City Life Starter

Written by Calah Jackson

The Word

“As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

-Luke 18:35-43 (ESV)

Reflection

The story of the blind beggar has always fascinated me. In Scripture, many people are named, yet in this account the man remains unnamed. Instead, he is identified only by his condition—“blind” and “beggar.”

I think about how long this must have been his reality. Shunned by society, disregarded because of circumstances outside his control. I can imagine him sitting there, overhearing conversations about this Messiah called Jesus. He didn’t see the miracles with his own eyes. People weren’t rushing to share good news with him. But because of his situation, all he could do was sit and listen. The difficult identity he held as being a blind beggar would perfectly position him to have a testimony that went down in history.

He was rejected by society, and there’s a good chance no one thought Jesus would have anything to do with him. To them, he was just the blind beggar they always passed by.

But then Jesus came near. Whether through whispers from others or a revelation from the Holy Spirit, the beggar recognized his only hope. With what seemed like “indecency” to the crowd, he boldly cried out to Jesus.

And Jesus, the lover of the lowly, bread for the beggars, beacon for the blind—interrupted this man’s life on the outskirts and drew near in a way no one ever had before.

I love that this passage begins with Jesus on a journey Jericho. When I think about Jericho, I think about Joshua chapter 6, when Israel walked around the city with the ark of the Lord, faithfully circling its walls believing God was about to move. They were walking on the outskirts, just as this blind beggar was accustomed to being. On the seventh day, Joshua gave the command to shout, and when they did, God caused the walls to fall.

Although this blind beggar was urged to be quiet by the people around him, he knew deep down in his soul that shouting to the Lord was going to bring the city walls of his heart down. This wasn’t just about him regaining his sight, it was about his faith making him whole. He knew what he needed was found with the Messiah. He shouted to the Lord and the walls, the doubt, the scales, the blindness all fell down.

Application

So what about you?

There are seasons when life feels stuck. We carry grief and make hard decisions. We hold pain that lingers week after week, year after year that can leave us weary. The headlines overwhelm us, and we can feel powerless and blind to truth. We live in the paradox of knowing God has overcome sin, yet are still walking in this fallen world. And in those moments we have a choice: lose heart or shout to the Lord and trust Him to bring the walls down.

Let’s not be people who love our dignity more than we love the desperation of calling on the name of Jesus. Because in the name of Jesus, we are saved, in the name of Jesus our hope is found.

So friend, as you step into today, remember that you are not going alone. And you don’t have to go quietly. Whether it’s a literal shout in your car during worship, or the silent posture of a heart resisting hopelessness—lift up your cry to the Lord with all your might no matter how undignified.

In the name of Jesus, walls fall. In the name of Jesus, eyes are opened.

Prayer

God, I know You are not surprised by the weariness this world brings. Remind me that though I see in part, You see the beginning to the end. Remind me that You hold it all together with a word and that I can trust You with my life. You bring restoration in Your name. And I thank You. Amen.