DAILY GRACE
June 4, 2020, Thursday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
Scripture: Mark 10:46-52
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. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 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.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 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.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Meditation
“My teacher, let me see again.”
Remember playing as a child “Pin the Tail on the Donkey?” Remember you were blindfolded and therefore dependent on sounds and touch to know where you were. Imagine a lifetime of blindness: depending on the help of others, not seeing where you are and the beauty that surrounds you or the nonverbal communication of body language or a glance!
Bartimaeus is blind. He evidently was born with the ability to see, but somewhere in his life he lost his vision. He longs to see again. When he learns that Jesus is passing by, he repeatedly cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” His perseverance and faith are rewarded, for Jesus hears him and tells the bystanders to call Bartimaeus. When Jesus asks him what he wants, the blind man replies, “My teacher, I want to see.” And Jesus heals him.
My dad lost his sight at the age of thirty-six. If he had been granted the chance to see again he would have done cartwheels! Can we imagine Bartimaeus joy at having his sight restored? For that matter can we imagine what Bartimaeus first saw? Perhaps he first looked upon the face of Jesus. What was communicated in that gaze? Whatever Bartimaeus learned caused him to follow Jesus on the way.
We might not suffer from a loss of physical vision, but we can suffer from poor vision nevertheless. Our vision of success or happiness may be limited to having a good-looking body, a house filled with the latest and greatest “stuff,” or a prestigious job. If these things are all that we can “see,” then we are unable to recognize God’s presence or love and care. Our life could be so different if we had the vision of faith.
What can we do? We can follow Bartimaeus’ example and cry out longingly, “My Teacher, I want to see!” Jesus never refuses this prayer. Bartimaeus immediately received his sight, but the spiritual vision that we seek grows gradually. As we continue to ask for this gift, we will begin to notice God’s presence and action. We will come to understand circumstances differently.
Prayer
Lord, when I stop to consider how I look at life, I realize that my vision is often superficial and that I suffer from spiritual blindness. I ask you in your mercy to heal my blindness. I want to see with new eyes, with the eyes of faith.. . . so that I can follow you on the way.
Contemplation
Lord, help me to see.