March 22: Luke 18:35-43

Key Verse: Luke 18:38
He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Devotion:
Each time I read this I am reminded of my dear friend who bought some lunch for a homeless man back in Ipswich. Jesus was a man, just like us, when He came to live amongst us, but He did not let that stop Him from being kind to others or from making sure each person got what they needed.

When they disciples were walking with Jesus, their reaction is probably like our reaction would be – they shouted down the beggar and wanted Jesus to be ‘raised above the beggars’ in social standing. We think so much more of ourselves than we realise and so much less of God than we need to. Jesus did not have this problem because He dedicated His life to serving God in every walk in life!

When the disciples tried to shut the beggar up, Jesus stopped and made a point of speaking to him and asking him what it was he wanted. I’m pretty sure Jesus already knew the answer would be for the man to receive his sight, but He stopped to allow the man to ask in person. How often do we walk quickly past someone because we think they are not worthy of our attention – how many times do we walk past on the other side of the street to avoid those in need.

When we moved to London it was with the vision of giving up our personal wants and desires and serving the local people on the estate we moved to. At first we could not find accommodation on the estate because it was ‘overbooked’ but we did not give up. After a year of waiting we managed to find a house on the estate where we set up a place we could invite people into. I still struggle with the way of life sometimes because it is so different from what I was used to. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones and step into the place where God wants us to be!

Points to Ponder:
Do you always stick to your comfort zone?

Are you willing to step forward with God into the unknown?