(Sirach 42:15-25; Mark 10:46-52)
Ministers working in hospitals are accustomed to patients
saying that they will contact them after being discharged. But such communication seldom takes
place. It is not that the patients speak
insincerely, but that they lack the spiritual energy to revisit the place of
confinement. Bartimaeus in the gospel
today would be an exception to this observation. Jesus sends him away, but he steadfastly
follows Jesus.
The passage is a healing story laced with irony. Bartimaeus does not see Jesus with his eyes
but possesses faith in him, which is another way of seeing. He acknowledges Jesus as “’son of David’” meaning
that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. By
restoring his physical sight, Jesus confirms the efficacy of Bartimaeus’
faith. Although one might argue that in
obedience to Jesus, Bartimaeus should have gone his own way, his faith is more
coherent for following the one whom he believes will liberate Israel from
bondage.
Few of us called to a radical following of Jesus like
Bartimaeus embarks. Nevertheless, if,
like Bartimaeus, we acknowledge Jesus as the savior of the people, we must
conform ourselves to him spiritually.
This means not only that we accept the suffering that comes our way, but
also that we go out of our way to share the burden of those who may be hurting
more than we.
