Calling Out to Jesus

S. ^"As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 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!" Luke 18:35-39(NIV)

O. There are times when I feel like is blind man…sitting on the side of the road wondering that is going on…wanting to be part of something but not knowing how that would be possible. When he finds out it is Jesus of Nazareth (he must have heard about him from someone else), he calls out to him. I don't know if there was so much commotion that Jesus did not hear him or if Jesus was just too busy to acknowledge him at first…but the blind man shouts even louder! As I read this story, I thought about Jesus' awareness of this man's needs. He didn't have to shout at all, because I am certain that Jesus understood everything about this man and his immediate needs for that day. This is the same for us, Jesus knows our needs and knows everything about what we need in life. So why did the man have to shout louder? Perhaps it was more for the blind man than for Jesus. Maybe he really needed to confess his need for Jesus and to show that he was really read for the power and touch of Jesus in his life. He probably knew that Jesus could bring healing…maybe he just needed to be convinced that this could really happen to him. I have felt that way before. There have been times in my life when I cried out to God, knowing that he could work in my life, but all the same needing to call out for his name. There is a piece of surrender and humility in asking for God's help that comes with our calling out to Him. It shows our weakness and God's power, it shows our inability and God's awesome works.

A. I guess one of the things that I take from this passage is that it is never too late to call out to God. I must never fear that God is gone past me and won't respond to my call. But at the same time I must be humbled to the point of calling on the name of God for help.

P. Lord, I need you in my life. I don't have all that it takes to make sense of my life, but you do. I call out to you for forgiveness and for your power of rest in and over my life each and every day. Amen