Reflection -- What do you want me to do for you?

There are things going on at many levels in this story from Mark’s gospel.  On the surface, it is “just” another healing story pointing to who Jesus is: the Messiah, God’s Anointed One.  That is no small thing of course, but greater riches lie in the details of the story and in thinking about it in its context in Mark’s gospel.

For one thing, there are lessons here about persistence in discipleship.  Despite discouragement from the crowd, the blind man Bartimaeus does not let anything stand in his way.  He does all that he can in the circumstances; he persistently cries out until he gets Jesus’ attention.  A commentator makes this telling observation:  “His desperation, no doubt born of years of rejection and humiliation, overcomes the efforts of others to keep him blind and a beggar.” [1]  The spirits of many in our community will resonate with that remark.  How many of us have had to fight our way through crowds of naysayers to claim our rightful place at Jesus’ side!

There are lessons about the central place of faith too.  As was often the case, when this blind man is healed, Jesus tells him that it is his faith that has made him well.

This episode also completes the cycle of stories that reveal the truth of Jesus’ teaching that God’s reign is about the first being last and the last being first.  Stories throughout Mark’s gospel point up Jesus’ special concern for people at the margins; for example, the woman in Mark 5 who had been rendered destitute in seeking cures for hemorrhaging.  Like Bartimaeus, she was left with no one to help her and nothing but her faith and persistence.  Like Bartimaeus, she did all that she could by letting nothing stop her from touching Jesus’ cloak.  Like Bartimaeus, her faith and persistence brought her wholeness.

Bartimaeus also stands in sharp contrast with the rich man who went away from Jesus with great sadness in his heart because he was unable to give his love of things a lower priority than his love of Jesus.  Bartimaeus immediately threw off one of his few possessions, his cloak, to make it easier to get to Jesus.  Bartimaeus had his priorities straight!

Bartimaeus also stands in sharp contrast with Jesus’ disciples.  Though they had the privilege of physically walking with Jesus, hearing his teaching, and seeing him at work, at least as depicted by Mark, they were incredibly slow in getting it.  Mark tells us that they spent time arguing among themselves about who is the greatest and, as with last week’s story of James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ side in glory, asking for special privilege.  The disciples for so long remain spiritually blind, while Bartimaeus receives both physical vision and spiritual vision, getting his sight and following Jesus “on the way.”

But one of the things that struck me most about this story was Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus.  The same commentator says this:  “Jesus’ question remains a revealing one to be answered by every would-be disciple:  “What do you want me to do for you?”  Our answer exposes our lust for power, our search for self-aggrandizement, or it uncovers our deep longing for sight.”[2]

Are you clear about what you want from Jesus?  Is it consistent with the plan for God’s reign?  Are you willing to be persistent in making your way through to Jesus?  Do you have faith that Jesus has the best for you?  Are you ready to hear him say “Go; your faith has made you well"?

revclay

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Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho.  As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here."

And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."  So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 

Then 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." 

Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well."

Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.  [NRSV]