October 25,
2015
What
descriptive word would go in front of your name forever? It struck me today
that poor Bartimaeus would be referred to as Blind Bartimaeus for all of time
and yet there are many other adjectives that could be used for him.
BOLD Bartimaeus.
The
gospel says that he merely heard that Jesus was near and started crying out,
not just his name, but the title indicating that he was indeed the Messiah,
“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” How bold for this blind beggar to risk
his life with one courageous sentence. What did he have to lose? I must ask
myself the same question, what do I have to lose by crying out to God with the
boldness of Bartimaeus? He kept shouting knowing that eventually The Christ
would hear, not his name, but the proclamation that he is Messiah. In fact,
that is exactly what prompted the apostles to try and shut him up. They were
not ready for the scandal yet. I know what it’s like to be in a huge crowd and
how loud you need to yell for whatever famous person you are there to see to
hear you…..click here for a 19 second real life example (sorry for the upside
down display) https://youtu.be/y26cHAOpeBw
BRAVE
Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus
kept yelling even when people were actively trying to silence him. I know I am
not this brave, one shush from a stranger and my lips are sealed. Bartimaus’
next move took some guts as well. He ditched his cloak, his only earthly
possession, knowing that he would literally never see it again, “sprang up”,
and did a blind sprint toward Jesus. This sounds like some sort of youth group
game to me when I blindfold them and tell them to sprint across the room. It’s
almost comical, however, Brave Bartimaeus knew that he needed to get to the
Messiah and he was willing to do anything to make that happen. I know I need to get to the Messiah, but am I
willing to do anything? I’m not sure I’m that brave yet.
BEAUTIFUL
Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus
knew what Jesus was capable of and so he asked for it. How often to we think we
don’t deserve something or are unworthy to receive the gifts that Jesus wants to give us and we feel ashamed to ask him? Beautiful Bartimaeus shows us that
we ARE worthy and that Jesus wants us to come to him, immediately, boldly, and
just as we are. Beautiful Bartimaeus gives us a perfect prayer that I know I
need to plead for daily, “I want to see.” Now, of course, Blind Bartimaeus was
asking for physical sight, but we all know that spiritual sight is exactly what
Jesus restored and he wants desperately to restore that same kind of sight in
each one of us. When we see with the eyes of our heart, then we will see just how
beautiful we are because we were made in pure love.
BELOVED
Bartimaeus
He
asked to see and Jesus delivered because he was in love with Bartimaeus. He’s
in love with you and he’s in love with me. He’s in love because he is love and
love begets love. Therefore, we are his Beloved. It’s a concept that stumps me
every day, but Bold, Brave, Beautiful Bartimaeus gets that he is Beloved. He
gets it and because he truly believes it, Jesus proclaims, “Go your way; your
faith has saved you." Bartimaeus could have gone in another direction
because Jesus gives him the option to “Go YOUR way.” Once Blind Bartimaeus can
see, he chose “his way” immediately and “followed him on the way.” I want to have
this kind of faith so that I too will immediately follow him on the way and
know that his way is my way. Understanding my belovedness gives me the faith to
see exactly where he is leading me and the courage to follow.
I
wonder what adjective(s) would go in front of my name for eternity in regards
to my faith life? Joyful Jen? Jealous Jen? Jumping Jen? Jaded Jen? Joking Jen?
Judgmental Jen? It’s something for us all to think about today. Let’s try to be
bold, brave, beautiful, and beloved and pray the 2 perfect prayers that Blind
Bartimaeus gives us, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me” and “I want to see.”
Reading 1 JER 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
Responsorial Psalm PS 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reading 2 HEB 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Alleluia CF. 2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
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