(Mark 10.46-52)

Bartimeus’ request to Jesus is that he might see again, this means that he has not been blind all of his life. He begs by the Temple gate and has needed to adjust himself to the reality of being blind. He hears stories about Jesus who is able to heal people. He is uneasy with what he is hearing because it raises the possibility of him being healed. He has adjusted to being blind because he has accepted the reality. To now think of being able to see again will make the blindness all the harder to deal with. 

Then he hears that this Jesus is walking right by him. He has to make a choice. Does he keep quiet and take security from the life he has grown used to? Does he shout out and admit to himself that he is not happy with his life and wants it to change. People tell him to keep quiet but he calls out - even more. Once he has admitted to himself what he wants out of life he can’t go back to how he felt before. He will be restless and dissatisfied for ever remembering that there was the possibility of him being healed. Jesus hears him crying out and calls him over – the rest is history. 

Who do you feel yourself most like in this story? Are you Bartimaeus the outsider crying out for help? Are you the disciples who seemed annoyed at the commotion he is making – ‘Get up quickly’ they say, we don’t have time to stop for every person who shouts out for attention! Another nutcase, someone who wants something from Jesus! He is our leader and it is for us to protect him so that together we can get on with the real mission at hand. We must not allow Jesus to be distracted. 

God’s kingdom turns this world upside down. In physical terms Bartimaeus is the blind man, but at a deeper level it is the people around him who lack vision. What Bartimaeus lacks in eye sight he makes up in insight. 

Within this story there are lessons about who holds the power to exclude the blind beggars of this world and who has the power to include those whose view of the world is different to out own. There is a message about healing by inclusion and disabling by exclusion. 

Where are we – by the side of the road shouting out for help or in the crowd blocking and in the way. When Bartimaeus is finally brought before Jesus the healing is very straight forward. Jesus asks him what he wants him to do and them Jesus heals him without any fuss. We can be that specific in what we may ask of god – maybe we should be doing just that. 

Asking Jesus for healing is taking responsibility for our lives. Jesus is careful to ask Bartimaeus what he wants from him and equally we are not asking God to do our thinking for us – it is miracle not magic that Jesus offers. Asking Jesus for help is ultimately taking responsibility for our own lives and accepting what it is that we need his help on.