”Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.“
Luke 18:31-43 NLT
These verses are about seeing and understanding. Only the eyes of faith can understand Jesus. Christ predicted His death, but the disciples were blind to what He meant; they could not comprehend a suffering Messiah. This is contrasted with a blind beggar who understood who Jesus really was. He continually shouted to the Son of David to heal his life. When the crowd tried to keep him from Jesus (as crowds often do), he shouted all the louder. He followed Jesus into the city, willing to follow the Messiah even into suffering.
Jesus must have been stressed; He was on His way into Jerusalem to suffer and sacrifice His life. Christ was willing to be interrupted, even when He was so stressed and sorrowful. This challenges us in many ways. Life can be very stressful, but we need to remember Jesus and always be willing to help others. We also need to be aware of the stress we allow into our lives, standing up for our margins and boundaries. This is a challenge for both introverts and extroverts.
What do you think prevents you from seeing Jesus more clearly? What are you like when you are under a lot of stress or experiencing a lot of sorrow?
