Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Scripture

Here is a testimony I received on the Ite Missa Est (Immaculate Conception Adult Faith Formation Ministry) website (www.itemissaest.org) recently. I am quoting word for word. “I would like to ask that we all pray for a young woman I met yesterday as I was going about my busy life. I stopped to get a haircut and was wearing my discipleship t-shirt from the retreat. She asked me what it meant and I explained to her that we as disciples of God strive to Act like Jesus, Speak like Jesus and Think like Jesus. She then when on to tell me she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of twenty three and had already been told that she would never have children. As I listened to her talk, memories of my own past came flooding and back and knew exactly how she felt. We talked for a long while and when she was done I asked her if there was some place quiet that we could go. We prayed together there in a room at the hair dressers. For the first time in my life I knew what it was like to Act, Think and Speak like Jesus. I am asking that you please keep this young woman in your prayers and let her know that not only I care but my community of brothers and sisters also care."

Since this was an anonymous testimony, I only presuming that this person probably at least an adult. But this is the point she can pin point the first time in her life that she knew what it means to be a disciples. I would like to think that just like the blind man in today’s gospel reading, her eyes are opened and she too now has decided to follow Jesus like never before in her life. As we shall see, the story of the Bartimaeus - the blind man in today’s Gospel reading- on the periphery looks like a simple case of healing. However, we are tempted to go a little deeper in trying to get the hidden messages behind this miracle. The miracle is actually a story of involvement and commitment – story of Christian discipleship.

To really understand the healing of Bartimaeus (10:46-52), we have understand the healing of another blind man earlier in the gospel (Mark: 8:22-26) and everything else that happens between the two healings, i.e., between Mark 8:22 – 10:46-52. In the passages between the healing of two blind men, Peter makes his messianic confession (Mk 8:29), thrice Jesus predicts his passion and death (Mk 8:31, 9:31 10:33-34), thrice the disciples misunderstand him (Mk 8:32, 9:33-34 and 10:35), thrice Jesus gives the disciples lessons on discipleship (Mk 8: 34-38, 9:35-37, and 10:42-45), Jesus is transfigured Mk 9: 2-8), and the rich young man refuses to follow Jesus radically (Mk 10:17-31). There are many differences in the healing of the two blind men and the key to understanding today’s gospel lies in understanding these differences.

1. The first blind man did not have the persistence of Bartimaeus, rather Scripture says, that he was brought to Jesus.
2. The first blind man was taken outside the village for Jesus to heal him.
3. The first blind man was healed in stages. Jesus first applied spittle on his eyes, Jesus laid his hands on him. He was not completely healed for he told Jesus that he can see but people look like trees. Jesus lays hands a second time and this time he could see clearly.

4. We do not know the name of the first blind man to be healed.
5. But the crucial difference is this. The first blind man goes home after the healing. You don’t hear of him again. 

1. Bartimaeus, (the second blind man) on the other hand, you couldn’t keep him shut. When Jesus called him, he threw aside his cloak, sprang up and came to Jesus.
2. Bartimaeus was healed on the same spot that Jesus encountered him.

3. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, was healed merely at Jesus’ words and he was healed instantly, the very first time.

4. We know the name of the second blind man. His name is Bartimaeus. Following Jesus gives the disciple a very clear identity. In fact, Scripture tells us that “God has called us by name.
5. Bartimaeus, we are told, “followed Jesus on the way.”

In the gospel of Mark, ‘the way’ is a very important theme. The way does not just mean the road. It means following Jesus as a disciple. In fact, the early Christians were not called Christians for a long time. They were called followers of ‘the Way’. So, the main reason why these stories of the blind men are there in the Gospel is because Mark wanted to tell his readers that the stories of the blind man are really the stories of the Jesus’ disciples. Basically, then, the author is saying as far as following Jesus is concerned, in the beginning the disciples are like the first blind man. They did not understand Jesus, his mission, and their own calling. They understand him gradually and follow him in small increments like the first blind man who could see a little bit. But discipleship is about seeing clearly. The woman who testimony I read in the beginning is Bartimaeus. She says, “For the first time in my life I knew what it was like to Act, Think and Speak like Jesus.” She is not blind anymore. She sees clearly. She will now follow Jesus like Bartimaeus did and as did Jesus’ disciples.

Let me offer three practical implications:

1. We have heard about two blind men who were healed in two radically ways. But really, whose stories are these? One the one hand, they are the stories of the blind men and the disciples. On the other hand, and more importantly, this is our story. Mark wants the Christian readers to get involved like Bartimaeus and be committed. The stories of the blind men really make us reflect on our lives as Christians. What does it mean for us today to be “on the way?” What does it mean for us to follow Jesus? What does it mean for us to be involved and committed? What does it mean to be a radical disciple?

2. I am sure each of us has a moment in our lives that we can look back and identify as a God moment. It is what we do with those moments that is crucial. Take the disciples for example. They are with Jesus. Yet just for a moment in today’s gospel they become an obstacle between Jesus and the blind man. Their experience of Jesus has not yet opened their eyes. When we capitalize on our God moments and make them tools to build bridges between people of God that we come a full circle. The role of a disciple is to forge bonds of friendship between God and people. That is what the woman in my introductory story did. Now her eyes are open.

3. Even though discipleship, involvement and commitment is a life long process, it is at the same time a choice we make each day. For example, whether we spend time with God in prayer consistently, whether we decide to help a weaker person, whether we offer to be compassionate and generous; whether we try to lead a clean and pure life; whether we decide to forgive someone or not; there are the kinds of choices that determine whether we are disciples or not. This week we are invited then to reprogram our lives so that we can think, talk, act like Jesus.

Today in this Eucharist, we have both the invitation from Jesus to follow him “on the way” and the opportunity to get involved. May God help us, and Mary, the first and our model disciple pray for us.
Amen. 

- Fr. Satish Joseph