Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” Mark 10:48-49
Luke, the medical doctor from Syria, the man who wrote more of the New Testament than even the Apostle Paul himself, gives us an interesting insight as to how Jesus viewed life’s interruptions. He tells us that Jesus started toward Jerusalem where the cross was looming on the horizon. Christ knew the Scriptures. He also knew what lay ahead. He had told the disciples that He was going to lay down His life, freely and voluntarily. That, friend, is heavy stuff. Nothing from the beginning of creation was more important than the next event on Christ’s agenda. After all, that was why He came into the world.
But Luke tells us that as Jesus started for Jerusalem, He noticed a blind beggar who Mark identified by name as Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). Those who were with Jesus were impressed with what happened, so much so that Matthew, Mark, and Luke—all three—tell about it. Luke, however, being the medical doctor, gives us the details. He tells us that in spite of the fact bystanders told Bartimaeus to “shut up” or “be quiet,” Jesus stopped and carried on a conversation with this man, then opened his blind eyes.
Now, just a minute! Put this in perspective. This man had no social status. He was less than a nobody. He had neither education nor money. He couldn’t even earn a living. So day after day, he held a begging bowl and existed on the charity of passers-by.
At the same time, thousands of people thronged to hear Jesus teach. He was a celebrity. His name was on the lips of people who exchanged gossip in the marketplace. Businessmen quietly speculated as to whether or not He was the one who would overthrow the tyranny of Rome.
With the overview of history, we realize that what Christ was about to do was second to nothing in importance from the day of creation even to the present. Yet everything stops for an encounter with somebody who was a blind beggar.
“So, what’s the point?” you may be thinking. Obviously either my value system, my point of reference, and how I look at life, is either wrong, or else Jesus Christ’s values were wrong. Both of us can’t be right. It becomes immediately obvious that three areas of life were different: (1) Our perspective, (2) Our relationships, and (3) Our responses to the needs of people.
That incident forces me to re-examine my perspective. Would I have said, “Get out of my way, blind man, I’m on my way to Jerusalem to save the world”? Probably. Could it be that my agenda is far from what God’s agenda is? Is it possible that I could save myself a lot of headaches if, at the beginning of the day, I prayed, “Lord, what do You want me to do today?” instead of saying, “Now God, bless my schedule and help me get done all of the wonderful things that I’ve planned.”
Could it be that the insignificant interruption which ruined my plans, is really God’s divine appointment?
First, I must realize that my response to interruptions can only be different when I relinquish what I want to do to our heavenly Father and say, “OK, Lord, here’s what I planned, but this interruption must be part of Your plan, so help me to respond without irritation.” Then, friend, look carefully. You may well see the shadow of the Galilean standing behind that beggar who cries for your time and help. The one who interrupted what you wanted to do, so that you may do what God wanted you to do.
