As believers are we blind that those blind need seeing, or that the seeing are truly the one's blind at times. As a believer do we hender others from coming to Jesus that are seeking him. How long had blind Bartimaeus sat waiting on the the Son of David(Jesus) to pass that way, while begging for money or whatever someone would give him out of compassion for him, because he was blind. He was not against begging, but this time, someone had something he needed he could not gain from anyone else but Jesus. When Bartimaeus heard Jesus was passing, he began to call to him by knowledge of whose family line Jesus was born into. This man had knowledge of who Jesus was. The crowd began to tell him to hold his peace. Kind of like pushing him aside. Yet Bartimaeus would not be pushed aside by anyone, he keep calling to Jesus by calling him the Son of David to have mercy on him.

Jesus heard the cry of Bartimaeus and had him brought to him. Bartimaeus cast away his outer garment, and came to Jesus as he was. Jesus wanted to know what he wanted him to do for him. He said that he wanted to receive his sight. Jesus tells him to go, his faith has made him whole. Immediately without even touching Jesus he was made whole, and he followed Jesus in the way(in faith).

Do we bring our needs before Jesus, this man unfraid did just that and received his sight because he believe Jesus could heal him. He was not touch him, but He was told to just simply believe Jesus could do it. Is it enough that despite the crowd our faith is going to remain intact enough to say Jesus I need to see, and to believe when Jesus says your faith has healed you. Faith to call to Jesus, faith to go to Jesus and faith to receive sight and then faith to have the faith to follow Jesus.

We might pray for someone to be healed, but do we believe they will be healed, Someone in search of Jesus is seeking healing will we be the one's preventing him from being healed. Why would the crowd prevent a blind man from coming? Perhaps more to do with faith of the crowd, or the stinginess of the crowd, to hoard that time with Jesus for themselves instead of sharing Jesus. I don't know the full answer, but I know we must examine our ownself when it comes to our need to be with Jesus and causing a road block for someone else coming forward to be saved, healed, or delivered by Jesus.

There was a night I went to a revival and there was a bunch of young people there. A bunch of people rejoicing in Jesus. Some having more strength and energy in their rejoicing then I will ever have. I was about 19 years of age, and I felt something was missing in my life. I was saved, but I had a longing I had yet to fully understand for God and spiritual yearning to be more intune and empowered by Him. The emptiness and longing now understood fully. The unity of being with other believers seeming to be spiritually intuned, but in reality they were just as alone as I was. Yet they were enjoying the moment of worship for what it was. They had arrived at the moment of enjoy the moment and not worrying about what leaving the church or group would mean in hour more or less. They had arrived to worship God.

Thirty some years later or there about reflecting back, I began to realize I was young enough to still want that dependency on someone or something in my life. I was still learning to stand on my own two feet, and not fully realizing we really are all like islands floating in the world. Had not yet discovered that loniless was not about faith in God, but about being independent being who God had created me to be, with all the choices of the world around us to do good or to do evil. To separate the worship experience and emotion from that loniliness that comes from independence. They seem to be intwined and yet I realized it was deeper level that relationship with God that special to each believer, that when alone we are still not alone for God is with us. The yearning had more to do with human contact then the spiritual realm of faith.

There is a point we know when God is the one we need to seek, for our spiritual, emotional, mental and relationship needs, and times when we seeking only the sound of crowd to tell the one in need to hush. Meaning we running with the crowd saying you in need hush, I need this rush, this moment of being one with the crowd around Jesus. Yet if the person like Bartimaeus who shouts loud enough so the one he knew as the son of David would hear him above the crowd, he would never been heard. The distinction of knowing Jesus, knowing him by Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Messiah, the Christ, redeemer and friend is to know him by another name then the popular name Jesus. Bartimaeus knew if he did not shout loud enough a distinction from the crowd Jesus just might not hear him. For all that shout Jesus was the crowd. Crowd desiring but not understanding what they long to see what the miracle work Jesus was going to perform in Bartimaeus life. Bartimaeus apparently knew who Jesus was, not just that his name was Jesus, but that he was the Son of David by human birth. Someone personally knew Jesus and needed Jesus to heal him, and the crowd was not to keep this man out from being heard.

What I discovered at nineteen was all I needed to do was pray to God to get my needs meet spiritually, not the crowd I long to be part of or thought I needed, or the human contact, but the hour of prayer. The soul searching time of faith in God on my own, not one of the crowd, but hollering loud enough God heard through the crowd, even though I was silent. God hearing past the crowd my heart my soul, my need and desire to be fullfilled. I was saved at six, but growing into adulthood of independence was not easy journey, because it taught me I either relied on God or myself. I call either to God or lean on self. Self had no backbone, no interstrength, or even knowledge in the direction I was going in, but what I did know is Jesus was in my life guiding me, and was my rock and my everything, if I would follow, call to him in struggles and he would hear me, because I knew him as my Lord. I may of failed more then a time or two in remembering to call out to him, but I still knew who ways was the best way to follow. I had to sprout those wings of sometimes falling from the place of safety,to take flight and to soar with God in the wind.

We can not come to Jesus until we take time to call to him ourselves, to reach out beyond the crowd, beyond the sounds, beyond the world pushing us away from our faith. We must trust Jesus will hear us despite the multitude that would like to hush us. OUr ability to have Jesus hears us come from us reaching up in faith that he will hear us, despite those trying to prevent us. Take those need to Jesus privately or in front of the crowd and be the example to demonstrate faith and to follow Jesus. Take the loneliness and physical ailment to him, when others are to busy seeking Jesus or pushing one away from faith, reach up to Jesus anyway, despite those that wish to push you away from knowing Jesus.

Where are you this morning, are you pushed away, shoved away into a corner and feel alone, rejected by man, but not God persay. Consider reaching up to Jesus, the Son of David, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, Messiah and your friend. Jesus is known by many names, but Jesus is the only one that can hear you above the crowd calling his name. Be like Bartimaeus and push through the crowd, with your voice, come when he calls you to come. Be completely derobed before him in your full humanity, seeking him as your are blinded and in need of his love, forgiveness, hope, and mercy. Be fully in need of his deliverance as your Savior and Lord. He does not reject people that come openly to him in humbleness and humility. He will not reject you as his child. Bartimaeus must of been excite to know Jesus called to him. Yet more excited when Jesus chose to heal.

I was reminded this morning in a sermon i heard that there is time of suffering for Christ sake and times of deliverance. The blind man hour of deliverance was the time of receiving sight by faith. I do not know the answer for someone else's suffering or for the length they must suffer, but I know sometimes God allows that suffering or deliverance to enable faith of others. I do know why some are delivered and why others wait, but I must take it on faith that the hour of faith for someone else might not be the same as me. Jesus is still in the healing business, but the blinders of faith need removing first from our hearts.

Dear Heavenly Father move in our life and our soul, to the point we seek you, not allowing the crowd to push us away from you, but reaching out in faith in you calling you by name, as Messiah, king of Kings, Lord of Lords, Son of David, the Christ, Redeemer and friend. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.