MARK 10:46-52, JOB 42:1-6, 10-17 Panzer Liturgical Congregation
To me, it’s like we are at the place in the gospel of
Mark where everything is a rerun. Have we heard this story before? Have the
names been changed to protect the innocent? Or is this just another time for
Mark to drive home the point that the disciples, Jesus’ most trusted followers,
still don’t get it? If this was a multiple-choice test, I’d pick D – all of the
above.
So, what do we know that makes this week distinct?
Well, first, even though we are in October, this scene with Jesus takes place
just before the last journey into Jerusalem and Jesus’ Holy Week experience. He
has traveled far and wide – from the far north in Caesarea Philippi, where he
spoke about the need for the Messiah to suffer and die, all the way down the
Jordan River to Jericho, which is just a brief stop and steep climb to
Jerusalem.
Jericho is an important stop on this journey. It is a
rich oasis surrounded by desert. Prehistoric people have been living there for
over 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
It was the first place the Israelites visited after entering the Promised Land,
and in the time of Jesus, King Herod had built a palace retreat there. If you
visit the important religious cities of Israel, Jericho will certainly be on
your list. Not only can you see the Israelite settlement and the palace of
Herod, but you can also wander over to a very old tree, where Zacchaeus
reported;y climbed up to see Jesus, inviting him for the dinner, then giving
away his fortune to follow Jesus’ request.
In Mark’s account, we
don’t meet Zacchaeus, but instead meet a much less impressive fellow, a blind
man named Bartimaeus (which simply means “the son of Timaeus”). He is begging
by the road leading out of town, as people pass by on their way to Jerusalem.
It shouldn’t come to any surprise that beggars have the same reputation in
Jesus’ day that they do today. They get pitied, or blamed, or shunned, but
mostly ignored. He cries out to Jesus, who does not seem to respond to him at first.
The disciples try to shush him – they really think they are helping by keeping
people they see as undesirable away from Jesus. But at this interaction, Jesus
listens.
If we read carefully, we
see Jesus changing the whole scene. To those who are trying to silence
Bartimaeus, Jesus rebukes them. He says, “Call him here.” Interestingly, it’s
not a call to help the blind man up, or for the disciples to bring him to
Jesus. No, it’s a scene when Jesus is calling Bartimaeus to come to him. Once
again, Jesus is calling someone to himself.
This is one of the places where the words of the
translator can really make or break the ways we understand the biblical turning
point. In the NIV, they call out to Bartimaeus, “Cheer up,” In the NRSV the
conversation starts with, “Take heart – in the CEB “be encouraged” – The
Message – “get up, it’s your lucky day.” And while it’s easy to think that
getting his sight back would be the best thing to ever happen to the man, the
turn of events is about something much bigger. In reality, the disciples are
saying, “Jesus is calling you – your life will never be the same.”
The story then says that Bartimaeus “threw off his
cloak.” Why is that important? This clock might have been one of the few things
he owned. It kept him dry and warm and may have provided the best layer of
protection he could have. And when Jesus called, he just tossed aside and
followed Jesus’ voice. It sounds like he didn’t want anything slowing or
weighing him down.
Then Jesus asks Bartimaeus the ultimate question: “What
do you want me to do for you?” Maybe he didn’t want to assume, or he wanted
Bartimaeus to think deeper than his immediate need. This is itself an
interesting lesson in what it means to hear Jesus’ call. I’ll bet each of us
has something that we need to cast off so that we can get up and get closer to
Jesus. This is exactly the question that this passage asks of us. Jesus doesn’t
just want to know what our superficial needs are. He wants to know our deep
desires… our ultimate needs… what will give us profound satisfaction and lasting
joy.
Yes, Jesus gives Bartimaeus sight. It must have been a
staggering moment – a total turnaround. But it wasn’t just that the man could
now see. It’s also that that the first thing he saw was Jesus’ face. This
wasn’t a man who dropped a few coins in his hand or handed him a little food. This
was the man who made him whole. Jesus saw him as a human being, capable and
worthy to be called.
And we know this because Jesus doesn’t send him on his
way. No, once the healing is acknowledged, this last person to be healed in
Mark’s story does something quite remarkable. He didn’t go home, or throw a
party, or even get a job. No. Mark says, “He followed Jesus along the road.” He
followed him to Jerusalem. He is a witness at Palm Sunday and Holy Week. And in
his first week of seeing, he saw Jesus crucified – the one who’d loved, healed,
and called him, died right before his eyes. But that’s what Jesus called him to
do... And it’s what we are called to do, too.[i]
There are many questions that we can consider when we
hear the story of this calling and healing. Are we like the disciples, trying
to protect ourselves (and Jesus) from the reality of the world around us? Are
we looking to stay the course, follow our prescribed schedules, keeping our
faith journeys neat and orderly? Or do we have flashes of inspiration where we
are like Bartimaeus, asking for what seems impossible and willing to take a
perilous faith journey, even though we know that it might not come out well in
the end?
