30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Mark 10:46-52
I remember when I fell in love with the story of Bartimaeus.
It was about 10 years ago when, for the first time
I went to the annual meeting of the
Network of Biblical Storytellers in Dayton Ohio.
Anyway, This group…the Network…
Was founded by a Methodist minister and Academic,
Tom Boomershine
Book: Rediscovering the Gospel as Story
Systematic study of the Gospel narratives as story
If you were to visit Dr. Boomershine’s Church
You might experience the Gospel performed,
rather than proclaimed from the Lectern.
It must have been year B because the workshops were all focused on the Gospel of Mark…
And one in particular centered around the Bartimaeus story.
I remember it like it was yesterday
…there is POWER in a well-told story
There are standard characteristics of good storytelling
One of the most effective is the use of contrasts
In this story
There are 5 moves to the story…and at least 8 contrasts
1. The very first line… “THEY CAME TO JERICHO.”
Period. Small sentence.
And as they were leaving…disciples…large crowd, Bart, son of, blind beggar, sitting…
THEY CAME. THEY WENT.
JERICHO=PLACE OF HONOR, BEGGAR=SHAME
2. No question…Bart is shouting. This is dramatic!
Just like when the disciples try and shoo away the children,
those around Bart tell him to shut-up…the Greek is that strong.
But again, Bart shouts EVEN louder “SOD HAVE MERCY!”
SHUT UP/GET LOUDER
3. Jesus stops.
“Call him. “
short sentences, calm-clear command.
Bart=anything but calm…THREW OFF, SPRANG UP, AND CAME
hands searching for the way, out of breath
4. The scene now gets intimate.
The contrast is now between James and John and Bart.
Jesus asks the exact same question:
what do you want me to do for you?
They ask for power and honor
Bart asks for sight
I want to see
5. This section of Mark’s Gospel
is bookended with 2 stories of healing blindness
In the first the disciples brought the blind man to Jesus
begging him to touch him
Jesus LED him outside the village
SPAT on his eyes…laid his hands on Him…but it didn’t quite take
then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes.
And the blind man could see.
Jesus says ‘GO HOME’ and he goes.
In the 2nd…it is Bart who comes to Jesus
And Jesus does nothing
He simply sys ‘GO’
Your faith has saved you
And he DOESN’T go…he follows.
It seems to me that, as a whole, Bartimaeus is the epitome of CONTRAST
all along these past 7-8 weeks we have heard about the disciples
The inner circle
Those privileged to receive Jesus’ direct teaching
How they have been
confused, uncomfortable…maybe even BLIND
And then Bartimaeus, who, by any standard,
should know absolutely NOTHING
He…Gets it right.
This past week I asked myself, and Rob, and a few friends Jesus’ question
What so you want me to do for you?
-less anxiety in the everyday lives of people close to me
-help to stop drinking so much
-lets just say MORE…MORE savings, MORE close friends, MORE energy, MORE adventure in my life, MORE!
These don’t sound so Bad
Beter than More Power and the privilege to sit at HIS right and left in the Kingdom!
But not Bartimaeus!
And maybe that’s the point of the story.
Maybe Bartimaeus’ ASK
Is the ONE, essential, prayer???
Lord, Help me to see!
Help me to see where you are in all this
Where are you
In the Middle East mess
In Iran
Palestine
Isreal
Where are you in Ukraine
Russia, China, North Korea
Where are you in the
Blue or Red
Red or Blue
Lord, HELP ME to SEE
Give me whatever I need
To set myself beside the road
Willing to shout out in my blindness
Willing to leave behind
What I need to leave
In order to follow you.
Lord, Help me to SEE
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