Mark 10:46-end (NRSV)
The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus
46 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. 47When he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son
of David, have mercy on me!’48Many
sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of
David, have mercy on me!’ 49Jesus
stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to
him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ 50So
throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then
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.’ 52Jesus
said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his
sight and followed him on the way.
This passage is of great significance
for me. When I first entered the ministry, I reflected on this passage before a
sermon, using the Ignatian style of meditation I was instructed in as part of
my training, and I was transported to the scene in my mind’s eye and saw Jesus
reaching out to me with the lovely question: “What do you want me to do for
you?” My response was the same as that of Bartimeaus “My teacher let me see …”
It was at this time that I felt called to be a biblical expositor and began
preaching through Luke’s Gospel. It was a blessed time, with people returning
each week for the next instalment, often bringing family and friends along with
them. Soon, the Church was full. I am convinced that expository preaching is at
the heart of church growth because – others like William Temple and the
Benedictine Prayer Book also place their emphasis on reading and hearing the
Word of God. God meets with His people in a special way when we come to the
written word – because it is here that we encounter the Living Word – giving us
guidance, challenge and blessing for our lives in the here and now. It is all
too easy to think that we are dealing with a person in the past – where Jesus
is a living, real presence. What he says to Bartimaeus he does indeed say to
all of us – a reason why Ignatius and the Jesuits became such a vital and
important force; why evangelical divines fill their churches and why people
like Barclay and his commentaries (our mentor on many of my reflections) have
such powerful and effective ministries. And people are starving for this! Too
often, I have attended worship, heard the readings, have hungered for more,
only to find that the preacher preaches on something else!
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for
the Passover. He was surrounded by a crowd who were listening to him as he
walked and taught. This was one of the most common ways of teaching. If you
lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem, you were under a duty to attend Temple
worship at Passover time, so the place will have been packed, with all the
Temple priests on duty. Barclay suggests that
“…
there would be many cold and bleak and hostile eyes in that crowd that day, because
it was clear that if Jesus was right the whole Temple worship was one vast
irrelevancy …”
At the northern gate there sat a
beggar, Bartimaeus; he must have asked what was happening only to be told that
it was Jesus’ group that was approaching, so he called out, knowing that this
was his only chance for help, so ‘… he cried with such violence and importunity
that the procession stopped …’ and he was brought to Jesus.
Barclay suggests that this event gives
us insight to what he calls the ‘… conditions of a miracle …’
(i)
There is the
PERSISTENCE of Bartimaeus – nothing would stop him from coming face to face
with Jesus – and it is this that gets things done. It is my view that many
people do not ever expect to meet Jesus at all and think that we refer to the
Jesus of history alone. It is also my experience that when people are reminded
and persist in their quest to meet with the risen Christ, the Christ of faith –
then things begin to happen in their lives. The first step is not only to
persist, but to come face to face with our risen Lord who is real today as ever
when he walked this earth before us.
(ii)
The response of
Bartimaeus to our Lord’s call was IMMEDIATE. There are certain chances that
happen only once and Bartimaeus instinctively knew this and acted with
immediate effect. Sometimes we have a longing for something to change in our
lives – and we procrastinate – and the moment, possibly a life-transforming
moment passes.
(iii)
He knew PRECISELY
what he wanted. Barclay claims that all too often we are vague and sentimental
– and it would be good if we could be specific in some instances and this is
because we do not want the self-examination that decisiveness requires.
Bartimaeus must have had plenty of time for reflection, but there was no
doubting in his mind what he wanted from our Lord.
We have all experienced many miracles
in our lives, not least the blessing of ontological ordination and the
privilege of being priests.
Bartimaeus had an inadequate conception of Jesus –
referring to him as the Son of David. True, this was a Messianic title, but the
one that referred to a conquering Messiah, a King of David’s line who would
lead the people to military and political victory and national greatness. But
despite this, he had a more important virtue – faith – and this made up for the inadequacy of his theology. We are
not required to fully understand – because this is humanly impossible – but we
are required to have faith.
Faith ought not to be confused with belief – faith
refers rather to a personal relationship
with Jesus – as Barclay explains: “… a
reaction of love, an instinctive feeling that here is the one person who can
meet our need. Even if we are able to think things out, theologically, that
instinctive response and cry of the human heart is enough …”
And in the end there is the one precious touch.
Bartimaeus might have been a beggar, but he was a grateful beggar. Having
received the touch of our Lord, he followed Jesus. He did not selfishly go his
own way once his need was met. Barclay concludes:
“He
began with need, went on to gratitude, and finished with loyalty – and that is
a perfect summary of the stages of discipleship.”
We have both been touched by Jesus and have been given
the privilege of working with young people. Let us touch those we meet with the
love of Christ.
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