Like Bartimaeus in today's gospel, I would long to open my eyes.

Bartimaeus truly exemplifies the disciple who sees where the way ahead leads

and yet follows and believes Jesus.

Jesus’ followers, blinded and broken as they are by grief and despair.

Like Bartimaeus, Jesus’ followers begin to ‘see’ once more.

 

 

1st Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12

Like newborn children,

Seek eagerly for the pure milk of the word that will help you grow and reach salvation. Did you not taste the goodness of the Lord? He is the living stone, rejected by people, but chosen by God, and precious to him; set yourselves close to him, so that you, too, become living stones, built into a spiritual temple, a holy community of priests, offering spiritual sacrifices that please God, through Jesus Christ.

 

You are a chosen race, a community of priest-kings, a consecrated nation, a people God has made his own, to proclaim his wonders. For he called you, from your darkness, to his own wonderful light. At one stage, you were no people, but, now, you are God's people, you had not received his mercy, but now you have been given mercy.

 

Beloved, while you are strangers and exiles, I urge you, not to indulge in selfish passions that wage war on the soul. Live a blameless life, among the pagans; so, when they accuse you falsely of any wrong, they may see your good works and give glory to God, on the day he comes to them.

 

Ps 100:2, 3, 4, 5  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

 

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth passing by, he began to call out, "Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!" Many people scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying, "Take heart! Get up, he is calling you!" He immediately threw aside his cloak, jumped up and went to Jesus.

Then Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said, "Master, let me see again!" And Jesus said to him, "Go your way, your faith has made you well." And, immediately, he could see, and he followed Jesus along the road.

 

Reflection:

"Let me see again."

In Mark's Gospel, the concentration of Jesus' teaching on discipleship is found in the unit that runs from Mark 8:22 to 10:52. This unit appears to have been framed by Jesus' healing of the two blind men on two different occasions: the blind man from Bethsaida (cf. Mk. 8:22-26) and Bartimaeus at the gate of Jericho (cf. Mk. 10:46- 52).

 

These particular narratives appear as bookends to Jesus' teaching on discipleship in Mark's Gospel. We have already reflected on the point that in Mark's Gospel, the disciples were too slow to understand the message of Jesus' messiahship. Jesus taught them service and self-sacrifice. They kept on eyeing political power and self-aggrandizing greatness.

 

Today's Gospel passage is the closing narrative frame to all that Jesus tried to teach them about discipleship. This implies that Bartimaeus, similar to the other blind man from Bethsaida, was not the true blind in this unit. The disciples were depicted to be the real blind people because of their failure to understand the true meaning of Jesus' messiahship. We, Christians, are called to be of service to others. However, at times we too are blinded by power and self-aggrandizement. We have to see clearly that Jesus' messiahship is a self-giving one.