Sunday, October 27, 2024

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52)

One has to love today’s gospel. It is full of all the passion and meaning typical of the Gospel according to Saint Mark.

To fully understand what Mark wants to tell us here, we have to remember last Sunday's gospel. When the Zebedee brothers ask Jesus for a favor, the Lord answers them: “'What do you want me to do for you?'” It is the same answer that he gives to the blind Bartimaeus in today's gospel. Saint Mark is calling us to compare the two requests or, rather, the speakers of the two.

James and John ask from the Lord the highest positions in the Kingdom. They desire prestige and power for their own aggrandizement. In contrast, the blind man asks for sight so that he may fully appreciate the reality that God has created. He wants to work, have a family, perhaps exercise some independence, but he also wants to help his neighbors.

How can we presume that the blind man has all these good objectives in mind? Because of what he does once the Lord grants his desire. He does not collect the alms he has received to celebrate his new vision. Rather, he leaves everything to follow Jesus along the way. For Bartimaeus, money is a small thing compared to vision which he will use to carry out his discipleship.

Once again, Mark emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah who comes to serve others. He is not angry with the Zebedee for their outrageous request. Rather, he shows them patience and confirms them as disciples when he invites them to drink from his cup of suffering and endure his baptism of blood. His favor to Bartimaeus is even more generous. He grants his request to see in order to confirm the blind man’s faith in him as the “son of David”; that is, the Messiah. It is true Christian faith that realizes that the Messiah does not come to subdue peoples with his sword but to forgive the sins of people with his death on the cross.

Somehow, we must adopt Bartimaeus' faith. Even though we are neither blind nor unemployed, we lack spiritual health. We are inclined to think of ourselves as more worthy than others. We are apt to shirk our responsibilities when we have the opportunity. Many of us are like the people in the story who try to silence the shouting blind man. We regard faith as a private matter that does not allow public displays. We believe that each person can live out faith according to his or her own judgment. It is spiritual blindness that can be lethal. We belong to a community of faith with designated leaders to be followed.

In the gospel Jesus pays no attention to these people. Rather, he hears the one who cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” It is the faith of this poor blind man that we must imitate.  As the story of Bartimaeus ends with him following Jesus along the way, we must follow the pope, the vicar of Christ.