BP112
Do You Have A Voice?
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way ~ Mark 10:46ff
It is important in this world to have a voice. God gave you a mouth to be able to speak. If Bartimaeus had heeded the rebukes of the crowd and shut his mouth, he may never have attracted the attention of Jesus and been healed.
How about you? Do you feel like you are able to speak? Do others around you ignore you or attempt to silence you? Do you hesitate to have a voice and instead defer to others, keeping your thoughts and opinions and needs to yourself?
This post is about having a voice.
Getting right to the point, the kingdom of darkness wants you to shut up. Like the crowd that rebuked Bartimaeus, Satan commands you to keep your thoughts to yourself: don’t be needy, don’t be a burden, don’t embarrass yourself, don’t stand out, someone else will have a better answer than you or have a greater need than you so just keep your mouth shut. Yes, the kingdom of darkness has issued a gag order for the whole human race.
Maybe there are some people who need to talk less, but there are many in this world who need to use their “outside voice” as well as to speak more. They hide behind their reticence and speak very little, especially about what is in their hearts.
Some of you grew up in homes where your parents modeled silence for you and so you learned to be silent—especially about the deeper things. Others had parents who actively taught them to be mute. Why? Some of these parents did not want attention drawn to themselves so they instructed their children to be quiet. Other parents were so emotionally fragile that they could not tolerate their children speaking words of anger, dissent, neediness, even to get their attention.
The Goal of The Evil One
Isaac had parents who wouldn’t let him speak. His mother was so needy that she had to be the one who was always the center of attention, the one who was speaking while others listened to her. His father, meanwhile, was so touchy and irritable from unresolved abuse as a child that he was triggered by just about anything his son said. Few of Isaac’s comments failed to set off a landmine of anger.
So, Isaac learned the vow of silence.
So, remember, the darkness in this world has one aim: to kill you. Physically, if possible. But evil certainly wants to primarily kill your spirit, your personhood. Part of that homicidal goal is to shut your ears to God’s voice, to suppress the emotions of your heart so you will not let anyone know you, and to shut your mouth so that you will not cry out to God and others to be heard and saved.
Unlike the dark thief from hell who exists to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus lives to listen to your heart—even to hear what you are not saying audibly. He always invites you to approach him to be seen, heard, touched, comforted, protected, believed, saved. He says, Come to me. Let us reason together. Pray to me. Cry out to me. Jesus wants you to speak vulnerable words that reveal the fears and needs and confessions of your heart.
Encountering Jesus Gives You A Voice
Do you remember the incredible story in Mark 5 about the demoniac in who lived among the tombs, breaking chains, and cutting himself with rocks and crying out like an insane creature? This devil-infested man came rushing down the hillside toward Jesus as if intent on tearing the God-man apart. Did Jesus whisper into this man’s murky heart when he got out of the boat with His disciples, calling him to Himself? Possibly.
The demons, no doubt, tried to stop the bloody and emaciated man from approaching Jesus by screaming Noooooo in his ears. They wanted Him to flee the Light of the world. Darkness always avoids the light. Light drives darkness out.
When the man reached Jesus and fell at his feet, Jesus shut up the voices of hell, driving the demons out of the tormented men. For the first time in years, the tortured man-turned-beast was in his right mind and able to speak with his voice, free from the dark one who had stolen his human tongue.
How long this wretched man had suffered inside the tomb of his own heart, weeping and screaming for someone to hear him. But the darkness would not allow it. So, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee on a mission to meet and deliver this man, to restore his soul and drive out the demons so he might be free. The demoniac could break the physical chains that were wrapped around his wrists and legs, but He needed Jesus to break the chains that were wrapped like a gag around his heart and his mouth.
Jesus Hears When You Speak
If you are someone who feels like no one hears you, Jesus has come for you. If you believe the lie that people will leave you if they hear your story or your sin, Jesus has sought you out and now is standing before you. If you do not trust that people will love you or if you believe the accusation that you are unlovable, Jesus even now is driving these demon voices from your heart. If you hate being too needy, Jesus probably is telling you something like, “Be like Bartimaeus. Be like the demoniac at Gerasene. Cry out to me and run to me, and I will hear you, my child.”
So, son and daughter of the King, be like Bartimaeus and shout. Darkness curses at you to shut up—forever. Jesus tells you to come and tell Him what you want Him to do for you.
Darkness wants your soul to be a crypt. Jesus cultivates your heart to make it a garden of trust. Satan closes. Jesus opens. The prince of darkness wants you to die alone with all your needs, tears, and hunger for the Presence of God and others. Jesus calls you to run toward Him and wave your hands to get His attention.
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears ~ Psalm 18:6
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles ~ Psalm 34:17
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ~ Romans 8:15