Pauses and Pie Holes
In 2025, I set a goal to read and study through the Bible every year. I wish I had set that goal in 1980. We are 45% of the way through reading the entire Bible this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 20, and the verse of the day is 1 Corinthians 13:4. As I read these words this morning, I thought about God’s goodness.
‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.’
1 Corinthians 13:4
I’ve heard people say, “God is perfect love,” and I believe that with all my heart. This morning, as I read the verse of the day. I think about the goodness of God, how patient and kind He is to me. It makes me want to seek Him all the more so that I might mirror those traits. Unfortunately, I often display the self-serving traits described in Matthew 20. Today, I need to set a goal to be more mindful of my patience and kindness. Maybe before I react to a situation, I should pause for a few seconds and think— is my response loving, kind, patient, jealous, or proud?
As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.’
Matthew 20:29-34
I love how the blind fellas don’t listen to the crowd. They can’t see Jesus, but they refuse to stop yelling. The crowd tells them to shut their pie holes, but they don’t listen. They keep yelling louder:
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
All kinds of distractions try to crowd out our ability to find Jesus. For me, it’s social media, TV, my own stubbornness, or worrying about what the crowd might think. The ruler of this world doesn’t want us to search for Jesus. The crowd wants our focus to be on worldly things. We can’t hang with the wrong crowd, or they will drown out our desire for Jesus. We must have Christian friends, mentors, and people in our lives who help us crowd around Jesus.