Luke 18:35-43 CSB
As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.
[36] Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening.
[37] “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. [38] So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
[39] Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
[40] Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him,
[41] “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”
[42] “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.”
[43] Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Desperation is having a great need or desire for something or someone.
We all know what it’s like to be desperate and that desperate times call for desperate measures.
Desperation makes one willing to do anything to overcome their desperation.
What are you desperate for?
We all have areas of our lives where we are desperate for something: spiritual desperation, physical, mental, financial, emotional, and many more. Instead of suffering in your state of desperation outside the city gate, (Christ already did that for you according to Hebrews 13:12), let your desperation push you to call and cry out for Jesus’s mercy and help.
What is troubling you so desperately?
What desperate state are you in right now?
God knows we’ll get to a desperate place one day which is why He said to “come” to Him with all our burdens and lean on Him in Matthew 11:28-30.
Have you tried using your desperate voice to cry out to God? Refuse to be shushed.
Bartimaeus refused to be quiet when he was shushed but shouted louder as he wanted to meet Jesus, today is his day and no one was going to stop him. Jesus, on hearing his insistence, called him over and asked him what he wanted. That I may see, Bartimaeus said! Jesus heals him and says, “Your faith has made you whole.”
Blind Bartimaeus didn’t wait for the Master, his desperate voice reached the Master. The closer Christ got, the louder he cried “Jesus, son of David have mercy on me” until the Master stopped and delivered him.
How about you? Are you desperate enough to cry out and call out to the Master?
Bartimaeus’s response to Jesus’ healing is an example we ought to follow. When healed, Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus. It would be believed that Bartimaeus following Jesus would imply that some of the people standing around followed too.
In addition to his proclaiming Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, Bartimaeus showed that he believed in Jesus’ goodness and deference to the poor and needy, he knew like so many today don’t that Jesus will always answer anyone who calls out to Him.
We come into seasons when our desperation pulls us all over the place, we struggle with burdens that weigh us down and stop us from getting the best out of life but the desperation rather than pull us and suck us in, should give us a loud voice and strength to call out to the father.
Bartimaeus believed that Jesus was unlike the other religious leaders, like us, who are spiritually, morally, and sometimes physically blind to what the Lord can do for us and how much He desperately wants us to prosper, even more than we want to.
We may be blinded by pain, disappointment, and insecurity that we may fail to see that as Bartimaeus appealed to Jesus in desperation- so should we, and not allow our voices to be drowned by fear, anxiety, sin, and ignorance.
Let desperation push our voices to be loud in prayer and praise until we see the Master reaching for us.
He’s desperately waiting to hear us call out to Him, come to Him, and cry out to Him. Your desperation has a voice. Will you call?
Shalom