Mark 10:46-52: The Unhurried Life
I have previously written about this passage of scripture, you can read that post here. In that post I focused on the need to "stand still" for people, as Jesus does for Blind Bartimaeus. What I didn't emphasize there is that disciples of Jesus must constantly place themselves in a posture that will allow them to hear the cries for mercy, and be available anytime God is at work in our world.John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, has written about an interaction he had with Dallas Willard.He says, “Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace of life in my current ministry. The church where I serve tends to move at a fast clip. I also told him about our rhythms of family life: we are in the van-driving, soccer-league, piano-lesson, school-orientations, etc… I told him about the present condition of my heart, as best I could discern it. Then I asked him, “What do I need to do to be spiritually healthy?”
After a long pause Dallas Willard responded, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."Ortberg went on to write that he was waiting for more advice, but Willard had no other advice to give him. Indeed, it was the only advice he needed to hear.For we do, indeed, live in a hectic time. We are inundated with things to do. We are always on the go. Human doings, rather than human beings. In the passage in Mark, the people in the crowd were busy doing. It was soon going to be Passover, and they were heading towards Jerusalem. If we use our imaginations we might be able to see that they were eager and anxious to get there. After all, this Passover promised to be different than previous ones. Because this year they were going to Jerusalem with Jesus the Nazarene. And though they weren't clear on who he really was, they did have hopes that he might be the Messiah, or some other prophetic voice that would liberate Israel. And with this in mind they hurried along to Jerusalem.And here is where we see the devastating effects of hurry in the life of a person. Because the crowd was in a hurry, when they hear the cries of a man on the side of the road, they don't hear it as an opportunity to be used by God, but they heard it as an obstacle that threatens to delay their journey. And so, instead of helping the man, they walk up to him, put their fingers to their lips and say, "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."No doubt we have been there, too. We have been so hurried that we neglect to give our kids the attention that they need. Our friends cries for help get shelved because of our constant demands at work. Worst of all, we might even do it to ourselves, maybe our own souls have been crying to Jesus, but we always rationalize it and say, "I'll get to him at a more opportune time, I'm just too busy right now." SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.That is what hurry is, and that is what hurry does. It magnifies an object or goal beyond measure and causes us to view everything else through offended and frustrated lenses. Is it true that every other driver on the road is an idiot besides you? No, but when you are in a hurry it sure does seem to be true.What is the alternative? How can we function in a day and age that requires speed? Well, as John Wesley said, “Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry.” We can also learn from legendary coach John Wooden, who used to tell his players, "Be quick, but don't hurry." You see, a person who acts hastily looks extremely different than the person who acts in a hurry.
The best way to explain the difference between haste and hurry is to think about the way certain animals hunt for food. If you’ve ever seen a group of hyenas of piranhas hunt for food, you will see animals that are moving in a hurried pace. They are so frantic that often they bite one another in the attempt to get their primary target. Isn't that similar to the behavior of the crowd, as they metaphorically bite and tear down the blind man in order to get to their main target? That’s what hurry looks like.We can learn haste, on the other hand, by observing snakes. A snake is never frantic, it’s never frazzled, it doesn't panic or act hurriedly. It simply waits for the right opportunity, then when the opportunity arises it strikes out speedily (Don't click this link if you don't like awesome snakes eating mice).That is how the disciple of Jesus should be. Indeed, that’s exactly how Jesus was in this passage. He, like the crowd, was headed to Jerusalem. But unlike the crowd, Jesus knew exactly what would happen there. To say he had a lot on his mind would've been an understatement. But still, when he hears the cry of the blind man he stands still, and calls him over.