And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.- MARK 10:49-50

Iknelt on the floor, half-watching a movie and half-writing thank you notes. Dinner was simmering. For once, I felt like a put-together newlywed.

Then I heard the keys in the door. I jumped up to greet my new husband, delighted to see him. But as I jumped up, I also twisted, and as I twisted my rib moved in ways it isn’t supposed to.

I don’t recommend it. Weeks later, my rib is still in pain from the dislocation.

In today’s passage, when a man jumped up to see someone he was healed, rather than being injured, Jesus returned the man’s sight to him.

It’s a wonderful story, but I keep getting stuck on the way he jumped up. A blind man “sprang up” and threw himself into a chaotic crowd. I’m going to be honest—that sounds terrifying.

Yet there is more. Not only did he jump up and not let anything stand between him and Jesus, the blind man threw aside his cloak. As a beggar, his cloak must have been vital to his survival. What if someone stole it? What if, in the crowd, someone displaced it?

But he didn’t care. Like me, jumping up to meet my husband, this man’s excitement and delight to get close to Jesus pushed everything else from mind.

What if we lived like that? What if we threw everything else aside to get to Jesus? Time, tasks, belongings, or even safety? Imagine the delight and healing that would follow.

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming near to us. Please help me to come near to you. Search my heart and open my eyes to see what is holding me back from you today. Shepherd my heart so you are my first priority. Forgive me for idolizing anything above you. Amen.

Consider this: What is standing between you and Jesus today?