Jesus Stopped

I was sitting in the church service yesterday, when one of the scriptures we were reading punched me right in the face. Sometimes that'll happen when you read God's word. It's alive and active, and it has a tendency to speak to us when we least expect it.

The verse was Matthew 20:32: Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. (NIV)

The first two words of that scripture speak volumes about Jesus.

Jesus stopped.

Think about that. Here's a guy (God, actually), who is going to be dying soon. He's got a lot of stuff to do, right? Big fish to fry before his work is complete. He's teaching, preaching, walking on water, fightin' with the devil, praying, etc. But, he does something uncanny. He stops.

Against popular opinion, Jesus hits the pause button and turns his attention to two outcasts. These are blind beggars who call out to Jesus to have mercy on them and restore their sight. Now, Jesus' followers recognize that Jesus is an important dude, and he's got places to be. They tell the blind guys to be quiet and stop making a scene.

In the process, these disciples of Jesus fail to see that they are truly the blind ones. They are blinded by their selfishness and ignorance. Oblivious to their lack of humility. But, Jesus stops.

It's fascinating (and convicting) to read that Jesus - a man who had to accomplish an eternity's worth of work in just three years of ministry - can make time to stop and serve others.

I'd venture to say that most of us would never stop if we didn't have to. We are forced to stop at stop signs (rolling stop), traffic lights, traffic jams, telephone calls, text messages, and car breakdowns. We consider these interruptions. But, maybe God just wants us to stop.

Jesus had the most important - and time sensitive - mission in history. Yet, he consistently MADE time to stop and serve others. He knew that the only way to truly SEE the need was to stop and look.

How much more would our eyes be opened to what He has in store for us if we took the time, in the midst of our crazy days and schedules, to come to a screeching halt and take a look around.

I think we'd be stunned.