My Sisters and Brothers:
In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that “the Good Shepard . . . calls his own sheep by name” (see John 10:1-21). With this in mind, today’s Gospel presents us with the story of the “blind beggar named Bartimaeus” (see Mark 10:46-52). The “name” given to this blind beggar is very interesting to me because the word really was not a bona fide name at all, but rather was a description of who he was. “Bartimaeus” simply meant “the son of Timaeus” (see verse 46).
In Biblical times, many “people on the fringe” were thought to have had very little or no value at all as members of society, and like the blind beggar of today’s Gospel were essentially “nameless” to others. These would have included those who were sickened, crippled, blinded, possessed, impoverished, widowed and/or orphaned (just to mention a few). It was thought that many, if not all of those people, were stricken as such because of their sins, or because of the sins of their parents or relatives. It was believed as well that such “sinners” deserved little, if any, favor with God, and certainly why those who were in contrast regarded as “the righteous ones” deprived them of the dignity of being respectfully called “by name.” Those “sinners” therefore, the most marginalized of society, were completely shunned, discriminated against, and even treated with “holy contempt.”
Let’s not miss the subtle irony then presented by the blind man’s “name” given in today’s Gospel account! For those who actually witnessed this event, and for those who first heard about it in the earliest days of the church, even the “non-name” given to “Bartimaues” would have further underscored and highlighted his “worthlessness.”
According to Mark, “on hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, ‘Bartimaeus’ began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, son of David, have pity on me’ . . . and many rebuked him, telling him to be silent . . . but he kept calling out all the more, ‘Son of David, have pity on me’” (see verses 47-48). The people in the crowd, undoubtedly many of them “religious people,” must have felt justified as they tried to silence this “sinner” who cried out to Jesus. But the radical Jesus introduced to faith filled people a whole new way of thinking about and affirming the dignity of every single human being, even those previously thought to be unworthy of God’s love.
In response to “Bartimaeus,” and as with so many others who begged him for forgiveness, Jesus demonstrated a different way of treating “sinners.” Jesus was merciful, he was patient, he was loving and he was kind. Jesus looked into the eyes and into the hearts of those who were bowed down; Jesus lifted them up and called them by name, and he assured them they were loved by God! Jesus rejected attitudes that negated the value and dignity of other human beings, especially when those others were marginalized and essentially rendered as “nameless.” Instead, Jesus forgave those who were thought to have been “sinners,” he welcomed the outcasts, the marginalized and the scorned.
It’s no surprise to me then that when “Bartimaeus” called out to Jesus with faith and persistence, Jesus immediately cured him and gave him sight. Therefore, let us model our behavior towards others after Jesus who reached out those who were thought to be sinful and unworthy, and like Jesus may we value and cherish all of the people with whom we come into contact every day of our lives. Like “Bartimaeus,” may we also have faith and always believe that we are forgiven and precious in God’s eyes, and may we know that because of his great love for us, our God calls each one of us “by name.”
Praise God! Friar Timothy
Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo
No comments:
Post a Comment