READINGS: Jer 31:7-9, Ps 126, Heb 5:1-6, Mark 10:46-52
THEME: LORD, THAT I MAY SEE AGAIN
Today is Mission Sunday. Over one billion Catholics all over the world observe today as World Mission Sunday.
Mission Sunday is a day to thank the Lord for the gift of our faith; for indeed, our faith is a precious gift from God which none of us could ever earn or deserve. Quoting from Pope Francis’ message for this year’s World Mission
Sunday, the Holy Father said, among other things, that we should remember with gratitude all the people who, through the witness of their lives, help us to renew our baptismal commitment…Let us remember especially those who have been able to set out on their journey, leave land and family so that the Gospel can reach without delay and without fear the corners of the peoples and their cities where so many lives are thirsting for blessing.
Turning to the readings of today, life is really beautiful when we can see things around us. In fact, the sense of sight plays a very significant role in human life. With the sense of sight, we are able to differentiate things, make comparisons, and communicate without using words. On this 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Gospel (Mark 10: 46-52), presents one of the numerous encounters our Lord had on his way to Jerusalem through Jericho.
Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd when a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, made an unusual appearance that compelled our Lord to put his journey on hold. The blind man heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing, and he began to CRY OUT saying JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE PITY ON ME. The crowd tried to stop him, but he cried out even more. At that point, our Lord stopped and asked him to come.
THROWING ASIDE his cloak he comes to Jesus, and he asked him, “what do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Master, I WANT TO SEE.” And Jesus says to him, “go your way; your FAITH has saved you and immediately he received his sight and followed the Lord”. The narrative of the blind man Bartimaeus leaves us with a lot of lessons. In fact, in the blind man Bartimaeus we discover an apt fulfillment of the mission of the Messiah. Note well that Bartimaeus heard “Jesus of Nazareth” but when crying out, he says, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me.”
God will always listen to those who cry out to Him. The word of God says, “this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his trouble” (Psalm 34:6). Bartimaeus’ faith moved him to cry out not just to Jesus of Nazareth but to the Son of David which is the title of the Messiah (Matt. 1:1; Matt 21:9). In most narrative in the Gospels, it is common to see the crowd.
The crowd would continuously be a potential obstacle. For instance, the woman who wanted to touch the garment of Jesus to receive healing from her haemorrhages (Mark 5:27) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9) had to contend with the crowd. In the narrative, the crowd wanted to stop Bartimaeus from crying out to the Lord, but he responded by reflecting Psalm 77:1 which says. “I cry aloud to God.
Aloud to God that He may hear me”. Notice that it was when he ignored the hushing of the crowd and cried out more that our Lord stopped and invited him and when the Lord invited him the crowd turned around to encourage him to meet the Lord. Do not allow the crowd to set the pace for your life. Notice that before Bartimaeus goes to meet the Lord, he had to discard his cloak which covers him from the external
elements.
If he were still wrapped in that cloak, it would have been difficult for him to reach out to the Lord. St. Paul advised that we lay aside the old self (Eph. 4:22). The cloak represents those things that give us comfort but hinders us from reaching out to the Lord. We all have various cloaks in our lives that we need to throw aside. They represent those unnecessary comfort zones in our lives that keep us in darkness and spiritual blindness. God wants us to be specific in our supplications. Bartimaeus was both a blind man and a beggar. These dispositions open two potential needs: alms and healing.
So, when our Lord said, “what do you want me to do for you?” He pleaded to regain his sight, “Master I want to see.” Giving sight to the blind occupies a primary place in the manifesto of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18). The request of Bartimaeus to see again recalls to us the message in the First Reading (Jer.31:7-9) which tells us that God will bring back and console the blind and the lame from where they have been dispersed by fate.
We may claim to have our physical sight, but spiritually we could be groping in darkness. This may be the time to approach the Lord to see again. The next point of interest is the action of Bartimaeus after receiving his sight. We are told that he followed Jesus Christ.
That meant that he became a disciple. He did not run back to reply his critics; he did not run to his home to make case against those who may have taken away his properties. He rather saw clearly the right person to follow (Jesus Christ-the Saviour) and the right place to go (Jerusalem- the rain of Peace). Bartimaeus could not have made a better choice than the choice of following Jesus. Turning to ourselves we ask: “what do we do when we receive favours from God?” From all indications there is need for us to have our sights back! We may be physically seeing but morally and spiritually we may be blind.
Like Bartimaeus some of us are sitting comfortably by the roadside of life without realizing that we are blind, and that we need to get up, get back our sights and move ahead with the Lord into the Jerusalem of peace. Some of us are still focusing on the crowd and their discouragement instead of calling out on
the Lord.
Some of us are still covering ourselves with the cloak. We have to throw away the cloak covering our sins and come to God the way we are in order to get to the next level. Some of us have refused to call on the Lord as he is passing by. There is still time, even today as we encounter him at the Eucharistic table.
Do not allow him to pass you by without effecting that healing in your life; without giving you back your sight! May He heal us spiritually so that we may see! Amen.
N/B: May we continue to pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of V. Rev. Fr. John Gabriel Owusu-Frempong (FR DWUMOH), my Pastor and Parish Priest who passed away and was subsequently buried. Eternal Rest Grant unto the soul of Fr Dwumoh, O Lord and let your perpetual light shine on him forever.
