Year B

Mark 10:46-52

The Rev. Denise Vaughn

Sight for the Journey

I’ve heard that there is a bronze statue somewhere in Texas depicting this very scene from the Gospel text today. A blind man is crouching, starting to spring up, one hand extending out to Jesus, the other holding his cane and cape, ready to drop them in the dust. The statue it seems to me captures so much of this story that is as much about being a disciple as about healing, as much about following as about seeing. In the gospel of Mark, Bartimaeus is the last person to be healed as Jesus and his disciples have come to the last leg of their journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. This journey to Jerusalem began with the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida back in chapter 8 and it now ends with the healing of a blind man, Bartimaeus. This healing story today serves as the concluding book end of a section of Mark’s gospel in which blindness serves as a theme.

After healing the man at Bethsaida at the beginning of his journey, Jesus has dealt with not only physical blindness but also a spiritual blindness among his closest followers who just don’t seem to get it or are unwilling to accept that the Son of Man the Messiah will undergo suffering, rejection, and death. This leaves the disciples confused and afraid to inquire further and debating about who will be the greatest. They completely misunderstand Jesus’ message and agenda. Wanting to be first and great, but this desire for greatness is not “following” the way of Jesus. Therefore, not one time during this section of Mark’s gospel are the twelve disciples actually described as “following” Jesus.

Yet, occasionally, certain people come along who do get it. Bartimaes, a blind beggar is one of those people who “sees” and “follows.” In all four gospels, “seeing” means “getting it.” Mark tells us that the blind man has probably heard rumors about Jesus that he was able to heal the sick, and that he was possibly the Anointed One. With perseverance he cries out “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” We hear Jesus ask him “What do you want?” When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is finally calling him, he throws his coat to the side, jumps up, goes to Jesus and does not hesitate to ask for the obvious because at this point it is the most important thing to him: “I am blind, I wish to see.” “Immediately he regained his sight and we are told he followed him on the way.” Not only were his eyes opened but his spirit was opened to “follow on the way” accomplishing something that the disciples had difficulty doing. The word “way” refers to living a life following the values of the kingdom as taught by Jesus.

This healing is about Jesus’ response to this man’s need, his physical blindness, and it is also, a story that brings to light spiritual blindness. For Jesus seeks to cure not only physical blindness but the spiritual blindness of his disciples. The interplay between the spiritual blindness of those that Jesus meets on his journey to Jerusalem and the sight giving power that Jesus enacts in his words and deeds serves to emphasize what is at the heart of this story that not even the blindness of his closest followers can stop the work of Christ in the world which is good news for all of us. Bartimaeus, demonstrates this good news by identifying Jesus as the Son of David and despite his physical blindness he is able to see what many others who meet Jesus cannot.

Jesus, Son of David have mercy on us because we are all blind and need to ask him for sight or for insight? This story challenges all of us to ask Jesus to open our eyes to see what he does for us and to open our spirits to see what it means to follow him. And when we do, it might mean we realize that we don’t know all there is to know about God and about our faith that we still need to study the scriptures. It might even mean that we need to look into our own behavior and beliefs. It’s a tall order to ask to see things as God intends them to be, and not as we would have them but Jesus offers his help and wants us to be well and to see again.

He asks “What do you want me to do for you?”  Jesus encourages us to voice our need just like he encouraged Bartimaeus to voice his need and Bartimaeus is persistent because he understands that he needs the mercy of the one whom he revers as the Son of David. Jesus’ act of compassion transformed his life and he could see clearly that he needed Jesus so he turned his life over to God becoming a disciple, following “on the way.” This gospel today is an invitation to tell Jesus what we really want from him.  May we respond as Bartimaeus did  “I want to see!” I want to see and to follow with eyes of faith. I want my life healed and transformed. I want to experience God’s amazing grace.

An amazing love that requires a change from being self-centered to being God centered. It is the giving way of blind eyes and a closed heart to compassion and hope. Those who are blind see, those who are lame walk, those who give up their lives find life. Amazing grace! “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Jesus can heal our blindness if we, like Bartimaeus are ready to spring forth to answer the call and are willing to follow him. But we have to be ready to throw off the cloaks that weigh us down, jump up from our familiar resting places, and commit ourselves fully and completely and when we do we discover the clarity and wholeness that Bartimaeus experienced. I pray and will pray in the days ahead that the Lord will give each one of us eyes to see the path ahead not only for our personal lives, but for this church that the Lord loves.