Make Yourself Heard Above The Crowd

Good morning boys and girls!

How many of you have a little brother or a little sister? How about a puppy or a kitten?

How do they get attention when they want something? They whine or cry when they are hungry, thirsty tired or wet. For example, babies don’t care if they are home or in a restaurant or even here in church.

What do you do if you want to get someone’s attention? As we get older, we learn to be more reserved about making our wants and wishes known. Or do we? Today we will hear the story about a man who was not at all bashful about letting Jesus know that he needed something.

Jesus and his disciples had spent some time in the city of Jericho. As they were leaving town, a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard the people saying that Jesus was approaching, he began to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

His crying out disturbed the people around him. "Be quiet!" they yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

When Jesus heard Bartimaeus crying out, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come to me."

So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, Jesus is calling you to come to him. Bartimaeus jumped up, threw aside his coat, and went to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.

"I want to see," Bartimaeus answered.

"Go," Jesus said. "Your faith has healed you." Instantly Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus down the road.

Can you imagine a mother hearing her baby cry and just ignoring it? No way! A mother will do whatever she can to find out what her baby wants or needs and tend to that need. Can you imagine God knowing that we have a need and ignoring it? Not a chance! God loves his children and wants what is best for them. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6, "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

When you have a need in your life, don't be shy. Speak up! Remember what Jesus said in John 14:13. "I will do whatever you ask in my name."

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, we know that you love your children and want what is best for them. Help us to remember that we need not worry about anything. All we need to do is to ask in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.