When I heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming my way, I said to my blind friend across the street, “I believe Jesus can give me sight”.
“You do? Like you believed John the Baptist was a prophet? Didn’t Herod, the builder of this city, kill him?” he replied, pointing to the new city to his left, not the old one to his right, where the lively crowd was coming from. The jubilant noise was growing. Some at the front of the oncoming crowd were saying, “Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“I believed John was from God, and he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David. Our people always kill all the prophets God sends us. Why would John be different? Jesus can heal us!” I insisted and then shouted, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Shut up, fool,” said the lame man, still sitting on the path’s wall. “No one will give alms if we shout that. John was killed, and if this Jesus has anything to do with him, they would kill him too. Do you want to die with Jesus? Don’t take away my chance to receive money from this large, lively group with your loud, stupid cries.” Those leading the crowd also tried to quiet me.
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” I shouted all the louder. Jesus could not hear me because the crowd was very noisy. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The main crowd where Jesus must have been located was now past me. I knew because the noise was diminishing. “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
“Be quiet. The Lord needs to get to Jerusalem now, for he has many things to accomplish. He cannot stop,” those trailing the large crowd added to the lame man’s rebuke, who said, “Someone help me out of here. I have no association with these two blind fools.”
“Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus did not hear. “Friend,” I said to my blind friend who was across the street, “let’s go to the west entrance and get in front of the crowd again. Join me in asking Jesus, the Son of David, to have mercy on us.”
“I will”.
The conclusion is in tomorrow’s BDBD.
