus of Nazareth passing by!  And there was a huge crowd following Him. It was Jesus, the Healer. In a flash, it all came to him and Bartimaeus did not wait a second further. He knew this was the chance of a lifetime.  He could be healed!

Bartimeus raised his voice and shouted, ‘Son of David have mercy on me.’ The crowds rebuked him. The crowds tried hard to keep Bartimaeus quiet. They literally told him to shut up. They were saying, you are not important Bartimaeus, you are just a blind beggar. There are more important people here. Ouch! Those were mean words, sharp and painful. Bartimaeus could have let those words keep him down. But Bartimaeus only raised his voice louder and called out to Jesus. And Jesus stopped!

Jesus heard Bartimaeus amidst all the noise. The crowd thought Bartimaeus should be quiet, but Jesus was interested in Bartimaeus. Jesus was interested in the blind beggar whom nobody wanted. For Jesus Bartimaeus was not just noise, he was a voice. He was a person, who mattered.

Do you have people who are not interested in you? People who think you are not important, who rebuke you and don’t have time for you. Remember, to Jesus, you matter. To Jesus you are not noise, you are a welcome voice.

1. Think about a time when you felt unheard or rejected by others. How does the knowledge that Jesus values and hears you impact your perspective on such situations?
2. Have you ever been in a position to show compassion and care to someone whom society might deem unimportant or undeserving? How did you respond, and how might you do so differently in the future?
3. Reflect on instances when you’ve encountered someone in need but hesitated to reach out. How can you overcome those hesitations and respond with kindness, like Jesus did for Bartimaeus?

Song: He Knows My Name

For more daily devotions like this – At the Potter’s Wheel (Kindle)