The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B






Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:23-28 NRSV)



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. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 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." 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 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." 52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52 NRSV)





“SEEING AGAIN”





When I was in the fourth grade I got glasses. I remember getting them. There was a trip to the eye doctor on Washington Avenue, then getting the glasses. I remember putting them on for the first time and seeing again. Things were so clear. People talk about when something “pops”, that is, comes alive, is transformed, stands out. That was what it was like. I went into the bank lobby to say hello to my dad and I could see everything. It was all crisp and bright. Now, I don’t remember needing glasses. I don’t remember not being able to see the blackboard in the classroom or the ball on the playground. I can’t recall things fading into a haze or walking into walls. But somehow the message came back that I needed them. It is funny that I don’t remember that need, only how it was remedied. But I will never forget the results.



The Gospel reading this morning is of a time when Jesus was near Jericho with his disciples and a blind man, Bartimaeus, approached him. He heard that it was Jesus and began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” There is nothing subtle about him. There is no slight impairment—he was blind and had to beg in order to survive. There is no confusion about what he wants—he wants to see again. He makes no half-hearted effort—he yells. When some told him to be quiet, he became louder.



What happened was that he had the chance to speak to Jesus and the Lord asked him what he wanted. It was not riches or power; it was to be made whole again. He took the chance, sprang up, it says, to talk with him. And when asked, he made his request simply, to see again. He is told to go, but he stays and follows the Lord on the way.



Why do we have and read and reread this story? If it is only the account of one person being healed, it is inspirational, touching, heart-warning. But it reaches deeper than that. It is so that we, like Bartimaeus, can hear the words of those in the crowd who said, “Take heart.” It is so that we can see that glimpse of God’s power which can heal and change. It is so that we can see our lives given life again. Where has God’s power been present in your life? Has there been a moment in your life when you were taken from blindness in some way and given sight? Is something keeping you at the side of the road? What kind of eye-opening moment do you need? What would you ask Jesus for if he came down the road?



The center of the story is Jesus. He is also the center of the passage from Hebrews. The priests in the Old Testament were many, because they were human and died. Now, under the new covenant, there only needs to be one, is only one, because he is eternal. That makes it possible for him to be able to save anyone, help anyone. We need someone who will change our lives and he is the one who is able to do that.



A man named Parker Palmer, a famous author who works with educational institutions now living in Wisconsin, so he knows something about Midwest weather, wrote about his life in the book Let Your Life Speak. He had a promising career but found himself so depressed at one point that he could not move. He had to stop and take a look at his life, where it was going, what was wrong, what was right. He found that we get into trouble when we ignore who we are with our individual abilities and interests and try to do things we are not able to do. We need to find what God calls us to do, keeping in mind the reality of our God-given lives. He had also forgotten to pay attention to what was inside him in his desire to change the world around him. He had to pay attention to the inner life of feelings, thoughts, desires, even limitations. Only then could he begin to start the work of repairing his soul. It was the result of his seeing that he desperately needed help and then looking for it until he found it. He concludes the book by writing about life. How we see it matters in how we live it. Some see it as war, conflict, some as struggle, but he sees it as seasons in which things come, grow and die away to make room for other things. Our lives are part of the fundamental power of the world. Each season has its gifts, he says, including winter which has the gift of being a necessary time of dormancy and rest for living things. It has a beauty of all its own and part of it is the clarity of the season. In summer trees hide things, but in winter they are visible. One can see the ground things are rooted in. Sometimes, the real gift we are given, the real miracle, is insight to see who we are and that there is help for us whatever our need is. We need to find the ground we are rooted in before we can change how we see the world and our lives. Once we discover the meaning in our lives and of our lives, we can see the world anew to join it and serve it.



When we have the blessing of another chance, of healing, of renewal, then things can change, our lives can change. It involves seeing not just our need but the help for it. That is where faith comes in. Dr. Rachel Remen talks about the time she was asked to lead a retreat for a hospice center with a staff of over forty-five. There was tension between those who worked directly with patient services and those who worked behind the scenes. She asked them to bring objects which represented their part of the organization, the meaning of their work. She asked everyone to sit in a large circle, to say his or her name and talk about what they brought. She says there was a silence at first and then a young man named John, showed the group a small ceramic bridge, which he had taken from his aquarium that morning. His reason was that it was a symbol of his work; it was a bridge between those who were dying and their loved ones, and what the hospice could offer them for healing. He was one of the telephone operators. Another person was a middle-aged woman who had brought a crystal paperweight in the shape of a heart. She was a social worker who listened to people. She found a change in her life and work through her role in the hospice. She went from listening with her head to listening with her heart. The objects were placed in the center and everyone else talked about the meaning of their contributions to the hospice’s mission. They also discovered how they all were tied together. They found what was already there.



The Gospel tells us about this one man’s encounter with Jesus. Blind Bartimaeus one day had the opportunity to find his wholeness. He found it because he could see his blindness, but that did not stop him. He found it because he knew what he wanted and needed. He knew what was in his soul. He found it because he found the one who can change darkness into light. He had faith that these things existed, that they were true, and that they were for him. He found the one who could heal him. He saw what he could, what was important, and he could see again. Take heart.



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