Bartimaeus: Tenacious Persistence
“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 [Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus]. 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!’
“Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they went to the blind man and said, “Have courage! Get up! Jesus is calling for you!” So he threw off his beggar’s 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 with Him.” (Mark 10:46-52 TPT)
Mark gives us this account of an incident that occurred in Jericho, approximately fourteen miles from Jerusalem. As Jesus was leaving the city, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and cried out for healing. Matthew’s account (Matthew 20:29-34) includes the fact that there were two blind beggars there together, and Jesus healed both of them. Bartimaeus seemed to be the spokesman for the two.
If we dig a little deeper, we discover that Bartimaeus isn’t really his name – it just means “son of Timaeus.” “He was just ‘someone’s son’, an identity put on him by others that spoke nothing of his significance as an individual, unique person. He was just Bartimaeus the beggar – the man with no name.”(1)
Interestingly, Bartimaeus calls Jesus the “Son of David.” “This was an explicit declaration of Jesus as the Messiah. It affirmed Bartimaeus’ belief in God’s covenantal promise to David in 2 Samuel 7, a promise that his son would be given an eternal throne.”
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13)
This belief is confirmed when he refers to Jesus as “Rabboni” in verse 51. Some translations simply say “Rabbi,” but the accurate rendering is “Rabboni.” This form of the word does not simply mean teacher or master, but “my Master,” as the Passion Translation makes clear. Bartimaeus had heard enough about this man to convince him that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah. His Messiah and Master!
I love Bartimaeus’ tenacious persistence. He was shouting, crying out to get Jesus’ attention, so much so that the multitudes around him were annoyed. “Stop it,” they said, “you are being a nuisance.”
But Bartimaeus would have none of it. This was his chance to see again, and he wasn’t about to let it go by. He kept shouting with all of his might, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 48)
At the right time and place, God is okay with intensity. He appreciates passion. We have all probably seen and heard exhibitionists seeking attention, interrupting church services, etc. Holy Spirit does not appreciate attention seekers. But He does appreciate sincere passion, loves exuberant worship, and is just fine with intense intercession.
“John G. Lake, a missionary to South Africa in the first half of the last century, tells the story of a fever epidemic that struck a portion of South Africa. The devastation was such that in one month, a fourth of the entire population of that region died. There were not enough caskets to meet the need, and people were being buried in blankets, so great was the devastation.
“Lake tells of a powerful intercessor who began to pray. For days, all day long and into the night, he stationed himself under a tree and prayed against the plague. Several times, Lake asked the man, ‘Are you breaking through?’
“He would reply, ‘Not yet.’ But one day he said to Lake, ‘I feel today that if I had just a little help in faith my spirit would break through.’ Lake got on his knees and joined the man in prayer. What happened next is amazing. Here it is in Lake’s own words:
‘As we prayed, the Spirit of the Lord overwhelmed our souls and presently I found myself, not kneeling under the tree, but moving gradually away from the tree. . . . I opened my eyes and witnessed such a scene as I had never witnessed before—a multitude of demons like a flock of sheep! The Spirit had come upon the intercessor also; he saw them as well and rushed ahead of me, cursing that army of demons. They were driven back to hell, or the place from whence they came. Beloved, the next morning when we awoke, that epidemic of fever was gone.(2)
I realize many would shrink from such action in prayer—running and shouting at the enemy. There is, however, a time for such spiritual intensity. More than once, I have found myself shouting at spiritual powers or mountains of adversity while in intercession. In Scripture, Zerubbabel shouted grace to a mountain (see Zechariah 4:7). Israel shouted at Jericho (see Joshua 6:16). Gideon’s army shouted before the battle (see Judges 7:20). Jesus shouted on the Cross (see Matthew 27:50). It is okay to be intense at times in worship or prayer.
There was one more significant act done by Bartimaeus. When Jesus summoned him, Bartimaeus took off his cloak, threw it aside, and was led to Jesus. What is the significance of that? Why would Mark’s gospel be so careful as to include it?
This cloak Bartimaeus was wearing was most likely a government-issued coat that provided legitimacy to beggars, similar to a license for them to beg and collect alms.(3) When Bartimaeus heard that the Master had stopped and was calling for him, he knew his life was about to change. He would no longer need his beggar coat; he was about to get a new identity.
And how! He was healed and began following Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem.
Perhaps you need to find a private place where you can release some intensity and passion in your intercession to the Master. You may even do so with a friend or two. No, volume itself does not guarantee victory, but at times, the faith and authority in your heart need a strong release. When this is the case, let it out.
Pray with me:
Father, religion, social etiquette, and sometimes those around us try to dampen our zeal. It seems that we’re allowed to be emotional about everything but our relationship with You. But You showed us in Scripture that it’s okay to, at times, cry out to You passionately, and even to shout at demonic opposition. You were not annoyed in the least with the shouts of Bartimaeus.
We ask You to awaken passion in Your people. Put fire and zeal in us, the type of zeal that causes us to run toward giants, as David did (1 Samuel 17:48). Give us zeal like Jehu, who drove his chariot furiously to take out Jezebel (2 Kings 9:20). Give us passionate love, such as that possessed by Paul when he said the love of God “fuels our passion,” (2 Corinthians 5:14, TPT). He said Your love constrained or controlled him; he was its prisoner. Give us this type of passion for others’ salvation and deliverance, hearts that won’t let go. Give us the love, tenacity, and determination needed to cry out for our nation until the fires of revival blaze with unprecedented intensity.
We are tired of lukewarm Christianity. We are tired of half-hearted worship and perfunctory prayers. Give us the zeal Christ possessed; consume us with His heart of love. We pray all of this in His name, amen.
Our decree:
We decree that we will cry out for our nation until the fires of revival blaze with unprecedented intensity.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
Gordon Lindsay, The New John G. Lake Sermons (Dallas, TX: Christ for the Nations, Inc., 1979), pp. 29-30.