Leaving town

Here's this week's i.ucc Bible study blog entry:

Do you ever feel like you’ve just arrived somewhere and then it’s time to leave? It seems to happen mostly on the best of vacations. Sometimes it happens when you’re moving from one house to another or changing jobs. Maybe it happens every day where you work, study or do what it is that you do every day.

And isn’t it also all too common that when you’re on your way out, there’s something to do that can’t wait until another time.

This week’s Bible reading from Mark 10:46-52 shows both situations as they relate to Jesus and the disciples’ visit to Jericho.

They came to Jericho.
As they were leaving

No explanation of what happened. Sure, there was a big crowd following so we can make an assumption that something Jesus did attracted them, but the “They arrived. They were leaving” nature of this story leaves you wondering, “What was so unimportant about the visit?” or “What is so important about what is coming up that it makes what happened before unimportant?”

Just one more thing . . .

Jesus had just one more thing to do while he was in town. Bartimaeaus, who was anything but quiet about who he was calling and what he wanted, needed to be healed. And Jesus made sure that happened.

“Your faith has made you well.”

We could spend a whole lot of thought on that part. And it would be worth it. But let’s start by asking something that comes before that.

What transition are you near or in right now?
What is one more thing to do before you’re on the way?