If No Sound

Eyes to See©

October 25, 2009

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Psalm 34:1-8

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

Amy DeWitte

            People often call the church office asking for assistance., for help with food or their utility bills.  I generally suggest that they call Huntsville Assistance program, which we support. I send them away. I don’t get to know them, I just send them to someone who can help them better than I can.  In a way, I silence them.

            Recently a gentleman called and left a message on the church answering machine.  He first apologized for bothering me (as if he was) and then told me why he was calling without leaving his name or number or any way for me to get back in touch with him.  At the end of his message, he simply said, “God bless you.”  And I have to confess, I wondered if he said that for a reason.  Did he think that he would endear himself to me and I would be more willing to help him?  Did he think I’d think he was a better person for saying that?

            And I have to admit that I’ve had some of the same questions when I see people standing with signs along the side of the road.  When I lived in Durham, NC I lived in an apartment that was right by the highway.  There was a man who stood everyday by the ramp for the highway with a sign that simply said, “God bless you.”  What was he trying to do with that sign?  Who was he to use the name of my God to beg?

            In thinking those kinds of things, in asking those questions, I became like one of the people in our Gospel lesson for today. I became one of the crowd.

            Jesus had been in Jericho with his disciples and they were about to head out of town to the next place along the journey along with a whole crowd of people. As they were leaving town there was a blind man sitting by the side of the road and he cried out in Jesus’ direction.  His name was Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, and he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there.  Bartimaeus shouted to Jesus: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

            The crowd didn’t think his behavior was proper at all.  I imagine them glaring at him, not in anger, just in embarrassment for him. Sshhh.  They sternly asked him to quiet down.  They tried to silence him.  They tried just to continue on their way without really having to see him. 

            But it was all for not because he started shouting to Jesus even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

            Jesus didn’t just continue on.  Jesus stopped.  Jesus stopped and he called the man over to him.  Actually, he had the people go get Bartimaeus.  “Call him here,” he said.  And so they went over to him and they said, “Take heart.  Get up.  He’s calling for you.” And with that, Bartimaeus leapt up and threw off his cloak and went to Jesus.  And standing there, I imagine looking at him, eye to eye, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”  In that question Jesus gave him personhood, he gave him dignity, he gave him agency, he gave him the honor given to him when he was named, for his name means “son of honor.”  Jesus asked him what he wanted.

            “My teacher,” he said, “let me see again.”

            “Go,” Jesus said. “Your faith has made you well.”

            And right then and there he could see again.  But instead of going back to sit on the side of the road or getting back to the life he had before he lost his sight or exploring the world around him or whatever you or I might do if once we were blind and then we could see, he just up and followed Jesus.  A blind man, an honorable blind man who knew he was blind, knew where he would find his vision again, and knew what to do when he got it again.

            We should pray to be so wise!

            As my class and I were getting ready to graduate seminary, we were all at various levels of feeling like we needed more training before we came out here in the real world.  “But I haven’t taken enough Bible classes, but I haven’t taken enough pastoral care classes, but I don’t know what to do in this situation or that.”  I have one friend who just kept saying, “Before I leave here, all I need really want to know is what to do with that man who stands at the corner of the freeway.” Just like Bartimaeus, she was yearning for a new vision.  She was yearning for an answer to something that puzzled her.  What is a Christian to do in the face of homelessness and hunger? In the face of a particular man in need?

            At least she was asking the question.  Often what I felt more comfortable doing was rolling up my window to pretend like I couldn’t hear the shouts calling out for help, silencing them like the crowd following Jesus.  Looking straight ahead, desperately hoping I wouldn’t make eye contact, as if I couldn’t see them.  Have you been there?

            I’m ashamed to tell you that I never learned that man’s name.  I lived in that apartment two years and drove past him in and out of that parking lot countless times.  Where the Bible even gives tells us the blind man’s name, Bartimaeus, son of honor, I never knew his name.

            What I should be praying for (I’ll jump out on a limb here and suggest that we should all be praying for) is vision. 

            The blind man knew what to ask for, and so should we.  Often we don’t even know that we are blind.  We don’t even know that there are situations or people out there we can’t see.  We are often naïve to the hurts and loneliness and struggles of people who are outside our small circle of peers. 

            But Christians are called to see more.  Christians are called to do more.  If we are to live on as a church, we have to be the church.  And the church that Jesus died for can’t close up the windows and turn up the radio as if we can’t see and hear.

            What we need to be praying for is vision.  Vision not just to see our hands in front of our faces, but vision (could it be so?!) to see as God sees. 

We should be praying for vision to really see the people around us who are in need, whether it’s physical or mental or spiritual need.  We should be praying for the vision to see where we could be as Christians, as a  congregation 6 months from now or 6 years from now or sixty years from now.  We should be praying for the vision to see what our purpose, our goals, our mission are.  We need to be shouting out for a vision.  We need to be leaping, springing up to find out vision.  We need to have the courage, like Bartimaeus, to throw off the old comforting cloak that keeps us safe from the world and run toward Jesus for a vision. 

Copyright © 2009 Amy DeWitte. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this writing may be reproduced in any form without specific, written permission of the author.

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