How Desperate Are We for Jesus?

Have you ever been so desperate for a touch from Jesus you made a fool of yourself in the eyes of others? Do your public outcries to Him or your tears of desperation seem overly dramatic or a little “extra” maybe even to those in the surrounding pews at church?

I am guilty of trying to regulate my emotions with a spiritual thermostat set to “keep-it-together-girl-until-you-hit-the-parking-lot”!  But when God’s people get desperate enough, it does not matter who is around us. We should do anything it takes to take hold of Jesus. Our hot tears should not bring embarrassment – they are a sign our heart is still tender.

Take Bartimaeus found in Mark 10. He was a blind man sitting on the side of the road as Jesus and His disciples were heading toward the city of Jericho. A huge crowd had gathered and Bartimaeus was about to have a holy come-a-part because He was desperate for a touch from the Man he heard could heal him – He was desperate for Jesus.

When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47

He held nothing back. This was his chance! But in the next verse, people threatened and told him to be quiet. People can get quite uncomfortable when we get real with Jesus. They are not quite sure what to do with all that emotion. I love Bart’s response…

…but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:48

You see, when you are desperate for a touch from the Master, you do not give up so easily. You don’t care who hears you crying for help. Bartimaeus’s persistence and faith paid off when Jesus called out to him. Bart threw aside his cloak (which is a whole other blog post), jumped up and ran to Jesus.

And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.  Mark 10:51-52

Isn’t it great that Bartimaeus went from sitting on the roadside waiting for Jesus to “following Him on the road”?

And what a simple question Jesus asks…”What do you want Me to do for you?” What would your answer to this question be? Be honest with Jesus and tell Him what you need. How desperate are you for His touch?

So when we see people hitting the altar or in the pews beside us shedding tears, mouthing desperate prayers aloud or in silence, let’s pray alongside them. These are beautiful signs of desperation. They are turning to the only source they know who can heal the greatest need of their soul.