Who’s Blind?

When Denise and I arrived at our Bed and Breakfast in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland this tree was across the way from the B&B. It captured my imagination as I stood and looked at it. In part because of the magic that is Ireland and in part because the very tree seemed to come alive. I wonder how often people drive past this tree without giving it a second glance? I also wonder how many people would stop as I did and recognize a thin place where even the trees seem to reach out and speak of things holy and sacred. But Padre, it is an ordinary tree. There are explanations for why it is shaped the way it is. The wind blows off of the Atlantic and forces trees to grow this way. Yes, that is a scientific explanation but for me it falls short. Somehow these sites in Ireland and elsewhere speak to me of something far greater. They speak to me of the majesty and mystery of the Creator. If you stop and pay attention, who knows what you might see, hear or feel.

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, a similar train of thought might well occur. “As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.” (Mark 10:46) The crowd was leaving Jericho and heading towards Jerusalem. They were heading to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover. As they left the gate, how many people actually saw Bartimaeus sitting by the side of the road? He was just another beggar and it was just another day. It is sort of like people passing by the homeless on the streets today. The nameless and faceless ones we avert our eyes from so that we don’t have to make contact with them. By making them invisible, we can ignore them and ignore the hardness of our own hearts.

There was a funny thing about this particular day, though, as Mark records it. Jesus has healed other blind beggars before. He has also healed the lame and the lepers. However, in this case, the one healed is known by name! Instead of being a nameless person in need on the street, this one had a name. Not only did he have a name, he also had a lineage. This is significant. Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was the name and the lineage of the blind beggar on the side of the road. There is speculation by scholars as to why his name was known and recorded. Perhaps he chose to follow Jesus after his healing? For whatever reason though, he was known by name.

That isn’t the significant thing though about this story as I read it. Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he had better vision than most of the crowd, including the disciples! When he heard the buzz of the crowd and realized that it was this Jesus fellow from Nazareth who was walking by, he spoke out. Now he didn’t say, “Hey, Jesus of Nazareth, can you spare a denarius for a poor blind man?” No, he instead SHOUTED, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)

Wait a minute, the blind dude recognized Jesus? He was the one who shouted out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! And when the crowd tried to shush him up, he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48) How can a blind man recognize Jesus for who he really was. This takes me back to the tree across from our B&B in Dingle. Something caught my eye when I saw the tree and it spoke to my heart. Every time I look at the picture I took in May of 2014, it speaks to me in a different way. Tonight it reminds me of Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus, the blind man who reached out to Jesus and called him by name. As the tree seems to reach out, so does Blind Bartimaeus the beggar on the side of the road.

The crowd tried to shush him up… but he only got louder! He got so loud that Jesus took notice of him and told the crowd to call Bartimaeus and tell him to come before him. What was the response of this blind beggar on the side of the road? Did he gingerly get up and walk in the general direction of the noise? Nope! He sprang up, threw off his cloak, and ran to Jesus! Casting off all that was familiar, he ran to Jesus. He ran with a faith and a certainty he hadn’t felt in years. He cast off his cloak which was a form of protection, and ran to Jesus. After Jesus asked him what he wanted, Bartimaeus once more shows the depth of his understanding and the sight he had despite his blindness. He calls Jesus his teacher, his rabbi! Jesus, the Son of David, the Messiah, the Rabbi. How did Bartimaeus see what the disciples themselves couldn’t see?

It makes me wonder just who is truly blind in this story. The one who couldn’t see physically saw clearer than the ones who had their physical sight. He got it! He understood who Jesus was. Peter and the gang were still fumbling around and trying to figure things out. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, recognized Jesus and sought him out.

The end result is that Bartimaeus was healed. The sight he longed for was restored. The one who had better spiritual sight than the others could physically see as well. And what happens when Jesus says to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:52a) Does he run off having received what he wanted from Jesus? Nope! He “regained his sight and followed him on the way.” (Mark 10:52b)

This makes me think of the powerful hymn John Newton penned in 1779. John Newton had once been blinded by greed and money, not caring one whit that he bargained in human lives. Yet the blind Newton had his eyes opened over the course of time and came to understand the gravity of what he was doing in God’s sight. God opened his eyes and what did he do? He responded by turning from his atheistic and libertine ways to serve the Lord. Not only did he become an Anglican priest, he penned the words to this wonderful hymn of faith AND influenced William Wilberforce and others to lead the charge in the abolition of slavery in England. Like Bartimaeus, he regained his sight and followed the Lord.

I have spent plenty of time wandering around in a wilderness of my own making. During that time, even though I was sighted, I was for all intents and purposes, blind. Yet somehow, the Lord heard the cries of my heart that even I didn’t hear. He heard them and he called me… come, follow me. Come back home, Michael… I am not finished with you yet… there is more for you to do.

He hears your cry… he sees you on the side of the road… he calls you by name. Allow him to restore your sight so that you can join me in following him…