In my lifetime I have known very few people who were literally blind. But I daresay that I have known many who are figuratively blind. Blind to their own sinfulness, so they see no need for the sacrament of reconciliation. Blind to God’s unconditional love for them, so they struggle with loving themselves or loving others. Blind to the ways in which we can be Christ-like to one another. Blind to the needy in their midst. Blind to those who are hurting due to physical or verbal abuse. Blind to the injustice and racism that impacts the lives of many. Blind to the climate change that is melting away the polar seas. Blind to seeing all that God has to offer them.
Bartimaeus cries out what many call the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” He kept calling out all the more, ignoring the rebuke of those around him to be silent. “Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus heard him and said, “Call him.” The people near him said, “Take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you.” He got up, and threw his cloak aside. To us with many coats hanging in our closet that may not mean much, but this blind beggar was throwing away a very valued possession that not only protected him from the elements but also served as his blanket when he slept.
In the eyes of the early church, those who wanted to be baptized were invited to strip themselves of their clothing, symbolizing a renunciation of their old way of life. Bartimaeus was doing just that, throwing off the cloak of his old life; a lifestyle that had rendered him spiritually blind. Approaching Jesus, he hears a question that changes his life. A question Jesus offers to every one of us. “What do you want me to do for you?”
In response, Bartimaeus says, “Master, I want to see.” Words that also changed his life. By restoring his eyesight, Jesus opened not only his field of vision but also his mind to an entirely new way of understanding. Does he speak for all of us gathered here at Mass? Do we want to see? The Holy Spirit motivated us to come here and prayerfully reveal to God our deepest yearning; giving us the opportunity to throw aside our old mindset of self-sufficiency and with the help of God’s grace, see the world in a new light.
“Master, I want to see.” If that is your request, just what do you really want to see? Imagine how different the world would be if we could see what it really means to follow Jesus. Bartimaeus could see what Jesus was offering him, unlike the disciples who still envisioned a worldly kingdom. As Mark tells us, “he received his sight; and followed him on the way.”
The gospel miracle we witness is unlike any other in the gospels. Bartimaeus is the only person in Mark’s gospel to call Jesus by name while seeking to be healed. This is the last miracle Jesus performed before entering Jerusalem for the last time. This is the only miracle where the recipient is named and unlike others whom Jesus healed, Bartimaeus followed Jesus. He could see that Jesus was offering him a better way to live than he had been doing. He could see that following Jesus would make a difference in his life. He had more insight into who Jesus was than the disciples did.
As a beggar, Bartimaeus knows what it means to be dependent on the mercy of others. The crowd likely thought that Jesus was too important to be bothered by a noisy beggar making a nuisance of himself so they tried to hush him, but with persistence, Bartimaeus kept crying out for mercy. Jesus heard him and called him over. This is one more example that Jesus cares about everyone regardless of their place in society. Everybody matters because Jesus loves us unconditionally.
With his blueprint for living the Good News, Jesus wants to remove our blindness to any prejudice that we cling to; our lack of respect for life, our disregard for the downtrodden, our need to forgive and to be forgiven, and seeing our potential to being a better Christian than we have been. God has shown us mercy and love. Do we?
Hopefully we can personally agree with today’s responsorial psalm, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” Yes, the Lord has done great things for us. We have been blessed with the gift of life, both here and now and eternally. Are our eyes open to seeing how to fully live this life that we have been given? In countless ways, Jesus has revealed his blue print for living. He calls it the kingdom of God. If we follow Bartimaeus’ example and throw aside our cloak, that is, our old perceptions of living, that would allow us to relate to others with greater respect, compassion, love and concern. If we did so, we will bring about the kingdom of God.