Passage of the Day:
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God, Luke 18:35-43.
Reflection:
A common technique used by Hollywood screenwriters is for a character or characters to make a scene in public to get a desired result. In National Treasure II: Book of Secrets, Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger stage an argument in England with the sole purpose of being placed into a holding cell where they will be able to access the room with one of the Resolute Desks. As for the blind man in today’s featured passage, once he was told that Jesus was passing by, he began shouting as loud as he could. Unable to see Jesus, this blind man shouted relentlessly until being brought to Jesus. When the helpless learned that Jesus healed others with similar physical conditions, a spirit of fortitude was conceived. This fortitude gave birth to an unwavering faith which brought about a miracle in this man’s life: the gift of sight.
Prayerful Action:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins,” Mark 11:24-25.
Developing the Spiritual Guts to Press On:
John Mark doesn’t mention any friends who brought this blind man near a road where Jesus was about to pass by. As this man begged for pity, likely asking for a handout, the commotion of Jesus’ entourage began to intensity. This elevated noise level brought this blind man to ask someone in the crowd, “what’s going on?” As soon of the name Jesus rang into his ears, the blind man seizes this rare moment by shouting at the top of his lungs. Wanting to see and believing that Jesus had the power to restore his sight, he got Jesus’ attention, opening the door for a miracle. This is the sense of urgency Christians must pursue today rather than remain hopeless and pitiful.
Song of the Day:
After receiving sight, this blind man likely made a great big noise, rejoicing and thanking God. May today’s song inspire you to verbally thank God for all the blessings bestowed upon you.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 