And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. – Mark 10:49-50
“Stop, listen and look.” You might recognize these words as a transposition of an oft-spoken safety slogan used at railroad crossings. This slogan grew to become applicable not only for railroad crossings, but any other intersection at which not “stopping, looking and listening” could result in “connections” that could be minor aggravations or life-altering calamities.
As Mark relates the details of the healing of blind Bartimaeus, he specifically includes that Jesus “stopped” and “called” to him before performing the miracle of restored sight. We also learn that Bartimaeus responded quickly to the Master’s call. These actions set the stage for a “connection” with life-altering results for this blind man.
What can we learn from Jesus and put into practice in these 40 Days of Connection and beyond? First, He calls us to STOP – to put aside our to-do lists, our self-consuming thoughts, the busyness of life or lethargy of hours. Then we LISTEN to the calling voice of Jesus, telling us He hears us, He knows our every need, we are His treasured possession, He loves us, and our neighbor needs us. And then we LOOK – we look around us to connect with our sisters and brothers. We send a note, make a call, send a text, fully listen, or tend to the needs of our neighbor.
May we, just like Bartimaeus, know the unfathomable love of our unstoppable God, and may it cause unending acts of love and service done in His name.
Prayer: Thank you, my dear Jesus, that you love me and call me to your service. Give me eyes to see and respond to my neighbor’s needs.
Contributed by Marilyn Haldiman
Bible Reading
Read Luke 8:40-56 and record any insights you gain here.
Call to Connection
Make a list of the top ten things that take up your time. Set a schedule for tomorrow that will make God a priority.