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“And Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabbi, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C. S. Lewis once observed, “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.” Lewis’ observation reminds me of that old 1970s show “Fantasy Island.” It was a very popular show about a special place where people of means could pay to have their fantasy made reality. Mr. Rourke was the very suave host on the island, assisted by his faithful lieutenant, Tatoo. Each week would feature guests who would come to Fantasy Island to have their fantasy come true. What made the show popular and compelling was that famous actors would appear on the show each week. And the fantasies would be very familiar—what if you got to be with a lover from your past, what if you became rich and famous, a star athlete, or something else? Many times, the fantasies were wonderful and a lot of fun. Sometimes the fantasies helped the characters recognize things about themselves that they didn’t know before, an occasion for personal growth and maturity. And other times the fantasies would involve painful personal lessons. As intriguing as the possibilities presented by the show Fantasy Island were, the opportunity presented to Bartimaeus in today’s Gospel is more compelling. Here we have an occasion where Jesus comes face to face with a man in need, and what happens when a desperate man responds with courage and faith. Jesus and his disciples are passing through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem. And as it is usually the case, Jesus’ presence draws a crowd. St. Mark tells us that a blind man, Bartimaeus, is also present. What is noteworthy is that Mark not only tells us the name of the blind man, which is unusual, but also the name of his father, Timaeus. St. Matthew says there are two men, but gives no names, while St. Luke gives a similar account to Mark’s but leaves out the name. St. Augustine suggests that the reason Mark does this is because Bartimaeus comes from a prominent family, and his blindness has caused a dramatic drop in his fortunes. Bartimaeus is now a blind street beggar. When Bartimaeus hears that it is Jesus passing by, he cries out at the top of his lungs, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The title “Son of David” is a messianic one, revealing that Bartimaeus believes that Jesus is no mere rabbi or holy man, but the Messiah. And it is that faith that causes him to cry out even louder when the townspeople rebuke him for making a nuisance of himself. Bartimaeus, like the woman with the issue of blood, like the Syrophoenician mother, like the Roman centurion, is persistent and determined to get what he needs from Jesus, despite opposition, despite his fears. And Jesus, who always sees those that others do not see, who has compassion on the lowly and needy, sees and hears the cry of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Jesus tells some bystanders, “Call him.” And some of the bystanders, who just a few moments ago were telling Bartimaeus to go away, now tell him, “Take heart. Get up, He is calling you.” So Bartimaeus gets up and goes to Jesus. Jesus then asks him a simple, yet profound question: “What do you want me to do for you?” Even though Jesus is the one in control of the situation, even though Jesus knows the Bartimaeus’ heart and need even better than Bartimaeus does, He invites Bartimaeus to ask for what he wants. It is a reminder that Jesus wants a relationship with us. He wants us not to simply be passive recipients or bystanders with Him, but active participants. Jesus invites us to ask, and He wants us to exercise our wills. He wants us to hear Him and respond to Him. Remember what Jesus said to the crippled man at the Pool of Siloam? “Do you want to be healed?” Bartimaeus’ request is straightforward and from the heart: “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” Certainly, it was a request for a restoration of his physical sight, but it was also a plea for spiritual sight too. Bartimaeus the blind man, because of the crucible of his lowly condition, now understood something he did not know in his earlier life. He understood his need for God. He understood that he was spiritually blind and wanted to see clearly, as he had the faith to believe that Jesus the Messiah could give that to him too. Back in the Old Testament, when Solomon became king, the Lord came to him and invited him to ask of the Lord whatever he wanted. And Solomon asked not for riches or power, or the defeat of his enemies, but for wisdom, that he might rule God’s people well. God was very pleased by Solomon’s request, so he not only granted Solomon wisdom, but all those other things he didn’t ask for, but wanted. In the same way, Jesus was pleased with Bartimaeus’ request, and so he gave him not only his eyesight, but spiritual sight as well. He rewards Bartimaeus’ faith in Him, which contrasts with the lack of faith from Jesus’ own disciples. If Jesus was standing in right in front of you, and He asked you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” What would you ask for? The answer we would give would reveal a great deal about the state of our hearts. Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus shows us three things about our relationship with God: First, we need to be persistent. Second, we need to respond immediately when Jesus calls us. Third, our requests to Him need to be specific and concrete, the result of self-examination. We need to be desperately definite in our asking. Finally, we need to have faith in who Jesus is and what He can and will do. