Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus — the cloak thrown aside is the beggar's most important possession — the covering that protected him from cold and identified his occupation as a beggar. He throws it aside in the same spirit as the disciples left their nets (Mark 1:18) — complete, immediate abandonment of the old life in response to the call. He jumped to his feet: the urgency of the response communicates the faith that insistence in verse 48 already demonstrated.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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