The Meeting of Obedience

I have never been on a blind date before. For me, it would be very strange and uncomfortable going on a date with someone that I did not previously know. For some though it does not bother them and often they decide beforehand to have a signal indicating who they are to the other person. It could be that the woman may wear something red, or the man will have a flower with him. These things signal to the other person showing up that "Here I am, it's me" and then they can meet.

In Mark 14: 12-16 we don’t read about a blind date taking place but about the Last Passover and the man who helped it all come together. A man who the disciples would meet and would be the signal that he was the one to help them.

The passage tells us starting in verse 12 that it was the first day of unleavened bread when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed and Jesus came to him asking where they were supposed to go and prepare the Passover. Jesus answered two of His disciples by saying “Go, into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water, follow him; and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” The disciples then left and headed to the city and the Bible says they found everything just as Jesus had told them and they prepared the Passover.

What a great and interesting story for all of us to learn from especially me. The reason for that is I’m a person who likes to know exactly how and when I need to accomplish something, and I like to do it quickly. I want to do things the most efficient way, but I want to do it quickly. So for me, if I would have been one of the two disciples that day I would have been asking "Why do we have to go and meet a man in the city, why didn't Jesus just tell us whose house to go to, because this is going to take us so much longer and out of the way?" (Good thing I wasn't there that day un?) Now maybe these two disciples thought these very things we do not know. All we know is that they went into the city as Jesus had told them and chose to be obedient even if it wasn't how they would have wanted to do it. Now when they got to the city the man with the pitcher of water met them just as Jesus had said and led them to the perfect house where the Passover meal could be eaten. The room that they ended up using turned out to be a blessing in itself because the Bible says it was large, furnished, and ready- how awesome is that?

Think to a moment if you will of the man with the pitcher of water. He is unknown to us because the Bible does not give any details about him and as far as it is recorded in the scripture he never even said anything- not even his name do we know. However, even though he may be "Unknown” to us he was important. He was meant to be the point of contact, that connection that the disciples needed. He was the one who helped bring everyone together because he proved to be obedient and led them to where they needed to be. Again, we do not know his name, but what we do know is that he was a servant- a servant who was used to help those disciples that day and even the Lord himself.

For us so often we come to God asking, "Now what?" or "Where do you want me to go now?" And when He tells us sometimes it does not make sense. Maybe He doesn't make it the quickest and easiest way, but we must be willing to go and do whatever He tells us, and trusting His way is best. For oftentimes God will use others in our lives as the connection- that point of contact to help bring us into where we need to go, and we just can’t see it at first.

You see God is always about using anyone and no one is more valuable or important even if they don’t have their name mentioned as with the man in this story- but they are ever so much needed. So the next time you go to God asking what your next move should be don't be surprised if He takes you a little out of your way, so he can introduce and use someone else for His will to be carried out. Even if you do not understand it just be willing to go and perhaps you will have that encounter or meeting of obedience as the disciples did. When you do because of your obedience you will find everything for you large, furnished, and ready just as these disciples and the lord did, all because you chose to do it God's way and be obedient even if it seemed a little out of the way. 

From Gardens of Splendor by Gina Burns