When Jesus Makes Time for One Person
It is easy to move through a day with our attention already spent. The next errand is waiting. Someone is asking a question. A person beside us can become one more interruption before we have really seen them.
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
(Mark 10:49, NIV, excerpt)
Outside Jericho, Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for mercy. People tried to silence him. Jesus stopped, called him forward, and asked what he wanted. After receiving his sight, Bartimaeus followed Jesus along the road. Mark lets us see both the authority of Jesus and the attention He gave this particular man.
Let someone finish their sentence
Following this merciful Savior can reshape the way we listen. Today, try giving one person your unhurried attention. Ask a real question, wait for the answer, and let them tell you what would help.
It might be your child describing something that happened at school, a neighbor who has been quiet lately, or someone who finds it difficult to ask for support. Their answer may be different from what you expected.
If they would welcome prayer, ask whether you may pray with them. Then consider one practical kindness you can follow through on. Attention becomes love when we let it affect what we do.
A prayer
Jesus, thank You for Your mercy toward people others overlooked. Help us listen with humility, notice the person before us, and respond with the care You teach us. Amen.
Read Mark 10:46-52 in the NIV.
Keep reading: How to Pray for Someone Who Is Hurting · What Is the Gospel?.
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Following Jesus teaches us to notice the person in front of us.
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