Standing Still

And Jesus stood still. Mt. 20:32

Here was the busiest man in the world, and busy with nothing that was not truly meaningful and of eternal value. Every moment was well spent and every hour was redeemed. Moreover, here was a man whose time was extremely valuable because he had wisdom and power and resources that no other man had. And I think to some extent the people around him understood just how important his time was. So when a couple of blind beggars tried to get the attention of Jesus, the people around them told them to be quiet (ver. 31). I bet someone told them that the Master was too busy for them that day and didn't have time to spend on their particular problems.

But that didn't stop them. Instead, "they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David" (31). And Jesus stood still (32). He stopped and delayed whatever it was he was doing. He paused his busy schedule and stopped for a couple of no-name nobodies. Jesus stood still. And he listened to their need (33) and then healed them (34).

How many opportunities have I lost because I didn't stand still for a moment and consider the needs that were around me? Have I allowed a focus on things that are at best temporary and - in light of eternity - trivial (cf. 1 Cor. 6:2) keep me so busy that it kept me from an awareness of the needs of people who might have been helped by me? What about the people in my own home? What about my spouse and my children? Maybe they are crying out for our attention and we allow our busyness keep us from blessing those who could best benefit from our time and presence? What about our brothers and sisters in Christ? What about our friends? What about that stranger that God put in my path today (cf. Heb. 13:1-2)?

Yes, we are called to spend our time wisely. We are called to redeem the time (Col. 4:5). But sometimes that means standing still so that you can hear the needs of those who are around you. May the Lord help us all to be more like him in every way, even when it means stopping the mad rush and standing still.