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem, “Blind Bartimaeus” and the final verses say this: “Ye that have eyes, yet cannot see, in darkness and in misery, recall those mighty voices three, (In Greek) “Jesus have mercy on me” “Take heart, get up, He is calling you” and “Your faith has made you well.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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“[Jesus said], But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In the movie, “A Man for All Seasons” John Hurt plays Richard Rich, an ambitious young man who comes to Sir Thomas More seeking a political appointment. More refuses him, instead offering him a job as a teacher. Later, when Thomas More gets in political trouble with King Henry, the King’s associate, Thomas Cromwell, offers Richard Rich the political appointment he covets if he provides any damaging information about More. Soon after, Richard Rich betrays More to King Henry’s men and is eventually named Attorney General for Wales. Ultimately, Thomas More is executed for refusing to endorse both Parliament’s declaration making King Henry the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the King’s marriage to Anne Boleyn. At the epilogue of the film, the narrator mentions the untimely deaths of the major figures of this episode, apart of Richard Rich, who he says, “Became Chancellor of England, and died in his bed.” One of the reasons why we are so disgusted with our politics and so mistrustful of politicians is because we see so few Thomas Mores, who are ready to sacrifice all for the sake of principle, and are instead governed by thousands of Richard Richs, who have no principle at all, except for a desire for position and power, and the prestige and honor that go with it. This desire for position and prestige, to be a part of the “Inner Ring” as C. S. Lewis called it, was a temptation even faced by Jesus’ disciples. In today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark, we see this ambition among the disciples break out into the open. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, or as Jesus called them, “the sons of thunder” approach Jesus and ask him on the spot if He will place them on His right hand and on His left. It was a bold request. Essentially, what James and John were asking Jesus for was to be promoted from the Twelve to be the top two. After all, it was well understood in those days that if you sat on the right hand or the left hand of the ruler, that meant you were one of the ruler’s closest advisors, and your power was great, second only to the ruler himself. Jesus’ replay to this audacious request is to say, “You don’t know what you’re asking.” Here again, as we have seen so many times in the Gospels, Jesus rejects the premise of the question. James and John are asking the question based on a false understanding of who the Messiah is. James and John believe, like many of the disciples, that the Messiah is to be a King like King David—a great military and political ruler who will drive out the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. And when Jesus establishes His Kingdom, they want to be senior members of His new government. They want to be a part of the new ruling elite. Like Richard Rich, they want an appointment at the royal court. Those of us who have been watching the current season of The Chosen on Wednesday evenings have noticed that the series speculates that James and John decided to make this request to Jesus as a result of Jesus’ declaration to Simon that, because of Simon’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Simon is now called “Peter” the Rock upon which Jesus will build His Church. And James and John are put off by what appears to be Jesus’ elevation of Simon to a special status. Meanwhile, when James and John’s mother hears about what happened, she admonishes them for not standing up and asking Jesus for what they want. This draws upon Matthew’s treatment of this incident, where his account states that it is James and John’s mother who makes the request of Jesus, thus suggesting that it is her ambition for them, not that of James and John. Nevertheless, James and John’s request is very misguided and reveals that the ambition and rivalry among the disciples is rooted in a profound misunderstanding of Jesus’ ministry and their place as followers of Jesus. Jesus explains this when He asks them, “Are you prepared to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” What Jesus is pointing out to them is that if they are going to reign with Him, then they must be prepared to endure and do the things that Jesus does. To “drink the cup” is an expression of enduring suffering and pain. To “be baptized” means to be fully immersed in something. Jesus is saying in effect, “If you want to stand with me, you must be prepared to suffer and die with Me.” James and John bravely respond that they can drink the cup and be baptized in this. Yet, Jesus then tells them that He has no authority to grant their request, that only the Father can and will determine such positions of honor. James and John’s request sparks anger and resentment among the other disciples, who perceive it to be an effort to gain status, and they are jealous of it. All this is clear evidence that they do not understand yet Jesus’ call to discipleship. Jesus then explains it to them. He tells them that the call to follow Him is not a call to lordship, but a call to humble service. Jesus says, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Once again, Jesus redefines the ministry of the Messiah and the meaning of true leadership and discipleship. It’s not about status. It’s about serving. Jesus is a King who has come to liberate and to rule. But He will not do it through armies and conquest. He will do it as the Servant King, who rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a great horse or chariot. Although He is Lord, He will wash His disciples’ feet. And He will conquer by going to the Cross and dying a painful and shameful death for the salvation of the world. As Jesus laid down His life for us, He bids us to follow Him by laying down our life and taking up our Cross. