SERMONS

The Reverend Angela L. Ying

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

I wonder how long Bartimaeus had to cry out? Ten minutes? Ten days? Ten months? Ten years? Somehow, I have a hunch, it was more than ten years. Blind beggar Bartimaeus cried long and hard. I am sure he cried out before, but to no avail.

Perhaps, for some time, he stopped crying out — too ashamed, too embarrassed, too beaten down. But this time, for some reason, he knew it was different. For some reason, Bartimaeus knew this time he had a real chance. Something so deep, deeper than words, was calling out …

Did he know Jesus not just by words but through every day experience – through Jesus’ life? No one would have suspected this.

Bartimaeus was easy to overlook, pass-over, simply ignore. And yet, strangely enough, Bartimaeus knew Jesus. I mean really knew Jesus. He did not need his eyes to know Jesus.

He knew Jesus could connect with his own brokenness and his pain. He knew Jesus could heal him and make him see again. When the people saw him, heard Bartimaeus, they told him to be quiet. That could have been the end of the story.

But instead, when the crowd sternly told him to be quiet, Bartimaeus cried out even more loudly, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”

How he lost his sight in the first place, we do not know. All we know is that Bartimaeus was willing to do anything  – even risk making a spectacle of himself — for the chance to see again.

A small chance had come his way and he was not going to take it for granted, for it may not come again. Though the crowd initially thought differently, Bartimaeus stumbled upon Jesus and would not let him go.

And to our and the crowd’s surprise, we listen as Jesus on this Jericho stopped instead of walking by on the other side. We need to know from the context that Jesus, with the disciples and the crowd, were getting ready to approach Jerusalem. For the crowd, this meant a parade. For Jesus, as we know in the Gospel of Mark, this means the Passion – the crucifixion, death and resurrection — the way of the Cross. Both the parade and the Passion would have been big enough reasons not to stop to listen. And yet, Jesus did stop.

“Call him here.” What a profound teaching and healing moment.

As classic literature states, “Of the great attributes of God, mercy shines even more brilliantly than justice.” What do you think would have happened if Jesus let the people persuade him that there was nothing at stake here?

Paradoxically, it is the blind man, son of Timaeus, who can see who Jesus really is and the disciples and crowds who really don’t see.

Jesus could have chosen to take care of Bartimaeus in a private setting – all alone. Rather, Jesus invites the very same crowd, who out of their own fear — have been thinking and saying to Bartimaeus, “shut up, will you?” — to go and get this human being.

“Call him here.” We listen as the crowd, in Jesus’ presence, now see! How amazing is that!

For with three words, “Call him here,” the crowd of people now find the courage within themselves, within ourselves, to say to the same human being, whom they have been trying to keep quiet to save their own face — “Take heart, stand up (and be counted),  Jesus is calling you.

Everyone’s eyes are now on blind Bartimaeus, for he has gotten Jesus to pay attention.

Why do you think Jesus asks Bartimaeus “What do you want me to do for you?” Isn’t it obvious? Couldn’t he just heal Bartimaeus and be done with it? Perhaps ….And yet, Jesus does not presume he knows what is best for Bartimaeus.

Jesus, the baptized, beloved, transfigured, willing to be crucified son of God does not presume he knows what is best for another human being.

He does not want to hear from the crowd of people what they think is best of Bartimaeus, nor does Jesus get the disciples to huddle around him and find out what the disciples would prescribe.

Jesus does not engage in triangulation where A tells B that C needs D. Take note. Jesus chooses to ask Bartimaeus, himself, “What do you want me to do for you?” And with bold courage, Bartimaeus tells him exactly what Bartimaeus wants, not knowing whether he will receive it.

“My teacher, let me see again.”

How would you answer Jesus’ question? Would you have an answer? Or would you, as the church has sadly taught us all too well, that someone such as blind, beggar Bartimaeus is worthy of Jesus’ healing, but not you and certainly, not me.