Bartimaeus obviously knew who Jesus was. Jesus had
developed quite a following, and even though this seems to be the only incident
of note on this visit to Jericho, the blind man knew that one word from Jesus
would change everything. And not only did Bartimaeus know of Jesus’ signs and
wonders, but he also had probably heard what Jesus said about his ministry.
Some say that Jesus predicted his own death. But let’s
not look at it that way. Instead, let’s consider that a part of Jesus’ mission
statement. Throughout his ministry, Jesus was continuously redefining what
being the Messiah was all about. He was redefining power, greatness, and honor.
He reframed everything people thought they knew about God, and God’s mission in
the world. And Bartimaeus still followed him.
That begs the question for each of us – do we have any
of Bartimaeus in us? Are we willing to follow Jesus, knowing that there will be
as many ups as downs? Are we content to settle into our comfort? Or are we
willing to take a chance out in the world, being a prophetic voice and agents
of change and justice?
Some people expect that a sermon is something that is
supposed to provide answers. But I often end up with more questions than
answers when I have finished my study for the week. I’m going to leave
some of them here for you.
The first batch of questions – these are the deep
philosophical questions we often avoid asking: Do we recognize what our
spiritual blind spots are? What are the things that get in the way – that blind
us, to who Jesus is asking us to be? Are we willing to see ourselves like
Bartimaeus, in need of having our sight restored?
The second batch – these are more practical in nature: How
often do we overlook the important moments of life in favor of what we think
should be important? DOd we see God in the everyday moments of life? Do we
consider the possibility that the encounters we have with people out and about
in everyday life are the important parts of our spiritual journeys? A small realization for me - If nothing else,
this story reminds us that life happens in the “pit stops” and sometimes the
most inconvenient interruption to our routines can be transformative and life-changing for everyone.
Lastly, the questions about “what next?” Are we
willing to leave our version of Jericho? Can we be brave enough to leave the
relative safety and security of the status quo for the unknown trials,
betrayal, persecutions, and agony of whatever our Jerusalem looks like today?
Jericho is bad, but at least we know what to expect.
It is very difficult to leave a known bad situation
for an unknown calling. Sometimes that means physically moving to a place you
never thought you’d live or to a life that you never expected for yourself.
Sometimes that means staying put, but speaking out in support of people who may
not be considered with the highest regard, or speaking in favor or against
positions that put us outside the places where we are most comfortable.[ii]
This is not just a story about the restoration of physical
sight, but spiritual sight as well. If we leave here today with nothing else to
think about it, it would be this variation on a theme: How are we blind to God’s
presence? Why do we so often miss what God is doing in our midst? Why can’t we
recognize a new move on God’s part to introduce or expand the realm of God? Why
do we get stuck in ruts of our own making that keep us from engaging in the
work of God?
I imagine at this time was one of great anxiety for
everyone surrounding Jesus. They were holding out hope, but soon it would be
very evident that Jesus was a very different kind of Messiah. He didn’t just
want to restore something old. He wanted to usher in something totally new.
Perhaps much of the tension and anxiety in the world
today fall into this same category. We see the world around us changing, and
while we want to figure out how to make it all like it was before, perhaps
Jesus is asking us to be brave like Bartimaeus, to see the world with new eyes,
throw off our cloaks, and be a part of this brave new world.[iv]
We close today with a favorite hymn (How Firm a
Foundation). It promises that we are not alone as we walk into the world that
Jesus wants us to change. Hear these words and know that you are not alone.
Amen.
Peace, Deb
(c) Deb Luther Teagan, October 2021
[i]
James Howell, “What can we say October 24?” http://jameshowellsweeklypreachingnotions.blogspot.com/
[ii]
Robb McCoy and Erik Fistler, Proper 25B, https://www.pulpitfiction.com/notes/proper25b/#Mark10%3A46-52=
[iii] Ron
Allen and Clark Williamson, Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews, p.
160
[iv]
Bob Cornwall, Sight Restored, https://www.bobcornwall.com/2021/10/sight-restored-lectionary-reflection.html
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