Author and journalist Oliver Burkeman might be making a fortune off our finitude. He’s the author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In another book he scales back the four thousand weeks to four: Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. Burkeman is no fan of multi-tasking and prefers we mortals focus on being finite.

I wonder what Burkeman thinks about Jesus’ time management skills. Would he applaud Jesus' reaolve in setting his face toward Jerusalem, while reminding him, "You can't serve everyone, right?" Actually wrong. A lot happened when the Infinite One became flesh and dwelt among the finite ones.

On that road to Jerusalem, where the religious leaders were lying in wait to kill him, we see Jesus making time for what counts. The road was cluttered with crowds, Pharisees, children, a rich young man, arguing disciples and one Blind Bartimaeus. Jesus taught the crowds, exposed the Pharisees, welcomed the children, loved a rich young man and settled an argument among his disciples.

But how does Blind Bartimaeus off to the side of the road, apart from the crowd, fit into the make-time-for-what-counts equation? He’s blind. He’s a beggar. He’s loud, obnoxious even. As soon as he hears Jesus was there “he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.'" (Mark 10:47) Many “rebuked” him, telling him to be quiet. I can imagine these people, devices in hand, making sure Jesus was on message and sticking to his agenda. Dealing with a beggar, let alone a blind beggar, was not on plan.

Jesus, however, was sticking to his agenda: to seek and to save that which was lost, so he stopped and told his followers to call Blind Bartimaeus. Their words to the blind man were graced words: “They called to the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.’ And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10:49-50) And there on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, the one now formerly known as Blind Bartimaeus was dazzled by eternal light and followed Jesus.

These are graced words to us this Easter. Take heart. Get up. He is calling you. Because the Infinite One took on finitude, he understands our weariness and sympathizes with our weakness. Take heart. Because the Infinite One took on the form of a servant and humbled himself to the point of death on a cross, there is no need to sit in the darkness of sin. So, get up from the side of the road and follow Jesus.

On Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, that road was cluttered with cloaks and palm branches, but not Bartimaeus’ cloak. That had been discarded and forgotten, as he waited to put on new clothes that would be washed on Friday and ready to wear for infinity on Sunday.

Hosanna! The Lord saves.