Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 25, 2009 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Jeremiah 31:7-0; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52]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."
The blind man's faith, the "possessiveness" of the crowd, and Jesus' calm response to the man's needs make for a wonderful small drama in today's gospel. We can begin with Bartimaeus', the blind man's, faith! On hearing that it is Jesus of Nazareth, that is not how he addresses Jesus. Instead, he gives Jesus a title of faith, "Son of David!" Furthermore, he persists in spite of being rebuked by the "sizable crowd." One can only speculate about the sizable crowd. Some may have been the apostles, others may have been just curious folks wanting to see what Jesus would say or do next! What we do know is that they don't want any interference from the blind beggar on the roadside! But, when Jesus hears the man and says to call him, that same crowd gets bossy and "encouraging" : Take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you!" The next line is one we need to keep in mind. Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" The reply of the blind man is also one we need to keep in mind: "Master, I want to see." This gospel has a powerful message that comes out strongly if we put ourselves in the place of each of the "characters." We can be the blind person, the crowd, or Jesus and pay attention to our reactions! At the present time, I am preaching a novena in honor of St. Jude Thaddeus in New Orleans, LA. St. Jude is popular because he is the patron saint of "hopeless cases." Most of the people attending the novena services have serious and chronic concerns for themselves or their children or other loved ones. This "sizable crowd" is different from the one in the gospel today. They want Jesus to take pity on them. They want to hear the words, "Take courage! Get up! Jesus is calling you." They want to hear the words, "What do you want me to do for you?" They submit their petitions. All of us can join Bartimaeus in seeking Jesus' help: "Master, I want to see!" Seeing with the eyes of faith will keep us from ignoring the blind and others who need our help and encouragement. AMEN
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