Mark 10:51 – “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
I’d heard this verse before but never gave it much thought because I didn’t understand how it applied to my life. Well, let’s just say my eyes have been opened and I now know why this verse is so important to my prayer life.
I’m going to break this verse into two posts: one focusing on Jesus and the other on the blind man.
Let’s start with the blind man, aka, you and me.
If you read a few verses before Mark 10:51, you’ll find that the blind man was part of a large crowd. He began shouting when he heard Jesus was coming. Many in the crowd rebuked the blind man, telling him to be quiet, but the blind man began shouting even more. Eventually, Jesus stops and calls the blind man to him.
Risk Being Shushed
The crowd responded to the blind man’s shouts by shushing him. And yet, their disapproval of his cries made the blind man shout even louder. I LOVE THIS. The crowd’s reaction didn’t cause him to stop. He knew in his heart what he needed to do and didn’t let what others were saying deter him. He knew what he stood to lose, the opportunity to gain his eye sight, if he decided to listen to the crowd and stop shouting for Jesus.
How often do we have an idea, situation or decision that gets shushed by the crowd? How often do our prayers get shushed by the crowd? That crowd could be friends, family, doctors, strangers, even ourselves. This creates a chain reaction of doubt in our hearts and instead of trusting the spark we felt, we start telling ourselves things like: It’s too big a prayer. This is impossible. I’m wasting God’s time by asking for this. This is a bad idea. It will never work. I’m not good enough. Who do I think I am trying to do this? I don’t deserve this. You name it, I’m sure many of us have either thought or said it.
I can think of many times I’ve allowed the risk of ridicule, embarrassment, looking small, unprepared or unprofessional stop me. The biggest crowd I’m up against is me, myself and I. Maybe I’m the only one, but I have consistent negative beliefs constantly yelling at me. Sometimes it seems like I have to shout over them to send my prayer request to Jesus. Can anyone else relate to this?
Perspective in the Wait
I think this verse from the blind man’s perspective is so important while we’re waiting because that time in life is full of uncertainty and we’re extremely vulnerable. Many crowds – the world, family, medical professionals, ourselves – will try to shush us about a decision we’re making, a procedure we’re doing, think we’re overreacting, question the way we’re handling situations, or judge our reaction to grief and loss. They might mean well, but ultimately it creates doubt in our hearts and we stop: shouting our requests to God, believing and having hope.
Imagine instead, what life would look like if you approached things the way the blind man did; if you didn’t let the crowd mute your voice. Because as the verse tells us, the blind man spoke up and received his sight. You guys, that’s huge! He knew what was at stake if he decided to listen to the crowd instead of shouting at Jesus. He was willing to risk ridicule (maybe even worse) in hopes of being healed by Jesus. WOW.
Speak Up
Speaking up could be advocating for your health, job or marriage. It could be taking the class, starting a business, switching fertility treatments, or calling an estranged loved one to say I’m sorry. Maybe it’s repeating the same prayer request for years on end, despite any changes. For some, it’s choosing your health and well-being over others.
I urge you to be like the blind man. Take that risk and speak up. There are going to be many people in our lives that want to try and shush us. When we speak up and no one else is, people get uncomfortable and they don’t like it. If the crowd starts shushing you, speak even louder. Take the risk because you know what’s at stake for your life. Risk trying because you know what you stand to gain. Believe in that and trust like the blind man that it’s worth speaking up over the crowd for.
Stay tuned for Part 2 as we dive into Jesus’ response to the blind man. It’s so cool.
Please share with someone you know who could use some encouragement in the wait.
[blog_subscription_form title=”Join Our Community” subscribe_button=”Let’s Go!”]