And Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? Matthew 20:32
Nobody, it seems, knows the name of the man who stood in the Chang’an Avenue in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 5, 1989, as Associated Press photo journalist Jeff Widener snapped the picture from almost a kilometer away, from the sixth floor window of the Beijing Hotel. Other photos were also taken of the unknown rebel, dubbed Tank Man, who stood in front of four tanks and halted their advance. He spoke briefly with the operator of the lead tank, and was then hauled away by anxious onlookers, as the tanks continued on their murderous onslaught against protestors. Tank Man is believed to have been arrested by the secret police and executed by the Chinese government. But for a few moments, he was the subject of one of the most spectacular news photos of the decade: one small man causing an entire column of powerful M-59 tanks to come to a halt. Our text today speaks of the God of Heaven coming to a halt on the Jericho Highway because of two blind men.
We don’t know what motivated the driver of the lead tank to come to a halt before the defiant protestor. But we do know what brought the Lord Jesus to a halt as the blind men cried for mercy: it was His great love and compassion for sinners. The lone rebel of Tiananmen Square accomplished little beyond a momentary reprieve in the cruel communist government’s slaughter of its own unarmed citizens. But the blind men of Jericho accomplished eternal consequences when they brought the Saviour to a halt. They received their sight, as requested, and they became followers of the Lord. The account of their encounter with Christ has been the source of blessing to many down through the years. Because the Lord Jesus is still ready to stand still and hear the plea of the needy.
What is your greatest need today? What would you have the Lord do for you? He will stand still and listen, and bless you today. -Jim MacIntosh