September 29

Jesus Passing By

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” — Mark 10:47 BSB

No doubt the blind man had long hoped that Jesus would come to Jericho. He had probably heard of the miracles and believed that if Jesus came near, He could heal him. So, when he learned that Jesus was passing by, he seized the opportunity. Immediately, he began to cry out for help. The lesson here is clear: when Jesus is near, when we have the opportunity, we must call out to Him.

But when can we say that Jesus is passing by today? He is always present everywhere, but there are special times when His presence is particularly felt—times of spiritual awakening, when the Holy Spirit is moving in a powerful way, when hearts are being stirred. In such moments, it’s crucial to reach out to Him.

Jesus also passes by in the tender years of youth. That’s when hearts are soft and open, when life’s burdens have not yet hardened us. The blind man understood that this was his moment—Jesus was near, and this might be his only chance. He cried out, and his faith was rewarded. In the same way, we must not wait. There is no guarantee that the opportunity to respond to Jesus will come again.