Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 10:46-52

The Gospel according to Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."  So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.  Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."  Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

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THIS PAST MONTH WE HAVE BEEN MOVING SUNDAY BY SUNDAY THROUGH THE TENTH CHAPTER OF MARK’S GOSPEL. JESUS HAS BEEN ON HIS FINAL MISSION OF TEACHING AND HEALING. HE HAS MOVED FROM HEROD’S TERRITORY, ACROSS TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER, AND IS NOW COMING INTO JERICHO. JOSHUA ALWAYS COMES TO MIND WHEN I HEAR THE NAME OF THAT CITY, “WHEN THE WALLS CAME TUMBLIN DOWN.” BUT THE JERICHO OF JESUS TIME WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT JERICHO, A FEW MILES AWAY. IT’S IN THE JORDAN RIVER VALLEY ABOUT 15 MILES FROM JERUSALEM.

THIS IS THE LAST LEG OF HIS JOURNEY TOWARD JERUSALEM WHERE HE WILL BE CRUCIFIED. HE HAS ALREADY PREDICTED HIS END. TRAVELING WITH HIM WERE THE 12 DISCIPLES, AND A MOB OF THE COMMON PEOPLE, THE ADMIRERS, THE CURIOUS, AND THE QUESTIONERS. BY THIS TIME ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE HAD HEARD OF JESUS OF NAZARETH. IT ALMOST SEEMED THAT HE WAS LEADING A PARADE, WITH EVERYONE PUSHING AND SHOVING TO BE NEAR.

BLIND BARTIMEUS WAS PROBABLY BEGGING AT HIS USUAL POST ON THE STREET. WHAT ELSE COULD BLIND PEOPLE DO IN THOSE DAYS. THERE WAS NO TRAINING, NO WELFARE, IT WAS A QUESTION OF SURVIVAL. HAD HE TOO HEARD OF THIS MIRACLE WORKER, THIS HEALER? WHO KNOWS, BUT HIS ANTENNA PICKED UP A STIR IN THE CROWD AND SOMEHOW HE FIGURED OUT THAT THE COMMOTION WAS BECAUSE JESUS WAS GOING THROUGH TOWN. THERE IS A SENSE THAT HE KNEW IT WAS NOW OR NEVER, AND WITHOUT HESITATING FOR A MINUTE, HE SHOUTED OUT, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” THE PEOPLE WHO HEARD HIM SCOLDED HIM, “BE QUIET BARTIMEUS, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PERSON. HE ISN’T GOING TO HEAR YOU. BESIDES, WE WANT TO HEAR HIM NOT YOU!” BUT BARTIMEUS IS NOT TO BE DETERRED BY THESE FOLK EVEN IF HE WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL SCALE. WITH MORE GUSTO HE CRIED OUT AGAIN, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME.” AND SUDDENLY JESUS STOPPED THE PARADE. HE HEARD AND HE SAW BARTIMEUS. AND THE CROWD BECAME AWARE, AWARE OF THE FACT THAT JESUS WAS MAKING IT HIS BUSINESS TO HEAR WHAT THE BEGGAR HAD TO SAY, NO MATTER HOW DISTASTEFUL THAT CRY WAS TO THEM.

“CALL HIM HERE,” JESUS SAID. WHY DIDN’T HE CALL HIM HIMSELF I WONDER? IT SEEMED PERHAPS THAT THE NEED TO INVOLVE OTHERS IN THE CALLING WAS AS GREAT AS BARTIMEUS’ NEED TO BE CALLED. THEY RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO HIM, “TAKE HEART, HE IS CALLING YOU.” BARTIMEUS THROWS OFF HIS CLOAK, SPRANG UP AND WENT TO JESUS. WHAT AN ACT OF FAITH, LEAVING HIS PRECIOUS CLOAK BEHIND, SURE THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND IT AGAIN.

THE QUESTION JESUS ASKED IS THE SAME THAT WE HEARD LAST WEEK WHEN JESUS RESPONDED TO JAMES AND JOHN ABOUT THEIR REQUEST TO SIT AT HIS RIGHT AND LEFT HAND. “WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” HE SAYS. BARTIMEUS SIMPLY SAYS, “MY, TEACHER LET ME SEE AGAIN,” THIS IS A NEW TITLE FOR JESUS. IT TELLS US THAT BARTIMEUS IS WILLING TO BE A LEARNER, PERHAPS EVEN WILLING TO LEARN TO SEE.“GO, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL,” REPLIES JESUS, AND THE BEGGAR IS HEALED AT ONCE. INSTEAD OF GOING AWAY, HE JUMPED UP TO FOLLOW JESUS ON HIS WAY, PUTTING ON THE CLOAK OF DISCIPLESHIP, LEAVING HIS SUFFERING BEHIND.

LET’S GO BACK TO THAT QUESTION, “WHAT IS IT YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU.” IN RESPONSE TO JAMES AND JOHN, JESUS CLARIFIED THE FACT THAT WHAT THEY ASKED FOR WAS TOO MUCH. AS JIM SAID LAST WEEK OVER AND OVER, THE DISCIPLES JUST DIDN’T GET IT. HOW DIFFERENT IS JESUS’ RESPONSE TO BARTIMEUS. HE HEARD THE CRY, “HAVE MERCY ON ME,” AND WAS ABLE TO RESPOND WITH HELP.