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “Follow the money” is a famous line from the movie “All the President’s Men” about the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s. It was by following the money that the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to discover who was involved in the Watergate scandal and why. In politics, the expression means that if you want to know who is corrupt, look and see who is getting money and from whom. The expression “follow the money” is also very helpful when reflecting the state of our personal life. If you want to understand what your priorities are, look at your monthly expenses. In today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark, we read about Jesus’ famous encounter with the rich young man. It’s a lesson in not simply the seductive effect of wealth on our soul and spirit, it is really a lesson on how idolatry can prevent us from growing in our life in God. The encounter begins when the rich young man approaches Jesus and asks Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a big and important question! And Jesus takes it seriously. But Jesus’ response to the man’s question is to go deeper. Jesus doesn’t settle for the standard answer to the man’s question. Throughout the encounter, Jesus is examining the man’s heart and mind, inviting him to go deeper in his understanding and commitment. Initially, Jesus seems to be put off by the man’s question. He refuses to accept being addressed “Good teacher” as if he was rejecting any attempt at flattery. Jesus emphasizes that all earthly teachers a flawed and sinful, and that only God Himself is the truly good and holy teacher. Nevertheless, as the readers we know that since Jesus is the Son of God, then He is, in fact, good, and worthy to instruct the man on this subject or anything else pertaining to the spiritual life. Then Jesus takes the man through the Commandments. It’s a set up by Jesus. He knows that this is what the young man is expecting. And the young man eagerly replies that he has kept all of these from his youth. He’s proud of himself, as if to say, “look how good I’m doing!” Then Jesus takes the man where Jesus wants him to go. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Once again, we see that Jesus is not interested in mere external obedience. The young man had become very diligent in keeping the set of rules and commandments that God had laid out. Yet, something is still missing. The rich young man has not given all of himself to God. Rather, he prides himself on the progress he has made so far. And he has come to Jesus looking for affirmation and support. But Jesus tells him that while he’s doing pretty good, if he’s serious about going all the way with God he must take the next step. For the rich young man, that means selling all of his possessions. You see, he’s rich. And his wealth is a source of security and pride. He doesn’t need to depend on anyone. Not even God. And if the man has his wealth and possessions, he’s still in control. Or at least the illusion of it. He’s not ready to give that up. But if he’s serious about following God, he needs to. What is idolatry? Is it simply worshipping a man-made object? Or is it something deeper? What Jesus is telling us this morning is that idolatry is anything that we put in place of God. It is anything that we depend on for our safety and security outside of God. In an affluent society such as ours, money and possession are an idol for many. We put our security in that. We say, if I have my resources, then I’m okay, I can make it. On the other hand, it may not be money. It may be our looks, or our reputation. It may be our health. Or it may be our professional talents. And Jesus’ invitation to the rich young man is simply, “let go of that which you put your security and well-being. And live completely dependent upon Me.” That was the point where the rich young man needed to let go and really put his faith and trust in God. For you and me, it may be something else. Whatever you find to be the most difficult thing to let go of and give to God, it is on that point which you must yield, if you are going to reach that place of Christian maturity and joy that God wants you to have. Otherwise, you are trying to follow God in your own strength. For many of us, we know that there are certain parts of our life that we’re not ready to yield over to God. So we try to bargain with God: “I will do this and this for you, God, if you will just let me do this or keep this.” But He keeps bringing us back to that one place. And He says to us, “if you’re serious about following Me, you need to let go.” C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew those jobs needed doing and so you’re not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” God isn’t interested in turning us into good people. Rather, He is looking to kill the old self, and resurrect us into new people who are like Him, so that we may share in His work and in His life. +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “[Jesus said], Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to one wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.”
