The Lord’s calling

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." (Mark 10:49)

The shout of the blind man, “Have mercy on me!” reached Jesus. Jesus stopped on his way and told his disciples to call him. They told the blind man “He’s calling you.” The word “call” is repeated three times in verse 49. This repetition makes the sentence active. Though it is not certain whether the author has the intention to emphasize on calling, the emphasis made on calling is clear in the sentence.

The word ‘calling’ is the most important landmark of the identity of a disciple. Jesus’ word, “Follow me” clearly indicates this calling. The other attribute of a disciple is ‘following’ which is a response to the call of the Lord. Still another additional attribute of the identity of a disciple is ‘to be sent’. The three steps ‘calling, following and sending’ are the deciding factors for realizing the real identity of a disciple.

Among these three factors, calling is the most important one. When do we experience this calling? Does calling signify that everybody should be a pastor or a missionary? The core of calling is life. The Lord calls us toward life. In other words, to be called by Jesus means to receive a calling for life.

Does the word calling for life sound strange? If so, it would mean you do not think about the matter of life seriously or think about life in a very narrow perspectives.

The Bible says life is a spiritual incident. At this point of view, the calling for life is just the experience of the Holy Spirit. Fulfillment of the Spirit means the fulfillment of life. The spirit calls us. From a close distance and at the same time in a deeper level, the Spirit of Life is calling us.