Sermons

October 2003 (click here to return to "October 2003 Sermons" page)

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 26, 2003)

“He is Calling You” Dr. Van Kemper

Text: Mark 10:46-52

SERMON

Long ago, there was a beggar by the name of Bartimaeus.

Long ago, just outside the town of Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside.

Long ago, just outside of Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road, when Jesus, his disciples, and a large crowd passed by.

Long ago, as Jesus, his disciples, and a large crowd were leaving Jericho on their way to Jerusalem, this blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, heard who was passing by – and he shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And, according to Mark’s Gospel, many in the crowd and among the disciples rebuked him and ordered this blind beggar, the one we know as Bartimaeus, to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And, then, Jesus stopped and stood still and said, “Call him here.”

Now, at Jesus’ demand, they called the blind beggar, the one we know as Bartimaeus, and suddenly – instead of rebuking him – they said, “Cheer up! Take heart! Get up on your feet! Jesus is calling you.”

Then, this blind beggar, the one we know as Bartimaeus, did something remarkable – he threw off his cloak, he jumped to his feet, and came to Jesus.

Now, let’s stop here for a moment and consider how this story has developed to this point.

First, the story began with Jesus and his disciples arriving in Jericho. After an unknown period, maybe just time to have a meal, perhaps overnight, Jesus and his disciples – now accompanied by a large crowd – left Jericho and headed toward Jerusalem, toward the suffering that Jesus already had described to his closest disciples (Mark 10:32-34).

And then, suddenly, there is a noisy encounter with a blind beggar who is sitting by the roadside. Without a doubt, what is most surprising about this encounter is that we know the name and the identity of this blind beggar: Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus.

Unlike other marginalized individuals who approached Jesus in the Gospels, we know not only the name of this blind beggar, but even the name of his father!

We ought to ask ourselves, what made this Bartimaeus so special that Mark’s Gospel mentions his name and heritage? After all, the Gospel writers rarely named the persons who were healed by Jesus. The disciples had names, but most everyone else who encountered Jesus went anonymously into history.

Perhaps, this particular Bartimaeus became so well-known after he was healed that Mark felt obliged to include his name in the story, whereas the other, later Gospel writers were content to use the story but no longer saw his name to be important enough to mention.

But there are a couple of other interesting elements to the story so far. When Bartimaeus heard the crowd coming along the road, and discovers that Jesus is in their midst, he wastes no time in shouting out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This is a very effective way to get Jesus’ attention. For instance, in Matthew’s Gospel, the Caananite woman shouted out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David,” and then went on to proclaim that her daughter was being tormented by a demon (Matt. 15:22). And in Matthew (17:14), a father comes to Jesus saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. . .” And also in Luke’s gospel (17:13), in the story of the healing of the ten lepers, they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

So, don’t forget this simple lesson: if you want to get Jesus’ attention, when you need to get Jesus’ attention, simply shout out, “Jesus, Lord, have mercy on me!”

The second dramatic element of this little story comes from Bartimaeus’ reaction to the rebukes he got from the crowd. When they told him to be quiet, he only increased his shouting to get Jesus’ attention. And it worked! Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

The lesson here is simple too. Even if you can’t seem to get the Lord’s attention with your first petition, keep it up – and make it louder!

The third dramatic element of the first part of this story may have escaped your notice the first time through the reading, and you may not have noticed it, even on our second passage through the story.

After Bartimaeus finally succeeded in getting Jesus’ attention, and the disciples were sent to bring him to Jesus, he threw off his mantle/cloak before he jumped up to his feet and went to Jesus. His behavior is consistent with that of others who come to follow Jesus – at least in Mark’s Gospel, they always leave something behind!

Remember that the fishermen Simon and Andrew abandoned their nets when they followed Jesus (Mark 1:18). James and John left their father with the hired servants in the boat (Mark 1:20). And, as the exception to the rule, a certain rich man was unwilling to sell his possessions so that he might follow Jesus. When Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, he was leaving behind who he had been, for his tattered cloak surely marked him as a beggar. Now, as he approached Jesus, he was leaving behind the old, still unsure of what was before him.

Now, let us look at the second section of the story – what happened when Bartimaeus came before Jesus.

Immediately, Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” No beating around the bush, no fooling around, no pleasantries. And Bartimaeus replied, “Master, let me see again.”

And, in direct response, Jesus said, “Go, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

What do we learn from this encounter between Bartimaeus and Jesus?

First, Jesus takes the initiative rather than waiting around for Bartimaeus to find the courage to speak of his needs. Jesus knows that this blind beggar needs something, but he does not fix the problem until after Bartimaeus articulates it.

When Bartimaeus asks Jesus to be able to see again, Jesus replies, “Go, your faith has made you well.”

Does this sound familiar? It should. Throughout the Gospels, whenever someone approached Jesus to be healed, Jesus always responded, “Your faith has made you well.” He said this to the hemorraging woman (Matt. 9:22, Mark 5:34, and Luke 8:48), he said this to the ten lepers (Luke 17:19, and he even said this to the woman who anoints him with ointment (Luke 7:50).

I know that you all remember that the concept of getting well was equivalent in ancient days with the idea of being saved. The verb (sotzo) used here in Mark had a double meaning, containing the idea of immediate health as well as eternal salvation.

The final component of the story shows a change in Bartimaeus’ destiny; he leaves his old profession as a blind beggar to go forward with Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd toward Jerusalem, toward the suffering of the cross, toward the resurrection beyond the cross.

In the end, the story of Bartimaeus is memorable because he gets it right. Despite his marginal circumstances as a blind beggar, he pays attention to what is going on around him, and he responds to the presence of Jesus by shouting out that Jesus is Lord and Master and petitioning for mercy. Not once, but twice. Not without opposition from those around him, but in spite of their efforts to silence him. And when, at last, he has been heard, he is called forward to receive mercy. His faith has saved him, Jesus tells him. But Bartimaeus’ faith is not an empty faith, nor is it silent in the face of opposition by those more powerful than he is.

By shouting out, Bartimaeus let everyone know that he was seeking a change in his situation. By coming faithfully to Jesus, he not only gained his sight, he found his salvation.

That is not the end of Bartimaeus’ story, just the beginning. Immediately upon regaining his sight, he began to follow Jesus on the way.

So it must be with us, now, here in this place. We must be prepared to sense God’s presence among us, to shout out our recognition of his presence, and to continue to seek the Lord even when others urge us to be quiet – and maintain the status quo. So, always be prepared to shout, “Lord, have mercy on me!” and never forget, even in your darkest moments, that Jesus is present with you. So take heart, get up, he is calling you. Amen.