| Mark 10:47 – “Jesus…have mercy on me!” |
Reading a Bible story with my grandson tonight. Blind man calling for Jesus. He makes a nuisance of himself. He is told to shut up. I imagined how loudly he would have had to holler to be sure he captured Jesus’ attention. I yelled it super loud. JESUS!!! My grandson’s imagination took flight. I could tell by how closely he listened and by the look in his eyes. We suddenly stepped into the story. Both of us. We imagined what it would be like to have never seen with our eyes. And through God’s kindness, he was seeing. The illustrator placed a tear in his eye. We talked about why he was crying. We are all like this blind man. Jesus offers spiritual sight to us.
Then we read “Tale of Three Trees”. One tree wished to be used for a treasure chest, one a mighty ship, and the third to grow tall and make people look up to heaven. The first was fashioned into a feeding trough for the beasts of the field, destined to be covered in slobber. The second was built into a simple fishing boat, always awash with stinky fish odor. The third was turned into lumber and thrown onto a pile. Large beams, rough hewn. All three heartbroken that their dreams were dashed.
One day, a newborn baby was lain to sleep in the feeding trough. Later the fishing boat was in a terrible storm, and a sleeping passenger did something and suddenly all was calm. A year or two passed and the rough hewn beams were assembled and carried to a hill. A man was nailed there. The tree was ashamed for taking part in a torturous death.
In retrospect, they had been touched by God. Oh to be touched by God. He sent His son. Father in heaven, thank You for touching us, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
- Jeff Beall
