THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

[cappie]

In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, we may imagine the cloak was given to Bartimaeus by his mother.  She and Bartimaeus’s father, Timaeus, had rejoiced that they would soon meet this product of their love.  When Bartimaeus was born, their rejoicing turned to mourning, they noticed: his eyes covered with a white milky film that did not clear. Their son was blind. This son would know the indignity of begging. In fact, on the street they didn’t even call him by name. He was known as “a blind beggar” or just “the blind man.” His lot in life, was to be the recipient of others’ charity.  “Alms for the poor,” he would shout out to them. “Have mercy on me, poor blind Bartimaeus!” His cloak was his most important possession. his one constant companion. He was such a familiar sight by the roadside on the way out of Jericho, wrapped in his cloak. When he could hear passers-by coming, he would quickly unwind it and lay it out in front of him to catch the coins people dropped for him.  He had had the cloak so long, he couldn’t really remember his life before it, couldn’t imagine his life without it.

And then, one day, everything changes. Bartimaeus sits eyes open but unseeing, listening. A large crowd approaches.  Bartimaeus strains to hear what people are saying as they come closer. He hears  one word, a name: Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth. Bartimaeus has heard the man by this name has the power to heal, to make whole, to make Bartimaeus’ own dreams come true, his dream of life free from begging where he can live fully into his own name:  

Bartimaeus cries out, his voice dry and raspy, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet, beggar!” a voice close to him snaps But Bartimaeus cries out again, his voice gaining strength, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And then he hears it. A man’s voice, up ahead, saying, “Call him here.” More voices close by, “Take heart, beggar. Get up. He is calling you.” And Bartimaeus does the one thing he had never before imagined being able to do. He throws off his cloak.

He throws off his cloak.

 He travels to meet the man coming toward him, whose grasp is strong, whose timing is perfect, who knows Bartimaeus and what he needs, but will give Bartimaeus the honour of allowing him to name his own desire.

And so, standing cloak less  Bartimaeus stands before Jesus and says, “My teacher, let me see again.”

Jesus replies, “Go; your faith has made you well.”

Bartimaeus remembers the word spoken, like a distant dream. Jesus had said it: “Go.” Bartimaeus, you are free to go. Where you want. Go.

But Bartimaeus realizes that he does not wish to go. He wants to follow. To use his gifts, all of them, including his newly found sight, for something, not just for himself. He is freed to follow. And Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the way.

Years later, the disciples  told Bartimaeus’ story because Jesus left them with a challenge. Jesus would not always be with them physically, in plain view. They would not always be able to see him. But Jesus promised to be with them, to be known to them in the breaking of bread, in the sharing of the Word, in friend and stranger. He told them to use the eyes of their hearts to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as yourself. He told them to use the eyes of their hearts, because there are many kinds of blindness.

There are many kinds of blindness, and we all bear a cloak of some kind. We all carry something with us or within us that we cling to, that is part of our identity, that brings us comfort, that it is hard to imagine our lives without.

In throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus embraces the new life he knew Jesus could give him. He knew that the security, comfort, usefulness of his cloak would be replaced by something much bigger, much better, more permanent. Bartimaeus never goes back to get his cloak. He never retreats to its familiarity. He just follows.

Jesus calls to us too: “What do you want me to do for you?”

Let us pray this week that Christ helps us to know him better by overcoming our blindness and helping us to see and grasp the truth of the gospel more clearly.