“Let Me See Again”

October 24, 2021

First Lesson Psalm 126

¹ When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
² Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

⁴ Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
⁵ May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
⁶ Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

Second Lesson Mark 10:46-52

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ 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.” ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

I learned a new word preparing for this sermon.  It makes sense once I thought about it, but it caught me off guard that it was even such a thing.  But like so many things, we can’t see them, until we do.  We all know about racism, ageism, sexism and nationalism.  Prejudice is at the core of these isms.  And for the most part the isms are not a good thing. But we also have baptism and contextualism that are positive, supporting an action.  I will let you decide about capitalism and socialism.   The word I learned was ableism.  Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability.  The very use of the word dis-abled, not abled, speaks to this prejudice.  I understand it helps us speak about groups, but why not use synonyms like “differently abled” or the one I like is “exceptional.”

In our gospel lesson today, Bartimaeus is a blind man, a person defined by two things.  He is the son of Timaeus, “bar” means son of, hence the name Bartimaeus. Secondly, he is a blind man.  His lack of sight has led him to sit by the side of the road and beg.  A liminal character: outside of the city, outside of the path, outside of the light, and outside of the economy, Bartimaeus, like many beneficiaries of Jesus’ healing, embodies the effects of social exclusion.  Yet for us to understand this story we need a little bit of context; contextualism.  This is the second time Jesus has healed a blind man.  The first time Jesus places spit on his eyes and asks him what he sees (Mk. 8:22-26).  He says, “I can see people, but they look like walking trees.”  Isn’t that how it feels without our glasses???  Ultimately Jesus restores his sight and sends him home quietly.  What happens between the first and the second healing of sight is Jesus’ three prophecies of his crucifixion?  Jesus tells his disciples that he will die and rise again. A clarifying moment. At first the reader, like the first blind man, gets only a garbled, blurry view of Jesus like walking trees, but after the news of the cross, with Bartimaeus, things come at last into crisp focus (Working Preacher Sarah Hinlicky Wilson).

The psalm shouts for joy in the way that I would imagine Bartimaeus felt when Jesus restored his sight.  It is a joyful moment, a whole moment, a restored moment.  No longer is Bartimaeus disable, now he is fully able and full sighted.  Yet Bartimaeus had faith, took action, in order to regain his sight.  Three things to note.  First Bartimaeus recognizes, sees, Jesus as the Son of David.  He is blind but he sees what the disciples and followers cannot: Jesus’ royal heritage, his power, his agency from God.  He faithfully cries out to the Son of David.  So often we as sighted people cannot see what is right in front of us, much like the disciples.  But the blind man sees, the blind man does not get caught in all the trappings of what should or shouldn’t happen.  He is the first to call Jesus by this name, the first to see him for what he is, the Messiah, the Son of David.

Secondly, Bartimaeus asks for mercy.  That is a wonderful open request.  But when we look at the previous stories in this chapter, we discover how remarkable that is.  The Rich man asks for eternal life (10:17-31) while James and John ask for honor and glory (10: 35-37).  By contrast the blind man asks for mercy.  He is asking for compassion to end his suffering.  For forgiveness.  For wholeness.  Interestingly, Jesus asks James and John the same question, “What do you want me to do for you?” (36).  They want to sit with Jesus in glory, Bartimaeus wants to see again. One commentator writes, “Jesus has not come to bestow power and honor but to open eyes to the new spiritual, social, and material realities made possible when God reigns. When it comes to understanding what Jesus has come to do, the disciples James and John are more “blind” than Bartimaeus” (Working Preacher, Matt Skinner).

Finally, Bartimaeus acts with faith in throwing off his cloak.  At first it seems like a small matter, like throwing the covers off your bed.  But a cloak is a very valuable possession.  His cloak is a piece that provides warmth in hostile weather conditions, a valuable piece that would allow him to sleep at night or to throw it in front of him to collect money. The garment is also a sign of status and power. A blind person would be well advised to keep this possession close.  But he throws it off, confidently faithful that Jesus will heal him.  How often do we have that kind of faith when we approach Jesus in prayer?  Are we sure we will get our request answered, do we make those prayers in sincere faith?

Bartimaeus sees Jesus, asks Jesus and he comes in faith to answer Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Bartimaeus wants to see again.  What about you?  If Jesus were standing here, asking you that question, what would you ask for?  Maybe something came straight away, then faithfully ask for that in prayer.  Maybe you are drawing a blank, then ask God to help you see what you could be asking for in faith.

Seeing is so much more than 20/20 vision.  It is more than answering the Dr. when she says one or two when we get our eyes tested.  It is so much more than keeping our prescriptions current or having cataract surgery.   Seeing is how we see ourselves in the world.  Do we value ourselves and others?  Can we ask the tough questions about our implicit biases that can degrade into prejudice? Can we sit with the uncomfortable reality that we are all prejudice?  That we all have lenses through which we see the world that favor some and discriminate against others.  The lenses might be different, but they color how we move through and think about the world.   If that makes you defensive, then I invite you to write about what it means to be prejudice?   It does not mean that we discriminate, but rather that we prejudge, that we make assumptions about others that are not true.  More than likely we see ourselves and our history in a favorable light that may preclude us from seeing a new reality, a different reality. Can we examine who we are in light of our new sight, our faithful sight.

Bartimaeus asked Jesus for mercy and we can too. Mercy to see our prejudice and ask for God’s healing. One commentator writes, “we lay our souls bare at the mercy of God. Then, and only then, can we be truly healed.

We put aside our doubts that come with the things we can and cannot see. And we begin to “see” with our mind’s eye, with our spiritual eye. The more we trust in Jesus’ presence, in Jesus’ power, in Jesus’ identity, and in Jesus’ mercy and compassion, the more we will feel his healing in our minds, hearts, and bones.

Today, I want you to close your eyes and really see Jesus. Feel him around you, feel his love for you and his boundless mercy. See his light and feel his warmth encasing you. Know the power of his healing touch.

As you leave this place, leave healed and refreshed. And may the power of the Holy Spirit remain with you, encouraging you and nourishing you through this week and through your life.”  (Sermons.com, Lori Wagner)

Let’s pray:

Lord, heal my spirit, even as I open my eyes to the wonder of your presence. Today, I see you as you truly are: alive and vibrant, present in my life, and filled with light. Put your healing hands upon me, remove from me my doubts, my debts, and my pain, and fill me with your peace.

Amen