The Feast

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...”

Years ago, I read the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller, who had actually been a shepherd.   Referring to this verse, he said the highest places you take a sheep are called mesas—or tables.  A shepherd has to go there—before he takes his sheep—to prepare it.  Sheep are prone to eat whatever is in front of them, so the shepherd has to remove dangerous weeds which could kill the sheep or put minerals or salt in areas to either promote or kill certain grasses. He will either scare away dangerous animals with his presence or kill them.  So before the sheep get to this table, the shepherd has prepared it.  He knows the sheep will eat well—and in peace.  

Are you chomping at the bits to get to a new place, a higher place?   Consider this...your Shepherd may be spending time getting rid of dangerous weeds, fertilizing grasses, and killing wild animals—so that upon your arrival the feast is ready!

Blind Bartimaeus

Blind Bartimaeus.  He was begging beside the road because it’s all he could do.  He’d heard about Jesus and the miracles he was performing.  Was he the Messiah—the long-awaited Deliverer?   Bartimaeus just knew he wanted to be healed.  He wanted to SEE!

It was time for the Passover feast and the crowds had swelled in Jericho as people were traveling to Jerusalem.  This meant Bartimaeus’ beggar’s cup would swell as well.  But then he heard it:  JESUS WAS COMING!   He began yelling, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” even as the crowd around him tried to shush him.  But that only made him yell louder!  And he kept yelling until Jesus stopped.  And then Jesus asked him, “What do you want from me?”

Shouldn’t that be obvious?  I mean...he’s BLIND!  But Jesus wanted him to name his request.  

It makes me think of the time I went to a dermatologist to have a growth removed from my head.  She sat looking at me and said, “Is there anything else you want done?”  I said, “No.  That’s it.”   And she left the room.  Later, I realized she’d been staring at two small benign skin growths on my face.  Why didn’t I ask her to remove them, too?   They just didn’t bother me that much, I guess.  And the doctor wanted me to name what was important to me.  

Jesus was like that doctor. What is it you want?  When all along Jesus knew Bartimaeus had a bigger issue—faith.  He needed to recognize his need for Jesus. Jesus said, “Receive your sight.”   And Bartimaeus believed...and received.  And Jesus told him, “Your faith has made you whole.”  

So...what do you want?