Monday, October 25, 2021

Still Clinging?*

 Homily, Sunday October 22, 2021

Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52


            

 

It is such a short story

Just a few verses

It almost causes a sleepy yawn (I can make myself yawn…who knew;)

…another story about Jesus healing a blind man

…or is it??? ;) ;)

 

In these few verses

THERE. ARE. SURPRISES. EVERYWHERE!!!

 

 

I’m guessing that all of you have heard the phrase

…related to real estate:

“Location, location, location”

 

Experiencing all the SURPRISES in this text

Is all about location 

 

Throughout this liturgical year

We have been following the arc of the Story of Jesus

Through the lens of Mark and the Marcan community 

Since early September we have been hearing          

from the mid-section of Mark’s Gospel

It is called the “Journey Narrative”

Jesus is always coming and going from various towns

…always heading to Jerusalem

 

This section is bookended by two stories 

Two stories about blind men who regain their sight

The first one…which we did not read on Sunday…

Is a gradual healing story

Jesus takes the action

He spits into the blind man’s eyes

At first he only partially sees…people look like trees

And then Jesus gives it a second go to completion

 

The purpose of this first bookend story is to prepare the hearers…us

for just how difficult it is to change the way we see

To see with fresh eyes. 

 

Jesus has an agenda as he journeys toward Jerusalem

He wants his disciples to “get it”

To “get it” deeply enough to survive what will happen in Jerusalem.

Their heads are full of false expectations

…of Conquering Messiahs not Suffering Servants.
They need fresh eyes.

 

The SURPRISES are not just in today’s text

They are all over this section

 

2 weeks ago: SURPRISE!

The pious young rich man

Who calls Jesus “Good Teacher”

A very observant Jew

Follows all the commandments

“Since birth” the text says

SURPRISE! He is the one who fails the discipleship test!

He can’t take that next step toward following Jesus.

 

And last week

SURPRISE!

The disciples, the ones who have been hanging out with Jesus 

The ones who have benefitted from private tutoring! 

They are caught…it is comical:

“Teacher…we wish you to do whatever we ask you”
“Well then…O brilliant ones, 

what do you wish that I should do for you?”

“Grant us that we should sit 
one at your right hand and one at your left

…IN YOUR GLORY”

 

It is surprising who doesn’t “get it”

And it’s more surprising WHO DOES!

The outsiders

Those who know nothing!

Those who have never read the prophets

Never been to the Temple

The Syrophoenician woman

The Little children 

(who count for nothing in the ancient near-east)

And this week

A BLIND BEGGER!

And he has a name

In an honor-shame society

His name means “son of honor”

This would cause lots of eyebrows to raise

Bartimeaus is clearly on the shame side of the Honor-Shame divide!

 

Everyone want Bartimaeus to quiet down

“SHUT UP” the disciples and the crowd say

“Be quiet

Stay on your beggar’s mat

Don’t bother the Teacher”

But… Bartimaeus…shouts all the more loudly

 

“Jesus, Son of David (where did he get that?)…Have Mercy on Me!”

 

BUT the biggest surprise of all is how Bartimaeus responds

“He threw off his outer garment

Sprang up, and came to Jesus”

 

Remember, the Rich Young Man who couldn’t take that next step.

But here is Bartimaeus 

throwing off his one and only possession

A beggar’s cloak…it’s his protection, it’s his warmth, it’s his roof, it’s his home

 

And Jesus, echoing exactly what he earlier asked his disciples, says

“What do you wish that I should do for you?”

 

They asked for POWER…to sit at the right and the left

Bartimaeus asks for the gift of sight

 

Everything the disciples got wrong

Bartimaeus gets right

 

The surprise of Bartimaeus

Puts a question to us

Just as it did to the disciples

 

Following is hard

We are taught NOT to follow

NOT to be “followers”

The very word is derogatory

 

But it isn’t being a follower that’s the problem, is it? 

Its choosing to follow the wrong person…

It’s bad choosing that can cause our own suffering

 

The Bartimaeus question is

Why am I still clinging to my cloak?

What IS my cloak?

What is it that keeps me from choosing well?

 

Surprise!

This is much more than a healing story

This is a call story

A call for me and for you

 

Jesus told Bartimaeus to GO

But he didn’t GO

He came.

He followed Jesus.

Wherever that might lead.

 

His faith saved him, the story says

He is set free to choose

To go or to follow…he chooses well.

 

 

Thursday at the Food Pantry

Some of us experienced a kind of Bartimaeus moment

 

One of the Pantry’s clients

After having loaded her groceries into her car

Came back in, to the sign in desk… 

Mary Ellen and Peggy were sitting there

I was visiting them since my station was empty…

This client came back in

She leaned on the check in table

And reminded us “Don’t forget” she said

“Don’t forget…always, always, give GOD the Glory”

 

After she left

There was a palpable quiet

Her proclamation of faith surprised us…

 

And in receiving her witness

In some way…for me…I believe…

My own faith was deepened

 

For Mark

Miracles don’t produce faith

Miracles are experienced by people with faith

 

I don’t know

But the Food Pantry

Just might have been a miracle for that woman on that Thursday

It seemed that way to me

And her exuberant profession of faith 

Was. Contagious.

It caused Peggy and I to struggle to remember that childhood song

“Rise and shine and give God the glory glory”

 

I think…I believe…she helped to remove some blindness.

 

Miracles don’t produce faith

It is faith that gives us the eyes to see them

To see God in all things

 

And…I don’t know

Maybe THIS is a miracle

Our being here today???

 

Gathered as a community at worship

In word

And remembrance

And sacrament

 

ALL so that when we go from here…

We go with our sight a bit keener 

 

And maybe

Like Bartimaeus…and the woman at the food pantry… 

We might profess exuberantly 

And in a contagious way

our faith that Christ has set us free

…Free to toss aside our cloak.

Free to love and to serve 

All the way to Jerusalem!

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