Mark 10:36 - Jesus' gentle riposte: "What do you want me to do for you?"
I think I have asked of God questions that revealed more about me than I knew. Our story, our success does not define who we are. I've so struggled my life over wanting to be somebody.
I remember hearing how a very famous Christian singer you would know went in for counseling for severe depression because his identity was so wrapped up in his sales. Another very successful book author plummeted spiritually when she couldn't find the rest she so needed in immense suffering.
What do I really want God to do for me? What am I asking of Him this day, this moment?
I don't want to fail again. And my mind goes to a quote in 66LL:
I don't want you to be afraid of failure,
or you will live for success.
A few miles down the road,
Bartimaeus, blind from birth, heard that Jesus of Nazareth was in earshot of him. Bart began yelling to the Son of David, the Son with a capital "S"---a title reserved for only one being who ever walked the face of the earth. A title reserved for the Messiah Who worked miracles. My Messiah Who still works miracles this moment. The crowd couldn't get Bart to stop screaming:
Son of David, Have Mercy on Me!"
Jesus stopped in Mark 10:49 and said, "Call him."
What would that do to me if Jesus stopped the parade to call me to Himself?
And it's the same question posed...
"What do you want from Me?" And the blind man said, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight."
Jesus gentle riposte: "GO YOUR WAY, your Faith has made you well."
What do you want from your Messiah this day?
Son of David, Have Mercy on every single one of us!
What step of faith is the Son of David calling me to take?
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
ReplyDeleteWhat do I want? I want the desire to serve instead of the desire to be served!
The suffering Servant asks, "What do you want?" Almost every day, I present my list of things that could go either way and wait. A better request would be "Son of David, have mercy on me." Not elevated positions of authority, not even healing for my blindness, (although that would be a good prayer)--but Jesus, have mercy on me, forgive my brazen desires and half-hearted intentions, change my heart to be a servant's heart, grace me with more of You! Your lovingkindness is better than life. Have mercy on me, a sinner saved by Your beautiful living Grace.
ReplyDeleteThat needy place is where God meets us...
ReplyDeleteIt’s the way of the upside down kingdom: let go to receive, go down to go up.
...both of these quotes from Ann Voskamp that spoke so sweetly to me this day.