On The Jericho Road-There’s Room For Just Two

"Get up, Jesus is calling for you." And lying there in the dust, hope was reborn.

With a jump, I was to my feet. I threw aside my cloak, and many hands directed me, leading me right to the Healer.

"What do you want Me to do for you?" He asked.

"I – want – to – see," I answered.

He said, “Go your way; your faith has made you whole."

I was stunned. Suddenly there was painful burst of light as I stood there accepting my miracle. There were thousands of bright, glittery things floating in the air, and right in the center of them was this man. He smiled. I knew it was Jesus. I looked at this One before me, at His dusty sandals, His worn robe, His beard, His mouth.

"So this is a grin," I thought. I looked at His eyes. And they looked back at my eyes. And that’s when I began to follow Him.

(Blind Bartimaeus, Ragan Courtney, edited)

Why do we have these stories in the Bible? Jesus healed two blind men 2,000 years ago. So what?

What difference does that make? Are these stories recorded so that we can be amazed about what Jesus did in the past? I don’t think that this is all that there is to it. The purpose of the story is to tell us what Jesus does. Around every corner, by the sea, in the city – Jesus is busy touching people and changing their life. Jesus is alive today, as He was on the road from Jericho – His outstretched hand is ready to touch our lives with God’s grace.

There is a catch, however. You see, it is really only the blind that cry out. Of all the people we see in scripture that come to Jesus, they have one thing in common –

they shared a broken pride. In every story, in different ways, life had pushed these people to the edge of their self-sufficiency. They each made a decision, which God’s word holds up to us as an example. Their decision: to step beyond their own self-sufficiency and into the healing grace of God.

The stories are not primarily about physical healing. Rather, Jesus gave sight to the blind men to show that nobody has to go through life spiritually blind.

Jesus fed 5,000 to reveal that He is the Bread of Life. Each story of healing points beyond itself to the power of God to heal life, itself. But God’s healing is hindered until our pride is broken. God in no way can do the things He wants to do in our lives because we are pridefully depending upon ourselves.

In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus’ disciples were leaving Jericho.

A large crowd follows Jesus. Some in the crowd are simply curious – hey, they want to keep a safe distance. Many of us follow Jesus that way, as well.

• Don’t get too involved – it might hurt.

• Don’t be too loyal – you might get branded.

• Don’t show too much concern –

they’ll crucify you, too.

We have a lot of people like that.

• People who keep religion in its place.

• People who don’t stir the water.

• People who reek with mediocrity.

One who knows how to keep his distance:

"Now I’ll pay my dues and I’ll come once a week,

but – well – you can get carried away, you know."

Yes, as Max Lucado said, you can get carried away: up a hill to a cross and be killed. Follow at a distance and you’ll deny the Master. You won’t die for a man you can’t touch. But if you stay near to Him, in His shadow, you’ll die with Him gladly. (Max Lucado, On the Anvil)