I WANT TO SEE

[1]True story. A woman was on a bus with her three-year old daughter. The little girl saw a man eating out of a garbage can and was very distressed. She kept asking her mother “why this” and “why that.” A man sitting next to them in a wheelchair told the woman. “Miss, you have a very lovely and caring little girl there. And not only is she lovely, but she is very wise and very beautiful. She looks exactly like you.” The mother thanked him and then noticed, for the first time, that he was blind. As they got off, he said, “Goodbye ladies! Enjoy this beautiful day.” The man was physically blind, but in other ways he was very perceptive.[2]

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in Marks Gospel is situated between two stories in which Jesus restores sight to the blind. The first instance occurs in Bethsaida, where a blind man is brought to Jesus, who effects a gradual healing then sends him home (Mk 8:22-26). In today’s Gospel, the setting is Jericho, the last stop before Jesus ascends to Jerusalem, the place of his passion. Unlike the blind man of Bethsaida, Bartimaeus initiates the encounter. The crowd attempts to silence him, but he persistently calls out all the more.[3] This time Jesus said, “Call him” and so the people said to him, “Jesus is calling you.” (Mk 10:49) And here is the key exchange:

Jesus: “What do you want me to do for you?”
Bartimaeus: “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus: “Go your way, your faith has saved you.”
Bartimaeus: Gains his sight and followed Jesus on the way. (Mk 10:51-52)

Bartimaeus persistently called out “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” (Mk 10:47) This is much like the persistence of God that Jeremiah speaks of to the people in exile. God promises to lead them back, console them, and deliver them. These are the same promises God makes to us, and in Jesus, God begins to fulfill this promise. Jesus is calling us! Asking us, what do you want me to do for you?

Can we even hear his calling? The world we live in is constantly rebuking us, attempting to silence our pleadings with all its busyness and distractions. Blinding us to our real needs and the needs of others, those on the roadside begging to be heard. We convince ourselves into believing blindness is something that happens to other people, to the point that we fail to understand that the blind beggar persistently begging for attention, is us, or at least the parts of our own inner being that cry out for healing and attention, for presence and witness.

Think for a moment of the things in your life you regret, that you feel guilty about or ashamed of, when you wish you had acted differently. The times you’ve actually asked yourself, “How could I have done that?” … “Didn’t I see what I was doing?” … “I didn’t see that coming?” … “How could I have been so blind?”

There are people among us today walking around with 20/20 vision who are blind and less perceptive than the blind man on the bus in so many ways.

The good news is, these texts invite us to embrace our places of limitation, weakness, and vulnerability. They invite us to be more aware of our own inner being, to welcome the voices of need from the fringes of life, and to not let the harshness of our inner critic silence our deep cry for healing.

It is by God’s persistent love for us that we can be healed. His Word made flesh, Jesus, knows our human condition, we can take courage in hearing his calling us and asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” Be honest. Let your faith impel you to find strength in weakness, courage in opposition, and a voice when people seek to silence you. Be persistent! Jesus empowers all parts of us to ask for what we need, to not rely on victimization, nor to be silenced.

Jesus doesn’t make assumptions about what the blind man needs or wants, nor will he with us. As we enter into this event of sacrificial love, Jesus asks, what is your deepest desire. He yields to our inner sovereignty. He acknowledges the power to be healed exists within us already.

Do you want to see, do you really want to see? See the human suffering and need in the world, in the community, in the Church, and even within ourselves. Let us in obedience and faith come to Jesus, ask for what is truly needed, and follow him on the way.

[1] New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition © 1986.  Scripture: Jer 31:7-9; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52.

[2] Sundays with Jesus, © 2008 by James DiGiacomo, SJ

[3] Living the Word © 2017 by Laurie Brink, O.P. and Paul Colloton, O.S.F.S.

THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR

School was often a challenge form me, I especially found myself challenged in math by fractions. For some reason I struggled with determining the lowest common denominator.

It seems Paul, in his writing to the Ephesians, is having a similar problem in trying to teach the Christian community in Ephesus to discover the lowest common denominator.  The community in Ephesus had a very diverse population of Jews & Greeks, free & slave, women & men.  Like most of us, as human beings, they found themselves challenged in seeing beyond their many differences and Paul is attempting to get them to focus on what they have in common.  Paul points to the need for them to act with humility, patience, and gentleness, wrapping these virtues at heart as he encourages them to strive for peace.  He reminds them that, as believers, they have in common: the “one body … one Spirit … one hope … one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father” (Eph 4:4-6).

Our time is not so different.  Divisions exist within our community based on race, economic status, politics, issues concerning the right to life, the question of gender, and even marriage.  The Church knows all too well these challenges.

Jesus reminds the crowds, and us, how we know how to read the signs to predict the weather, we know how to read the signs to tell us when to buy or sell in the stock market, yet we often misinterpret or miss all together the greatest sign, the lowest common denominator, God’s love in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  It is in our simple gifts of bread and wine, brought forth from the community, consecrated by the priest, and given back in communion that we are reminded that we are members of the one body, joined in communion with the one Spirit.  We are clinging to the one hope in the one Lord.  We are connected in one baptism and faith through which we believe we come face to face with the one God and Father.

