Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
It seems to me that there are several things about prayer we can learn from the blind man, Bartimaeus, in today’s gospel passage (Mark 10:46-52). First of all, Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus repeatedly, even after being rebuked by people in the crowd trying to quiet him. His cry, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me” reminds me of a well-known prayer from the Eastern Churches that dates back to at least the 5th century monastic Desert Fathers: the Jesus Prayer. This simple prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” sometimes shortened to “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me” or even simply, “Jesus,” is prayed in repetition, similar to the way the rosary is prayed as a contemplative prayer. The Jesus Prayer is meant to bring about the Prayer of the Heart, which is the “praying without ceasing” that St. Paul advocates.
Not only did Bartimaeus repeatedly cry out to Jesus with persistence, he did so with humility (have pity on me), and was not dissuaded by others or by appearing foolish. When the disciples instructed him to get up because Jesus was calling him, he did not hesitate. To the contrary, he did so with an eagerness, “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.” The blind man then let Jesus know what he was seeking, “Master, I want to see.” And we know that he sought this with faith, for Jesus told him, “your faith has saved you.”
Finally, with his eyes opened, when given the command to “go your way,” Bartimaeus chose to follow Jesus: “Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.” Although the blind man already had the “vision” to seek out Jesus and go to him in his need, with his eyes fully opened he chose to follow Jesus rather than go his own way now that his life had been changed.
Mark’s gospel passage gives us the opportunity to look at our own ways of praying and relating to Jesus and the choices we make about following Him. Some questions to ask ourselves: Is my prayer persistent, even amidst the distractions, noise, and chaos of life, and the various voices of the “crowd”? Do I come to Jesus with an eagerness, willing to “throw off” my cloak of pride, sloth or fear and “spring up” to go to Him? Do I bring my needs and desires to Jesus (Master, I want to see) with faith that He will hear and respond in the best way for me (maybe not in ways that I expect)? Am I willing to follow Jesus now that He has called me? Am I willing to follow Him to the cross?
It’s noteworthy that this gospel story precedes Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and all that follows with His death and resurrection. Scripture scholars have indicated that the healing of the blind man is likely symbolic of what will happen to the disciples, now “blind” to the meaning of Jesus’ passion and their having to share in his suffering. Just as the blind man is given sight, so will the disciples come to see, after the resurrection, that to which they are now blind.
Let us pray for the persistence, humility, eagerness, and faith of Bartimaeus in our prayer life. Let us also pray for our eyes to be opened as his were and those of the disciples who were willing to follow Jesus to the cross, not yet knowing that death would bring new life. Together, let us pray, “Master, I want to see.”
Eileen Miller