I am afraid that you and I can cry out and cry out loudly, even get Jesus to pay attention, but our own fears and worries of being appropriate, not offending or saying anything that could make someone upset — might be what stops us dead in our tracks when Jesus asks “What do you want me, Jesus, to do for you?”

Do you know what you want Jesus to do for you? For what you would ask Jesus? Do we at Bethany know what we want Jesus to do for us?

Perhaps, Bartimaeus is not so blind after all — he seems to see quite clearly what is most important in life. For this faithful, blind beggar, Bartimaeus, why he wastes no time in delusions of grandeur or false pride — he throws off his old raggedy cloak, springs up as a seed from the fertile ground and comes to Jesus.  An incredible act of faith.

Jesus could have given Bartimaeus what he wanted and left. And yet, if we see Jesus, you and I would come to discover that this Jesus heals not just part of a person, but the whole human being.

You see, Jesus not only gives Bartimaeus his sight, so he can see again — Jesus restores Bartimaeus’ dignity and humanity … Jesus gives him back something that cannot be bought, bartered or belittled. Jesus gives Bartimaeus life!

For when you and I are able to not only see, but are given our humanity back, we also receive from Jesus our courage and voice to ask and to receive, to give grace and to respond with grace.

Alice Walker writes: “No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.”

Strange and beautiful as it seems, Jesus asks Bartimaeus the same question he asks his disciples James and John — “What do you want me to do for you?”

Initially, I found this rather odd that Jesus would ask Bartimaeus this question, until I remember the story just before this one in the Bible, where Jesus asks James and John, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:35-45)

The disciples do not ask to see again. They respond, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask of you… Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Ouch!

A reminder to us in the church community that in our own blindness, we can and will hurt each other and hurt God in ways we do not know, and will need to find the courage each time to go to Jesus and stand in and with the One who can heal us, so we can see again.

I realize at one point or another, Bartimaeus could have stopped believing, could have stopped having faith. His relentless cry, his cry even louder than before, even that, may have been easier to carry through than the deeper and more difficult task of answering Jesus’ question of knowing what we want Jesus to do for us.

This week I spent a lot of time crying out to God. The 8.9 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan very close to where my Japanese relatives and friends live, is heavy on my heart.

Thousands dead, mostly from drowing. Thousands missed and thousands needing to evacuate because three of the six radioactive nuclear reactors could and will have a meltdown if they are not cooled off soon. Thousands seeking food, shelter and water.

I feel helpless and hopeless, until the courage of Jesus and Bartimaeus remind me, “Take heart, get up, Jesus is calling me and you:”

To pray

To pay attention

To organize with the United Church of Christ

To work together with our international brothers and sisters in Japan and around the world

To keep praying and crying to God for mercy on us, on the people of Japan, on people everywhere

To have courage that healing is possible, if we work together here in this community and in Japan, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Haiti and wherever God calls us to serve in God’s world

Jesus restores Bartimaeus’ sight not only because of his relentless cry for mercy … “Christ have mercy” — but because of Bartimaeus’ faith, despite everything, that healing is not just possible — he and all the people around him would be healed. And in response to being healed — in response to being able to see again — Bartimaeus follows Jesus.

After receiving healing, a whole new living, dynamic, action-packed, faith forming experience awaits. Bartimaeus, we are told in Scripture, follows Jesus, “on the way.” He makes the faith commitment to journey with Jesus “on the way.” On the way?

And where is Jesus headed … to Jerusalem, which means, that when we choose to follow Jesus “on the way” — it’s on the way — to the Cross.

A slow and humble walk with Jesus, where we will see things and ask for healing with other people we never thought we would encounter walking with Jesus.

Following Jesus will not be easy. It will require spiritual discipline and every day practice in community together. For we cannot presume you and I know where people need healing.

We will make mistakes on the way. We may even run away from “on the way.” But if we dare to stay on this journey with each other at Bethany, perhaps, healing from Jesus is not only possible — healing comes…

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!