Readings: Jer. 31:7-9; Heb. 5:1-6; Mk. 10:46-52
Be not
Intimidated, but Be Courageous!
1. Today’s Gospel presents us with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. As he sat by the roadside begging, he couldn’t see what was going on but could feel the pulse around him; he sensed the changes in people’s behavior as they passed by. He was blind but not hopeless; blind but not deaf. He may have been in need and somewhat handicapped, but he was not helpless. Bartimaeus may have heard about Jesus and the many miracles he performed. He heard that Jesus was a good man who cared for the poor, the sick, the oppressed, the marginalized, and the forgotten. Bartimaeus believed that he would be fortunate to meet Jesus one day, so he anxiously awaited the movements that would signal the presence of Jesus. No one would stop him from asking Jesus to have his sight back. He waited! And God answered his prayers. He knew from the crowd and the commotion that Christ was around. He must strike while the iron was hot. He cried out, Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.
2. This story has many nuances. First, Bartimaeus was not an ordinary beggar. He was a beggar with a purpose. He did not want to be defined by his blindness. He had expectations, faith, and hope that were unwavering. He knew he would improve his life once he got in touch with Christ. Bartimaeus knew that when Jesus heard his voice in distress, he would never turn his back on him. He made the words of the Psalm his own: “In my misfortune, I called, the Lord heard and saved me from all distress. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirit is crushed.” (Psalm 34:7, 19).
3. His cry for help was his prayer, through which he directed his concerns to God and God alone. Though the crowd tried to stop him, telling him to be silent, he kept calling out the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” According to Fr. John Pichappily, “Everybody has some type of obstacle, some type of disadvantage, some type of hindrance that stands in their way (physical and spiritual). God does not always remove the handicap, whether spiritual or physical; He does, however, give us the ability to overcome them. He gives us the ability to rise above our handicaps!” But we must learn to overcome the negative influences, especially those discouraging us from reaching our goals. Public opinion will always try to put us down. Still, we must be courageous enough to stand up to it by tapping into our inner strength and convictions, believing that we are stronger and more resilient than whatever anyone thinks about us. When the crowd rebuked Bartimaeus, they defined him by his blindness. They felt that he was good for nothing, that no good could ever come from him. They put him down and counted him out as unworthy of Jesus’s time. But they were truly blind, blind to his potential, capability, faith, strength, and trust in God. God would never count him out. He came to his rescue, put a new song into his mouth, and changed his mourning into rejoicing. When the Lord stopped and said, “Call him.” They told him, “Take courage, get up; Jesus is calling you.” Jesus will turn those against you to begin to praise your names. Yes, “If God is for us, who can be against us.” (Rom. 8:31).
4. For Bartimaeus, that was the time he was waiting for. He jumped and went to Jesus. He wanted to see again, and the Lord gave him his sight. Instead of going back to beg, he followed Jesus. Today’s Psalm captured Bartimaeus’s feelings. “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.” The Lord’s marvelous work in reversing his people’s misfortune is proclaimed in the first reading. “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.” The first reading finds its fulfillment in Jesus in the Gospel. Jesus is the “High Priest who 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.” (Heb. 5:1-6). The opening of the eyes of the blind is the fulfillment of the mission of Christ: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Lk. 4:18-19).
5.
The
story of Bartimaeus teaches us to put our trust in the Lord, knowing that he
will never forget us. It encourages us to wait patiently for the Lord’s
visitation and to strike the iron while it is hot. Do not miss the opportunity
given to you no matter what. The blind man did not allow the crowd to
intimidate and stop him from calling on the Lord for help. If you need help
from the Lord, pray and do not give up. Like Bartimaeus, be sure of what you
need from God. Asking God for too many things can be confusing, even to
yourself. The Blind man wanted only one thing: to see, and he got his sight
back. He knew what to do with his sight: follow the Lord and be a blessing to
others. What do you do when your request is granted? Do not behave like the
crowd. When you see someone in need do whatever you can to help and not put
anyone down. Even if you do not know how to help someone succeed, it is
sufficient to wish him well. Like Jesus, we are called to open the eyes of
the blind, counter public opinions, and be missionary disciples in our
world.
Rev. Augustine
Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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