When it’s all said and done we send you forth after this sacred meal, to go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.  To utilize the lowest common denominator Jesus gave us that transcends all languages and cultures, “Love one another as I love you.” (Jn 15:12)

OUR DAILY BREAD

Twelve boys and their coach left their bikes, shoes and backpacks before wading into the Tham Luang cave. It was a sort of initiation for local young boys to enter the tunnel network, trying to go to the end of the tunnel, where they would write their names on the wall. They were planning to leave straight away, instead the Thai soccer team got trapped inside the partly-flooded cave by flash floods. They spent nine days alone in the cave, and became the center of a complicated rescue operation. [1]

Initiation rites have existed forever.  Many of the initiation rites began with the legitimate purpose to enculturate a person seeking membership as native warriors, religious congregation, military unit, college fraternity and sports teams.  Most seem to be harmless enough, yet sometimes these rituals crossed the line to simply hazing with occasional tragic outcomes.  As the military attempted to rein in these rites/rituals many of the old timers said, “I had to do … everyone else should too!”

Hence Paul’s public challenge to Peter, “if you, though a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:14) Paul was seeking consistency in Peter’s exercise of the gospel, no matter who is present, especially in joining in table fellowship.  There are two issues in play here, the first the Jewish-Christians from Rome expect the Gentile-Christians to meet all the Jewish initiation expectations, primarily circumcision.  The other concern is Peter seems to be two-faced, meaning Peter when he is alone with the Gentile-Christians fully participates with the community, however when the Jewish-Christians are present he withdraws from the Gentiles gathered.

Relationship is important, whether between the circumcised and uncircumcised, disciple and the poor, God and his people.  Jesus’ disciples noticed something in John’s disciple’s prayer life together, so they asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (Lk 11:2) Within the Lord’s Prayer scripture scholars have long debated how to interpret the word “bread”.   Are we asking for sustenance for the body or eucharist for the soul?

In the biblical tradition bread is not only a necessity for life, it is also a symbol of our relationship with God.  From the manna of the Exodus to the bread in the Our Father, bread serves as a reminder that we stand before God like a client in need, and God is our patron.  The late Michael Crosby, OFM Cap, noted that no matter how we translate the Greek word, it is the humble act of asking God for what we need that best captures Jesus’ intention.

Jesus urged his followers, “Ask and you shall receive.” (Lk 11:9; Jn 16:24) As we approach this Eucharistic sacrifice, we need to ask daily; our daily petition for bread keeps us humble, for by it we admit that our life and future rest in the hands of a generous and caring God.  Our daily prayer for daily bread keeps us in our place, allowing God to be God.

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[1] INSIDER.  “The Thai soccer team got trapped in a cave because of an initiation ceremony gone wrong, according to one of the rescue divers” by Alexandra Ma, July 4, 2018. https://www.thisisinsider.com/thai-cave-team-got-trapped-during-initiation-ceremony-gone-wrong-diver-says-2018-7

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE TARGET

Have you ever had the joy of driving by a well planted field? Don’t you just love how the crops seem to be running along side of your vehicle as you make your way down the road? When I was a teenage I use to work on a farm, I helped plant and harvest. One day I asked the old timer I was often partnered with how do you get the rows so straight? He replied, that simple son. All I do is line my tractor up on the field, pick a point at the end of the field and stay focused on my target. You don’t go longing backward, that end will take care of itself, just keep your eye on the target in front of you. The rest falls right into place. So all you have to do is follow my tracks and you won’t damage the seedlings or the crops when harvesting. Now, enough jawin’, get back to work.

Early in his ministry, Jesus had taken the initiative in choosing his disciples to follow him. Now as he and his disciples begin their final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus is approached by three other would-be followers.

The first would-be follower approaches Jesus, promising to follow him wherever he goes. Jesus’ response neither accepts nor refuses; instead, he presents to the would-be disciple the consequences of discipleship. “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” (Lk 9:58)

In the second encounter, Jesus takes the initiative, “Follow me.” (Lk 9:59) The follower hesitates with an excuse. Jesus puts aside the person’s excuse, of needing to go first and bury his father, giving proclamation of the kingdom of God absolute priority. “Let the dead bury the dead, you proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60)

The third person also asserts, “I will follow you.” (Lk 9:61) Jesus’ words for this potential disciple teaches his followers that we must be ready to give up all things immediately as we follow him on the way. “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what is left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:62)

As disciples ourselves, we must set our sight on God, this is why Jesus was lifted onto the tree, to help us remain focused on the target of hope in Him and salvation. If we are left only with our deeds, no matter how good they may be, we are left alone. This compared to God, who can move mountains, shake the earth, and command the sun, reveals that our human weakness is as limited as that of Job. Yet even in our limitedness and trials of life, we can hope for what God can and does do for us.

As disciples of Jesus, we can be certain our life will involve taking risks. Keeping our eye on the target, forward, not looking back at our sins and failings. When we focus on the target, enter into this Eucharistic sacrifice, we will find God is already present in all the places to which we are being sent.