Sunday October 25, 2009 Mark 10:46-52

Welcome, I hope all of you with kids had a good MEA weekend with them. It’s nice to get a break every now and then. The text for Sunday continues on in Mark. We have just read about James and John requesting the seats of honor after Jesus’ coronation but they have no clue as to what that actually meant. They are traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover which was an exciting celebration for them as it commemorated God rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. His followers are doubly excited because they feel this is the time that Jesus will reveal himself to be the Messiah and will start a revolt which will result in the over through of Rome. Rome will be kicked out and what better time to have this happen than Passover which celebrated freedom from oppression.

Some background to the verses from William Barclay. “The main road ran right through Jericho. Jesus was on his way to the Passover. When a distinguished Rabbi was on such a journey the custom was that he was surrounded by a crowd of people, disciples and learners, who listened to him as he discoursed while he walked. This was a common way of teaching. It was the law that every male Jew over twelve years of age who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Passover. It was impossible that every one would be able to go so those who were unable to go lined the streets of towns and villages through which the pilgrims were passing and bid them godspeed on their way.
There were attached to the Temple 20,000 priests and levites which were divided into 26 groups that served at the Temple in rotation. Many of these priests and levites lived in Jericho when they were not on Temple duty. Even though all were needed to be on duty for the Passover there must have been some in the crowd that day as they had not left yet for their service.”

V46 As Jesus approaches and passes through Jericho a large crowd has gathered around him. Bartimaeus, a blind beggar is sitting along the road side asking for money. Blind people had no way of earning money so people would toss money onto the blind mans’ cloak for him to use.

V47 Bartimaeus hears this large crowd approaching and is wondering who it is. Someone must have told him it was Jesus of Nazareth so he began to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” He doesn’t just shout it once but over and over. In addition to calling attention to himself he was shouting a politically dangerous statement. Son of David indicated Messiah-new king and temple priests are watching and listening.

V48 Many tell the man to be quiet but what they are actually saying is “shut up, quit causing a scene, this is an important teacher and he doesn’t have time for you.” But Bartimaeus yells even louder.

V49 Jesus stops and says bring the man to me so the people around Bartimaeus tell him the Rabbi has stopped and is calling for you. Think of the excitement that Bartimaeus must have felt to find out a well known Rabbi was asking for him. Nobody asked for Bartimaeus, ever. He was invisible on the side of the road. We love to pass by the invisible people and to be noticed ourselves.

V50 Bartimaeus throws off his cloak. The money he has collected from begging is sent flying. This money was all he had in the world to survive on and away it flies with the cloak. A blind man doesn’t just toss his stuff away as it would be almost impossible to find it again. But this time a blind man “sees” what the sighted crowd around Jesus cannot “see”. This is the Son of David, the Messiah who would bring healing and if Bartimaeus can be healed so be it. This is the first time in Mark that someone calls Jesus the Son of David-the king. Prior to this only the demons have called Jesus “the Holy One of God. The demons have seen who Jesus is; the people have been blind to it.

V51 Jesus asks what Bartimaeus wants from him and the obvious answer would be sight but that meant a total life shift for Bartimaeus as now he would have to work for money. Income would not come as easily as it had while he was blind and only had to sit by the side of the road. Bartimaeus says “Rabboni” (My Teacher) let me see again. If he wants to see again he must have at one time had sight and lost it. He wants to be whole again, he wants to be able to enter the Temple and worship (as a blind man he could not enter the Temple), he wants to be apart of the community again.

V52 Jesus replies “Go, your faith has made you well”. What faith has made him well? His faith and knowledge that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah; his faith that Jesus could and would heal him and his faith in that healing to return his sight back to him as he had tossed his cloak wildly aside. Immediately his sight is restored by his faith in Jesus and he followed him on the way to Jerusalem. Jesus has said “Go” but Bartimaeus didn’t go his own way rejoicing in his good luck he followed the man who had restored his sight. An invisible man on the side of the road has been noticed by Jesus and is now a part of his community. I wonder if the others could see Bartimaeus as Jesus did or were they annoyed that a defective man was now with the “in” crowd. Most of the crowd is excited for the revolt that they think will be taking place and their king is stopped by an invisible, loud man who calls attention to himself. Furthermore their king stops and pays attention to the man; I think they may have been a little miffed, jealous and mad. Our king has more important things to do than to be bothered by you, Bartimaeus. Don’t we exhibit the same reaction? We have more important things to do for the church than dealing with some invisible people on the margins of society. Our work is lofty but Jesus says No! I, Jesus, formed the church for the primary purpose of helping the invisible people on the margins of society. If I can take the time to stop and help in my journey so can you. You were made for service and I have demonstrated that to you with my own actions. One of the most eye opening things of this economic downfall is how fast one can move from the “in” crowd to the margins of society, from the visible to the invisible and how we just pass by them thinking “Gee that’s too bad I’m sure it’s something they have done, otherwise they would not be in that mess; our church work is more important.”