(Adapted from a sermon preached on 10/28/18)

In one of his books, the Baptist preacher Tony Campolo tells a story of a time he took his son Bart (who was about 9 years old at the time) to Disneyland. Bart had a really good time, and especially enjoyed the Space Mountain ride.

As they were getting ready to leave, Bart said he wanted to ride Space Mountain again. “We really don’t have time,” Tony told him. “We have to get home so we can do the work Jesus wants us to do.”

“But I just talked to Jesus!” Bart responded, “And Jesus said He wants me to have one more ride on Space Mountain!”

I like this story because it illustrates an important point – when we call out to Jesus, He hears us. No matter how big or how small our concern, Jesus hears us when we call on His name.

Today’s gospel reading talks about a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who happens to be sitting by the side of the road as Jesus is coming into Jericho. “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,” Mark tells us, “He began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:47).

When Mark says that Bartimaeus shouted to Jesus, he means it. The word translated here as shout literally means “to cry out like a raven.” I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a raven cry, but it’s not quiet or polite; it’s a fierce shriek! And this is what Bartimaeus does when he hears Jesus coming – he shouts at the top of his lungs to get Jesus’ attention.

Now we may wonder why Bartimaeus didn’t approach Jesus more politely, but if any of you have ever prayed for healing and not received it you know that there’s times when it seems like we need to shout to get God’s attention.

The encouraging thing is Jesus never discourages this; in fact, it’s the loud shouting of Bartimaeus that gets His attention! When Jesus hears the beggar shouting, Mark says that Jesus “Stood still and said, ‘Call him here’” (Mark 10:49).

When we cry out to Jesus, in other words, we can be sure that He hears us! The Bible tells us in several places, in both the Old and New Testaments, that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Rom 10:13); and today’s gospel reading shows a powerful example of this truth.

When we shout to Jesus, Jesus hears us. And it’s interesting to note what Jesus says to Bartimaeus when he heals him – “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52).

And so it is with us – our faith makes us well. There are, of course, many ways to be healed; but without faith (which really means trust) in our healers, we won’t stay healed for long.

Indeed, the doctor may give us a diagnosis, but without faith, we won’t get well! The surgeon may cut what needs to be cut, but without faith, we won’t get well! The medication may help bring the pain down, but without faith, we won’t get well! The therapist may help us fix our thinking, but without faith, we won’t get well! In order to truly heal, we need to trust those that are working for our healing – and sometimes we have to shout out to God.

And sometimes we have to shout more than once, as today’s text shows us. In verse 48 Mark says that “many sternly ordered him (Bartimaeus) to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me’” (Mark 10:48).

You see, we don’t always get the healing we need the first time we shout to God. As someone who has lived with chronic pain and depression for many years, I know this all too well. Sometimes we shout for healing, and healing doesn’t come. What do we do then?

The gospel seems to say that like Bartimaeus, we need to keep on shouting! When we call out to God for healing, we’re likely to find roadblocks – whether they come in the form of situations, events, or (as in the case with Bartimaeus) other people. But instead of letting these things discourage us, we should keep on shouting.

I’m reminded of a story I once read about a 75-year-old woman who was a missionary. Some fifty years earlier, when she was just starting her missionary work, someone asked her if she enjoyed the work she was doing. “Yes, I enjoy doing the Lord’s work,” she said. “I just hope I can find a husband to do this work with me; it gets lonely sometimes.”

Fifty years later, she was asked this same question. “I have enjoyed this work immensely,” she said. “Though I never did find a husband.”

“Has that discouraged you?” the other person asked. “Do you ever feel like God isn’t giving you what you need?”

“No, I trust God, and know that He loves me,” the woman said. “But somewhere out there, there’s a man who’s been resisting God’s will for over 50 years!”

Now personally, I don’t think I could be single my whole life; and if I had never found romance, I would be pretty upset! But this woman’s story inspires me, because this woman never gave up. She kept on shouting to God even when years went by and she hadn’t gotten what she felt she needed.

This is the kind of faith I think we need to have. Like the blind Bartimaeus, and the woman in this story, we need to keep on shouting to God until we get the healing we need. So if you’ve ever called out to God for healing and didn’t get the healing you feel you need, I would urge you to keep on shouting!

So if you call out to God but all you see is sickness, keep on shouting! If you call out to God but all you see is pain, keep on shouting! If you call out to God but all you see is loneliness, keep on shouting! If you call out to God but all you see is violence and injustice, keep on shouting! If you call out to God but all you see is bigotry, keep on shouting! If you call out to God but all you see is roadblocks and red tape, keep on shouting!

If you are hurting in any way, keep shouting to Jesus! Whatever the need is, he hears us, and He will respond. And if you know someone who’s hurting, ask God how you can be a part of that person’s healing.

Don’t give up! God hears our cries and will deliver us from whatever is keeping us in bondage. Healing might not come today. It might not come tomorrow. It might not come this week, or this month, this year, or even this decade – but it will come; for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Amen!