Our Ministries
22 Oct

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Amazing Grace

“I once was blind but now I see.” The words from “Amazing Grace” could be the words that come forth from Bartimaeus after his encounter with Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. The blind man persists and incessantly calls out to Jesus. He knows this Jesus of Nazareth in his heart, in his faith, in his persistence even though the crowd wants to hide him, silence him, and get him out of the way. But when Jesus hears him say, “Son of David, have pity on me”, Jesus tells them to “Call him.” And this is how they call him: “Take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you.”

The dialogue is simple and powerful. Jesus asks: “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus throws away his cloak, the one he uses as a blanket on the ground as he begs during the day, and one that covers him at night, and abandons something that he needed, for something he wanted. “Master, I want to see.”

Before he could see, Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was. He trusted that Jesus knew him too and would invite him to new life, to a new path. His faith saves him. Jesus says to him “Go your way” and Bartimaeus followed him on the way.

Who are the people today who like Bartimaeus are begging for wholeness, for the capacity to experience the fullness of life? Who are the people who are crying out for access to the “sight” of liberation from the oppression they experience? How do we hide them, silence them, and get them out of our way?

What are the cloaks that I need to throw away, to lose?

The call of the disciples to Bartimaeus, “Take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you” is one that I experienced last year. A co-worker put a magnet on my door that says, “Do not be afraid. Speak loudly. Use your voice.” And that changed everything! I realized that that which has been in darkness, that which is hidden, that which we go out of our way to avoid, needs to be brought into the light. What wasn’t seen needs our sight, our vision, and OUR VOICE so that new life, joy, and healing can come to all of God’s people.

I pray this week that God will use my weakness and strengthen me for the journey. I pray that God uses my vulnerability to serve in new ways. When Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you” will I have the courage to say, “Master, I want to see”? Will I ask for that amazing grace to see what God wants me to see? Will I see the goodness of all of God’s creation and work to heal the blindness in our world? Will I recognize Jesus calling? Will I follow The Way?

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