Jer 31:7-9 | Heb 5:1-6 | Mk 10:46-52

I. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks.
It sort of seems like the answer is obvious: Bartimaeus is blind. He is a beggar
Sitting along side the road. He probably wants help with this.
But by asking the question, Jesus allows Bartimaeus to remain in his freedom;
he allows Bartimaeus to freely respond and identify his own need and want.
In last week’s gospel we heard the very same question: James and John come
to Jesus and ask him to do for them whatever they want. So, Jesus asks, “What
do you want me to do for you?” But they are self-seeking. When Jesus comes into
his kingdom, they want status – to be on his right and on his left. They want glory
and praise for themselves.

How will Bartimaeus respond? Bartimaeus is wiser. He wants to see.
Within the context of the gospel of Mark, this story has to do with a lot more than
just seeing physically. “Seeing” can mean

• understanding – an ability to look beyond the surface of issues or
  problems and really appreciate connections and meaning
• seeing could mean a deeper faith: a faith which truly directs and guides
  one’s life journey
• seeing could mean increased wisdom itself – an ability to make wise
  choices throughout life

II. Imagine you are standing before Jesus: you are Bartimaeus and Jesus asks you,
“What do you want me to do for you?” How will you respond? Listen to what
the crowds say to you: Take courage! Get up, Jesus is calling you.
So, look into your heart. What do you see there? What do you ask of Jesus?

• Perhaps you are feeling an urge to do something more. Maybe that means
  to reach out to a friend you haven’t heard from in some time…or someone
  you know now confined to home or a care facility…
• Or maybe you are feeling a desire to do something more in service…such as
  serve in a liturgical ministry…or on a committee…or with a project. Or
  maybe you feel and urge to serve in the community…with any one of
  dozens service organizations in our community.
• Or maybe there is someone you know who needs your forgiveness. Or
  maybe some life situation or event you need to work forgiveness with.
• Each of us needs to identify our blindness – those areas where we need
  deeper insight and understanding.

III. Listening to Jesus ask us that question is a call to deeper conversion.
Bartimaeus had faith – otherwise he wouldn’t have asked Jesus for help. Like
Bartimaeus, we too, have faith – but sometimes we need to “take courage” and
ask Jesus for what we need.

Like Bartimaeus, do we muster the courage to stand up in our all our
vulnerability and ask Jesus to cure us of any blindness…

• whether it is the blindness of sin which burdens us,
• the blindness of not paying attention in the midst of life’s journey
• the blindness of our hardness of heart?

IV. Think, again, of Bartimaeus. What is the first thing he sees when Jesus cures
him of blindness? It is the face of Jesus! He sees Jesus.
What a beautiful thing that is: to see the face of Jesus, to see the face of love
and compassion beyond our wildest dreams. To see the face of Jesus is to be
drawn into a relationship with him.

And Jesus’ question – what do you want me to do for you? – is not a once-in-
a-lifetime opportunity. We get more than one wish. We have an unlimited
number of wishes. Regardless of what is happening in our life, we can always be
drawn into deeper seeing – into seeing more clearly.

VI. Throughout this week, ponder what it means to be Bartimaeus. Let Jesus ask
you, “What do you want me to do for you? And when Jesus gives that gift of
clearer sight – which only Jesus can give – then I challenge you to be like
Bartimaeus – and follow him on the way.

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Fr. Dwayne Thoman