Anyone could have told Bartimaeus not to make a fool of himself that day when Jesus came to town. As soon as someone said the Man of Galilee was on His way into the city, the blind beggar commenced to yell and carry on, trying to attract the Lord’s attention. When the city fathers tried to shush him–“Hey, we’re trying to make a good impression here, friend. Hold it down!”–Bartimaeus hollered that much louder.

Anyone could have told him he would have other opportunities to meet Jesus, that the Lord was still a young man–some said in His early 30s–and He would be back this way again. No need to lose one’s dignity. All things come to him who waits, someone must have said.

They were wrong of course. This was Jesus’ final trip through Jericho and the last chance Bartimaeus would ever have to meet Him. He had no way of knowing that. All he knew was that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of his hopes and dreams, and that given the opportunity to meet him, nothing and no one would stand in his way.

Bartimaeus, the smartest man in Jericho.

Anyone could have told Zaccheus he was wasting his time trying to get near Jesus that same day in Jericho. This little shrimp of a man–tax collector, dishonest businessman, traitor to his nation, and thus despised by one and all–lost what dignity he had that morning, running around trying to find a good spot to see the Savior. He ended up climbing a tree and roosting on its branches, just for a glimpse of the Man of Galilee.

Anyone could have told him he was not likely to be even noticed by Jesus, certainly not to be personally greeted by Him, and not in a million years to have the Lord and the disciples come by his home for the noon meal that day. Anyone could have told him his record of disdain for the poor and dishonesty in his dealings had surely built an impenetrable wall between him and the Savior.

But they would have been wrong. What they did not reckon on was Jesus’ compassion for the lost and the seeking. And since anyone could have told Zaccheus how unworthy he was and not to bother the Lord, Jesus took the initiative: he stopped at that tree, called Zaccheus down, and invited himself to lunch at his home. That day, Zaccheus met the Saviour. Jesus changed his heart and Zaccheus changed his behavior.

Here’s to Zaccheus, the richest man in town.

Anyone could have told Joshua that the walls of Jericho would not be falling down just because your people circled it 13 times and blew trumpets. Anyone could have told him the harlot Rahab could not be depended on to keep her word, and they would surely have advised her that with her sordid past she would not be accepted into the Israeli family after Jericho fell.

But they would have been wrong. The walls fell as God said, Jericho was defeated, Rahab’s family was rescued, and she went on to become a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother of King David and thus was given a role in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Himself, according to Matthew chapter 1.

One would think we would have learned by now not to attach so much weight to the opinions of others. Even our religious publications pad their issues with the latest polls on what people are thinking on this issue or that one. As though it mattered.

The only thing that matters is obedience. And the only obedience that counts is submission to the Will of God.

The prayer Saul of Tarsus prayed that day outside Damascus is still as good as it gets and as much as the Lord requires: “What wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 22:10)

Anyone could tell you you’re wasting your time and throwing away your life by stepping out of the crowd to follow Jesus. They would say you only go around once in this life and you have to grab for all the gusto you can get, or other foolishness like that. They might cite you examples of people who went overboard for religion and became idiots; there certainly is no lack of case studies.

Jesus had something to say on this subject. “He who loses his life for my sake finds it.” (Matthew 10:39)

Or this: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? And then, (assuming a fellow makes such a devil’s bargain) what will he give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Pray we will be as smart as the blind beggar of Jericho and grab the first opportunity to meet the Savior. One never knows which will be his final opportunity.

Pray we will be as wise as Zaccheus who although at the opposite end of the economic ladder as Bartimaeus, knew the hollowness of wealth and the foolishness of self-indulgence and did what he had to in order to get to Jesus.

Pray we will start believing the Lord’s word and desire His will above all else.

There will come a day when every eye will see just how true Christ is, every tongue will admit how accurate His claims are, and every knee will drop into the dust in acknowledgment that He alone is Lord and no one else. When that moment comes, anyone could tell you how smart you were to have followed Jesus Christ in your lifetime.

Anyone could tell you that.