Luke 18:35-43 – “As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”  43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.”  NASB

I have had people sternly rebuke me for not being dignified in church.  A person told me emotion had no place in a worship service.  Bartimaeus, the blind man, had people around him trying to force him to follow proper decorum and be proper, but he would have none of it.  He had heard of Jesus, and when they told him that this miracle worker was coming by, he immediately began to make a scene and got loud, trying to get Jesus’ attention. 

We need to allow ourselves to lose our rigidity and get God’s attention in our time of need.  Bartimaeus was successful, and when Jesus stopped and addressed him with the question, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  Bartimaeus, unlike the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, was specific and clear about what he wanted.  He said, “I want to regain my sight!”  Jesus received that as an expression of faith and declared, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”  Bartimaeus went from there, seeing again!

I feel like David, when he danced before the ark of God, and his wife criticized him for not being dignified, declared, “I will be more vile (undignified) and will be base in my own sight….”  He was unmoved by the criticism because of his love and appreciation for what God had done and meant to him. 

Sometimes we need to stop worrying about being dignified, proper, or following some man-made rules of how to act in God’s presence and determine that we are going to “touch the hem of His garment.”  I guess it depends on how desperate we are, how much we desire the miracle, and how much we are willing to become a spectacle before God.  When I need the touch of God, I do not care what anyone around me thinks; I want God to touch me.  If that means crying loudly in public, I will.  If that means dancing as David did, I will.  If that means acting as Bartimaeus, I will. 

When we need a miracle that only God can provide, receiving His touch should be our number one priority, not how people perceive us!  Know what you want and be willing to reach out for it.  Jesus is passing by, and it only takes a touch of His hand or a word from His lips to turn your mourning into dancing. 

May God be with you as you go through your day!