Mark 10.46-52
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.
What is ‘gospel?’ Perhaps we need not look any
further than this healing story from Jesus.
Take a closer look at it. Before Jesus heals
Bartimaeus, he asks him what he wants. Jesus's love
for people means he listens to them.
Faith can make us well. This is not magic, or
superstition, or some simple fix of course. It seems
clear, to me at least, that when Jesus says, "Your
faith has made you well" he is not saying that these
people somehow believed their way into wellness.
Rather he is pronouncing their wellness, declaring
it, making it happen for them. It is Jesus who
heals, and faith that receives that healing. And so
it is, or can be, for those who hear this story and
this good news. Faith can make us well. Faith can
open our ears, unstop our ears -- even raise us from
death.
As much as we may want to make this piece of
scripture only about faith, there is something else
to explore in regards to being church.
Did you notice how the blind man responded when he
heard who was in his presence? Better yet, did you
notice how “the many” around him responded when they
heard the blind man cry out, “Son of David, have
mercy on me!”? His cries stopped Jesus in his
tracks. Even against the advice of his top advisors
and friends who knew better, Jesus stops and
listens. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus
asks. “My teacher, let me see again.”
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What if God is waiting for us as God’s people to
begin to ask what we want of God? What if the way we can bring
healing to such a hurting place is by stopping and listening to the
cries around us? What would our ministry look like if we visited
everybody we send checks to?
Gospel is not only the telling of the good news. But
it is also about listening for it. Then, providing that space where
we can celebrate our good news together as a community.
Daily, as God’s people, we have choices to make. We choose to listen
and to see. Or we choose not to.
So I can’t help but wonder, what do you think Jesus would show us if
we allowed him to fully open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds
us?
God sees us as God’s beloved children. It is time we begin to do the
same.
[Adam Quine, pastor First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln]
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