Luke 18:35-39

Luke 18:35-39

And it happened as they drew near to Jerusalem some blind man was sitting near the road while begging.  And after hearing the crowd passing by, he was inquiring who this might be.  And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by.  And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, be merciful upon me!”  And the ones before him rebuked him in order that he should be kept silent.  But he was crying out even more greatly, “Son of David, be merciful upon me!”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I am truly amazed when the Gospel writers set the context of Jesus’ work.  Luke literally says, “Some blind man.”  The name isn’t important.  He’s not someone who is famous.  He’s not even someone whose name is remembered.  He is just some blind guy who happens to be along the way.  Why is this important?  It is important because we know what’s coming.  You don’t have to be famous to get some time with Jesus.  You don’t have to be rich.  You don’t have to be super-intelligent.  You don’t have to be noteworthy in any way.  All you have to be is desiring to encounter Him.

Do you desire to encounter Jesus?  How have you encountered Him in your past?  Why is it important to realize that much of Jesus’ ministry occurred with regular people?

Second Thought:

The crowd rebukes.  They tell him to be quiet.  They don’t think he is worth the time of Jesus.  They don’t think Jesus will even notice him because of his disability and status as a beggar.  Whatever the reasons, they rebuke him.  The reality is that there are always people around us who will attempt to squelch our joy and passion.  If we live in this world, we must accept this reality.  We must not also allow such people to get us down.

Who are the people in your life that steal your joy?  How do you typically react when people in the world steal your joy?

Third Thought:

The persistence of the blind man is noticeable.  Even though the people around him tell him to shut up, he still cries out.  Imagine being blind, living in a world where it isn’t necessarily considered bad to mistreat people thought of as being lesser in status.  Imagine being in a world where nobody would have thought it unusual to beat a person who was acting out of a normal social order.  Imagine living in a world where your blindness means you can’t even see if someone is getting ready to strike you.  In that context, after people tell you to be quiet, you yell out all the more.  That is a persistent passion that we should all admire and appreciate.

Where have you seen a persistent faith in your life and the lives of people around you?  What do you think enables such faith?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 18:40-43