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Marriage and family life are in a state of crisis in this country and throughout the developed world. Today, in the United States, more than 50% of all marriages end in divorce. 40% of all children are born outside of marriage. 60% of men ages 18 to 30 are unmarried. And the birthrate in the United States in 2021 was 1.66, with 2.00 being the replacement rate. We now live in a society where only a minority of households are married couples with children. Furthermore, there is an increasing unwillingness on the part of young people to get married or to even date. Many men are arguing that marriage, as it exists in the developed world today, is no longer a good investment for men, as no-fault divorce laws make it easy for couples to get divorced, with men bearing most of the financial costs while losing custody of their children. The bottom line is that marriage today is not seen as a holy sacrament established by God for the development of the family and the protection of children, it is seen as a vehicle for personal fulfillment only. Sadly, ungodly and selfish views about marriage are not a modern problem. As today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark illustrates, ungodly views about marriage and relationships were common back in Jesus’ day. Today’s Gospel reading begins with yet another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, this time over the issue of divorce. And, as usual, the Pharisees set up the confrontation in the hopes of getting Jesus to say something heretical, so that they would have a basis for making the charge against Him. It begins with a seemingly innocuous question, “It is lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” In response, Jesus refers them back to the Law of Moses, asking, “What did Moses command you?” They reply that Moses allowed a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce. Jesus then tells the Pharisees that Moses’ commandment regarding divorce was not a strict provision making divorce a positive good and a right, but rather a concession to sinners who had put themselves in a bad situation. In those days, men had most of the rights in society. Only men had the right to divorce their wives. In Jesus’ time, there was a debate between the Shammai school, which argued that a man could only divorce his wife on the grounds of sexual immorality, while the Hillel school argued that a man could divorce his wife on any grounds. Rather than get caught up in this debate, Jesus tells them that God’s plan for marriage is much deeper and permanent than what they were asserting. God’s plan for marriage is rooted in creation, when God created humanity male and female in the Garden. Jesus tells them, “But from the beginning, of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Jesus is telling his hearers is that marriage is a holy covenant established by God in creation. God created us male and female to complement and care for one another, and to provide companionship. God established marriage as the fundamental building block of society, the vehicle by which men and women could love each other and raise children together. While marriage can be and ought to be personally fulfilling, it is better understood as a school for discipleship, the place where we as individuals learn to love and care for others and serve God and give glory to Him. Thus, Jesus declares that, in God’s eyes, there is no theology of divorce. Marriage is a permanent union between one man and one woman for life. That’s why Jesus says that those who divorce and remarry are guilty of the sin of adultery. It is a radical claim, even offensive to us in this era of divorce and remarriage. But it reflects Biblical teaching which declares that marriage is a solemn union made by God for a man and woman for life. The fact that that Moses established regulations concerning divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 does not alter this basic understanding. Again, Moses established the regulations in recognition of human sinfulness. Sadly, we have lost this understanding of marriage as a holy, lifelong union between a man and a woman. We have lost the idea of marriage as a covenant, thinking of it today as a vehicle for personal fulfillment. As a result, we have serial marriage and divorce. Children bear the brunt of this chaos, and it is reflected in lower academic achievement in school, increased depression and anxiety, and in sometimes violent behavior. And adults pay the price too, with significant increases in loneliness and addiction. So what must we do? Let us recommit ourselves to the Biblical understanding of marriage as a lifelong covenant. Let us repent of our selfishness and our superficiality. We must make our marriages our number one priority and dedicate ourselves to making them strong. Divorce must be a last resort, rather than a first resort. And we must always keep God at the center of our marriages. Married couples need to make it a priority to worship together, pray together, and serve God together. Since we all live in the wake of the sexual revolution, none of us can claim any moral standing in the eyes of God. Rather, we must repent of our past sexual sins and turn to God. As it says in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “a threefold cord is not easily broken.” +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. |
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