Jesus healing the blind beggar (Luke 18:35-43) makes me think of The Parable of Persistent Widow and Jesus healing the paralytic. (Mark 2:1-12) All are demonstrations of persistence and not allowing other people and conditions to get in the way of our salvation. (Luke 18:2-8) It is good to know that when life seems grim, the Lord is listening for our call.
Christ Healing the Blind Man c. 1640 – Gioacchino Assereto (1600–1649)
As the beggar is calling out to Jesus, others are trying to silence him. The “upper class” Pharisees are crowding the front and no doubt, planning and scheming Jesus’ demise. I can almost see their anger as he keeps calling out to the “Son of David!”
Jesus’ first words on the Sermon on the Mount were words of comfort to the less fortunate and those who do not allow suffering to be a reason to lose faith. (Matthew 5:3-11) We see him making good on this throughout his ministry. If our goal is to imitate Jesus’ example, then we need to avoid:
- looking down on others
- silencing others’ enthusiasm
- discouraging others’ ambition
Just like he proved on that noisy street outside Jericho, our Lord is listening to all his faithful children.
Daily Bible reading for September 26
Psalm 56
2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
Ezekiel 17
Luke 18:31-19:27
September 26, 2013
Comments Off on The Lord is Listening