crofftdesigns

Lent 5B (March 25, 2012) Mark 10:46-52

        Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him,
       “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”
       Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.               Mark 10:51-52

We are very near to Jerusalem now -- in fact, in the very next verses (11:1-11) we will hear Mark's account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem next Sunday.

But for today we hear this one last miracle of healing, of faith, of restoration and discipleship enacted in the most basic way: in the act of following.

Mary W. Anderson (in the article 'Blind Spots', Christian Century/2003) discusses the passage in its 'usual' lectionary placement: the end of October. She sees a connection between Bartimaeus and the Reformation. Seeing and believing miracles are so strong and generally do emphasize growth in faith over 'taking off dark glasses.' (ibid.)

Those who, like Bartimaeus, 'see' Jesus and recognize who he is, are able to follow him and practice a life of discipleship. Of course that required reformation/change (loss) and THAT we will resist tooth and nail.

The other point that really struck me from my studies of the passage this week came from Michaela Bruzzesse in the article 'Let Us See Again!' in Sojourner's Living the Word/ 2003. Blind Bart is lauded by biblical scholars as a paradigm of discipleship, an example of God's attention to the vulnerable one who is persistent. He knows he is blind and needs to be healed and follows Jesus immediately.

But go back to the beginning of the month and another one who came for healing and had to be persistent, not to other folks who shushed her, but to Jesus himself! The Syrophoenician woman came to him for her daughter's healing and she would not give up until she had been heard. She is almost grudgingly acknowledged as the one person in all of scripture to whom Jesus conceded the point in a verbal debate. And she is not named; not lauded for her faith and her courage to stand up to Jesus when she was on God's right side; she is not remembered by the church fathers or many of today's theologians as a key player in the freeing of the world from sin and death.

   +how might we re-vision our faith today so that both our vision and our practice may be liberating AND seek the well-being of all?

   +what might our unborn grandchildren (as adults one day) look back at from our current day and say, how could they have been so blind not to have seen that? to have allowed it to continue?

   +what is one big thing that you need to change/allow to be reformed so you'll be turned in the right direction and be able to follow Jesus?