Apr 5, 2020

220 Lord Have Mercy on Us, Son of David A Guided Christian Meditation on Matthew 20:29-34

I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina:

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:

Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Bible verses for Meditation:

Matthew 20
NRSV
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord,[h] have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

ESV
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[e] have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Meditation on Scripture:

This will come out on Palm Sunday. The day in which our Lord was celebrated a few short days before his crucifixion. It must have been a confusing and polarized time. Some people were throwing down their clothes for him and some demanding he be killed. This scripture is found immediately before Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem. I am not sure if it occurred exactly like this Chronologically but I think it is important in the narrative. I think it is appropriate to speak of God with respect, deference, and reverence. Yet it sounded like these men abandoned all civility as they shouted to Jesus to be heard.

Sometimes we are bothered by the normal sounds of children as we try and focus on important things. On bad days we may be so distracted trying to be good that we miss serving others who are less polished in their petitions. I think there is more personal way of looking at this; perhaps we are the ones that are the blind. Perhaps we are the ones that desperately need to shout a little louder as we approach God. Perhaps we need to abandon our normal docile and overly formal ways of trying to relate with God and bare our souls as we shout out our plea. Not to force him hear us, but to let us know how much we need Him. Like in this story, I believe that Jesus will have compassion on us in our requests.

Perhaps the most difficult times of suffering and difficulty best help to brake away the stale and safe ways we have come to compartmentalize the parts of us that believe from the are ambivalent and sinful. Perhaps we need to smash these fake boundaries in our mind, until we are one unified heart shouting out to God in desperation. May any barriers between our hearts and God be broken down by feverish zeal as we proclaim our need of Him. In this we gain spiritual integrity.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Updates:

Final Question: What boundaries keep you from spiritual integrity?

Final Thought: I invite you in your prayers to be like these blind men. God does not fear your desire for him. I don’t even think he fears our frustrations or passion. As we become honest and genuine with God He can help us soften our hearts with more reality. Things like this can help us realize that scripture is not the words of old dead guys but the guide to helping us build our faith in God. I know when I am more honest with God, I feel more understood.

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