I AM AWARE OF THE MANY TIMES I ASK THE SAME OF JESUS, “LORD, HAVE MERCY.” SOMETIMES IT’S MY SPOKEN RESPONSE WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING THAT APPALLS ME, OR IS UNEXPECTED, OR MY UNSPOKEN RESPONSE TO PAIN. IN OUR LITURGY WE OFTEN SAY TOGETHER, “LORD, HAVE MERCY. CHRIST HAVE MERCY.” BUT I DON’T OFTEN THINK OF JESUS ASKING ME TO BE SPECIFIC. “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU.”

IF THE JESUS ASKED THAT QUESTION OF YOU RIGHT NOW, “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER? WHAT IS YOUR CRITICAL NEED? ARE YOU ABLE TO BE SPECIFIC? WOULD YOU ASK FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE? I AM SO AWARE THAT SOME OF US HAVE MUCH TO ASK FOR, JUST AS SOME OF US HAVE MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. I ALMOST SMILED WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY FIRST ANSWER TODAY WOULD BE MUCH LIKE THAT ANSWER BARTEMEUS GAVE. I WOULD SAY “TEACHER, GIVE ME SIGHT.”

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I AM COMPLETELY BLIND TO THE GOD WHO YEARNS TO CAPTURE MY ATTENTION. I BECOME SO DISTRACTED WITH THE MANY THINGS THAT CONFRONT ME, MY HOME, MY FINANCES, MY PETS, AS WELL AS THE THINGS OF THE WORLD THAT TAKE MY ATTENTION. AND I AM BLIND TO THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER IN LIFE. I DON’T SEE GOD’S WISDOM, AND I MAKE CHOICES THAT DON’T REFLECT MY DESIRE TO USE MY GIFTS WISELY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I SIMPLY “SWIM WITH CURRENT” INSTEAD OF TALKING AND ACTING IN WAYS THAT MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I DON’T SEE THE PAIN AND TRIBULATIONS THAT THE OPPRESSED ARE EXPERIENCING. I CAN REMEMBER BACK IN MY DAYS OF TRAINING AT GRADY, I WOULD ENTER THE HOSPITAL THROUGH THE CROWDED BUTLER STREET ENTRANCE DAY AFTER DAY AND SEE AND HEAR PEOPLE IN THEIR PAIN. BUT I WONDER IF BARTEMEUS WERE SITTING THERE WOULD I HAVE HEARD HIM?

I DON’T MEAN TO BEAT MYSELF UP OVER THIS. OF COURSE I KNOW THAT I CAN SURVIVE AND ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL WORLD. THAT IS PART OF GOD’S WILL FOR ALL OF US. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT GOD ASKS US TO GIVE AS FREELY AS WE RECEIVE, AND I HAVE MANY BLESSINGS. VISION AS TO HOW BEST TO DO THIS IS THE FIRST THING I WOULD ASK OF JESUS.

MY SECOND REQUEST IS LIKE THE FIRST IN SOME WAYS. AND THAT IS THAT I WOULD ASK FOR INSIGHT. SIGHT AND INSIGHT, ARE THEY SO DIFFERENT? I THINK SO, AND I HAVE STRUGGLED MOST OF MY LIFE TO SEE HOW IT IS THAT CHRIST LIVES WITHIN ME, HOW IT IS THAT CHRIST MOVES ME TO BE WHO I AM AND DO WHAT I DO.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS IS FREDERICK BEUCHNER. HE HAS SOME WONDERFUL TALES ABOUT FIFTH CENTURY IRISH SAINTS, BRENDAN THE NAVIGATOR AND SUCH. BUT THE BOOK WHICH HAS TRULY CAPTURED ME IS HIS BOOK, THE LONGING FOR HOME. HIS CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT THE HOME HE CAME FROM AND HOW THIS HAS INFLUENCED HIS JOURNEY TOWARD WHOLENESS. IT IS ALSO ABOUT THE HIS DREAM OF HEAVEN, THE HOME STILL TO COME. HIS DESCRIPTION OF HOW HIS LIFE AS A PRIEST HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED BY HIS INSIGHT HAS TOUCHED ME DEEPLY. HE TALKS OF MEETING PEOPLE IN NEED SAYING “I TRY TO FIND SOMETHING WISE AND HOPEFUL TO SAY TO THEM, ONLY LITTLE BY LITTLE I COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST PRECIOUS THING I HAVE TO GIVE THEM IS NOT WHATEVER WORDS I HAVE TO SAY BUT SIMPLY, WHATEVER, SPOKEN OR UNSPOKEN, I HAVE IN ME OF CHRIST, WHICH IS ALSO THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THEY HAVE TO GIVE ME.” HE GOES ON TO SAY, “ALL TOO RARELY, I REGRET TO SAY, MY SEARCH HAS TAKEN ME ALSO TO A SACRED AND PROFOUNDLY SILENT PLACE INSIDE MYSELF, WHERE IT IS LESS THAT I PRAY THAN THAT, TO PARAPHRASE SAINT PAUL, THE HOLY SPIRIT ITSELF, PRAYS WITHIN ME AND FOR ME, ‘WITH SIGHS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS.’”

THESE THOUGHT REFLECT WHAT I MEAN BY INSIGHT.

MAY WE BE GIVEN THE FAITH AND COURAGE OF BARTEMEUS TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED. MAY WE HEAR THE CHALLENGE OF THE GOSPEL IN THE CALL TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST. MAY WE SEE HIS REDEEMING WORK WITH CLEAR UNBLINDED EYES, AND SHARE FULLY IN HIS SAVING GRACE.

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