Sunday 25 October 2009

Background

Mark's account of the journey to Jerusalem is studded with dramaand hints of danger. It begins (10:32) with thedisciples' amazement and fear as Jesus strides out ahead ofthem.

Soon they reach Jericho, but according to Mark, nothing happensthere; it is only when Jesus and his friends are leaving the townthat things liven up. One of the beggars sitting by the side of theroad is creating quite a commotion. We know him only as blindBartimaeus - which means quite simply 'son of Timaeus'. Does hehave a name of his own, we may wonder?

So insistent and noisy is this man that in our own time he might begiven an ASBO. He's trying to attract the attention of Jesus. Newshas come to him that Jesus has been in town, and the hubbub goingon around him can only mean that this is the crowd mobbing Jesus ashe departs. Bartimaeus must act now or it will be too late.Ignoring the protests of the bystanders close to him, Bartimaeusyells at the top of his voice to attract Jesus' attention.

Jesus is drawn to this clamour, and he summons Bartimaeus to him.In the conversation that follows we see that Bartimaeus isabsolutely clear about his goal in all this fuss. He wants to seeagain. (Evidently his blindness is not from birth.)

Christian teaching has to engage seriously with two apparentopposites. On the one hand there is the grace of God: God's lovefreely given; God's mercy poured out for everyone; new life offeredto all. On the other hand there is equally clear insistence that wehave to respond positively to God's love. God's goodness is indeedfree, and can change even the most determined denier of faith(think only of Saul of Tarsus, a one-time avid persecutor ofChristians, who, after seeing a vision of the Lord, ultimatelybecame responsible for spreading the good news of Jesus throughouteastern Europe and western Asia - Acts 22). But themost important aspect of this change lies in our relationship withGod. God's love comes first, but we are free to ignore it ordismiss it - or to receive it and embrace it.

Bartimaeus went one step further. He knew what he wanted - hissight renewed. He believed that Jesus could bring it about for himand he would not take no for an answer. Here is another element inthe mix, to which Jesus refers in more than one parable. There is aplace for us to be clear-sighted and proactive - as Bartimaeus was- and to persist in our prayers.

To Ponder

To what extent are you prepared to be a noisynuisance like Bartimaeus?

Are you clear about what you desire from yourrelationship with God? What is that?

Are you ready, in the end, to recognise that Godhas the first and the last word? What issues are you strugglingwith at the moment that might benefit from this realisation?