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The Eve of Saint Simon and Saint Jude
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Scripture citation(s): Mark 10:46-52
A Sermon by
The Rev. Canon Carl Turner
on
Mark 10:46-52
✛
“Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
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The story of Blind Bartimaeus comes at a pivotal moment in the Gospel of Mark. In order to understand it, we need to have a little bible study first.
Chapter nine begins with the account of the Transfiguration, in which the glory pf Jesus is revealed to Peter, James, and John and they hear a voice from heaven saying “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (see Mark 9:2-8). Jesus immediately talks to his disciples about his impending suffering. Now, he does this three times in fairly quick succession. Each time, the disciples are incredulous so, each time, Jesus has to speak more plainly to them. In-between those declarations about his death, there are some dramatically contrasting stories. The healing of the boy with the unclean spirit that the disciples could not cast out, and the pitiful cry of the Father “I believe; help my unbelief!” (see Mark 9:14-29). The disciples then have a discussion among themselves as to who was the greatest among them. Jesus teaches them that “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” (see Mark 9: 33-37) To bring the point home, he takes a little child and places the child in their midst as an example to them. The disciples clearly do not get it, because the disciples have the audacity to speak sternly to a whole group of little children which makes Jesus indignant – “Let the little children come to me…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” (see Mark 10:13-15)
That brings us to our Gospel reading of two weeks ago and the story of the rich man who wanted to follow Jesus, but was so attached to his wealth, that he ended up going away grieving rather than following Jesus. Jesus says to the disciples, “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Which is quickly followed by plain speaking from Jesus: “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death.” (see Mark 10:32-34)
Now, you might think that, after talking to his disciples not once, but three times about his impending passion and teaching them about humility and service, and using a child as an example of that humility, and giving them teaching on true riches, that the disciples would at last begin to comprehend the true nature and mission of Jesus (“This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”). Oh no! What happens next? James and John come to Jesus with a request. Mark tells us that Jesus says to them “What is it you want me to do for you?” We need to remember that phrase, for we will hear it again. James and John ask that Jesus allow them “to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” The other ten disciples get angry so much so that Jesus has to teach them yet again the example of humility: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (see Mark 10:35-45)
As Canon Lamb reflected at the end of his sermon two weeks ago, “The way of Jesus Christ lies in discovering the sovereignty of sacrificial love. That is the mystery at the heart of the gospel. It is that simple, and at the same time, it is that challenging because sometimes we find it so hard.” As did the disciples.
And that brings us to Jericho.
Bartimaeus had nothing. His blindness would have been interpreted by many as the result of something bad that he had done or his parents must have done in the same way the debate rages in John’s Gospel with the healing of the man born blind. (see John: chapter 9). Blind Bartimaeus is treated in exactly the same way – he is unable to take a full place in society because of his disability; instead, he sits at the outskirts of the town, reduced to a life of begging, and he begins to shout! Notice the words – “Son of David, have mercy on me!” and, true to form, just like the little children, he is told sternly to shut up by the disciples! But this is his one chance and he shouts all the louder “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Bartimaeus is making a theological statement – an act of faith – recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah – the anointed one. Curiously, Jesus does not go to Bartimaeus. Instead, Mark is very clear that he stands still and tells the disciples to call him to him. In a lovely detail, Mark tells us “So, throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.”
He threw off his cloak; remember that he was begging on the outskirts of the city, and he was blind. He needed to keep his meagre possessions close to him. Perhaps his cloak was also his home – his roof at night. His faith in Jesus, the Son of David, led him to leave it behind where anyone might have stolen it. The rich young man left grieving because he could not let go of his many possessions; the disciples could not stop arguing about being great; they tried to stop people coming to Jesus; blind Bartimaeus, on the other hand, gladly relinquishes his only possession and comes to Jesus.
Jesus says those same words to Bartimaeus that he said to James and John a little earlier: “What do you want me to do for you?” What does he ask for?
A request is so simple and so beautiful; “My teacher, let me see again.”
Now we realize that he once could see. He was not like the man born blind. Like so many Palestinians that the St. John Eye Hospital Group serves, he had become blind and, in so doing, lost everything. The disciples failed to see the glory of Jesus, and were only concerned about their own status. Bartimaeus, who was blind, could see the Lord’s glory and after receiving his sight, follows Jesus on the way. For him, the gift of sight was worth far more than all the treasured possessions of the rich young man.
Where did this way take them? To Jerusalem – where Jesus was to make his triumphant entry in a procession where the crowds would take up the cry of the poor blind beggar – “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Yesterday began our renewed feeding program “Neighbor to Neighbor” and on the first day, 80 people came to have breakfast. But what was more important was that there was time to chat – to discover peoples’ names; to see them as neighbors rather than guests or even clients. In some respects, they are like Bartimaeus, so often ignored or told to be quiet or even shunned. But, perhaps like Bartimaeus, they have something to teach us.
Some things to think about this week:
- What are the things that hold you back from offering all you have to the Lord?
- If Jesus were to say to you, “What do you want me to do for you?” What would your answer be?
- How can we, at Saint Thomas, be truly followers on the Way?
Remember, if you are afraid or anxious about anything this week, my friends, think of what the crowd said to Bartimaeus: “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
