Edgewood United Church

United Church of Christ

October 29, 2006 Edgewood United Church, UCC  Rev. Karen E. Gale

Interruptions
Mark 10:46-52

I have a joke for you this morning.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Interrupting cow.
Interrupting cow, w...MOOO!

Interruptions can ruin, or make, even the worst joke

Today we look at text of Bartimaeus, a man who sits at the gates of the city of Jericho begging to make a living.

Bartimaeus is blind. In Jesus’ day blindness was a sign of sinfulness, either his own, or his parents, or a signal of God’s displeasure with him.

Even in this day there is real debate among scholars as to what Bartimaeus’ name means. Bar = son of. But does Timaeus mean “honor” as it would in Greek, or does it mean “unclean” as it would in Aramaic. Thus, is Bartimaeus the son of honor of the son of the unclean?

Therein lies the crux of today’s scripture. Do we see Bartimaeus as a poor, blind man, who can’t see and has to beg; a man that Jesus offers charity to. We witness a blessed interruption that leads to healing.

Or is Bartimaeus a man who could truly see Jesus, one of the only ones in fact, and one who challenges others around him to see as well.  Is this story one of an interruption of the status quo, a breaking in of the kingdom of God. This presents us with a gospel message with a much more radical edge.

We’ll start with the standard interpretation of the scripture. Jesus is leaving Jericho and it is important to understand where this text falls within the context of the gospel. Immediately preceding it we have the story of the disciples aruning over which one is the greatest and which ones will sit at Jesus’ right and left hands. Immediately after this story we have Jesus on his way to Jerusalem for the final stages of his ministry leading up to his crucifixion and death.

And here between these two stories is this narrative about Bartimaeus sitting at the roadside outside city gates. This would be a common place for folks to beg. One could catch those coming into or out of the city. Being outside the gates at the side of the road was also symbol of the status of those who were begging; they are on edge of society as well. We infer that Bartimaeus is begging when Jesus passes since when Bartimaeus jumps up he throws off his cloak, a cloak that would have been spread across his lap for folks to throw coins on.

Bartimaeus is blind, which was not terribly uncommon in Jesus’ day.  In Biblical times, blindness was primarily caused by a water duct, located beneath the eyelids, drying up. The water duct under the eyelids became dry and the eyelids became puffy and swollen, as did the eyeballs themselves. This kind of blindness was spread by flies and was aggravated by the hot desert sun and desert sands. It was a highly contagious disease and the only way to contain it was to quarantine the people who had this dreaded blindness. (Lindy Black, sermon nuggets)

This is another reason Bartimaeus would be at the city gates and another reason why he would be shunned and avoided. We know he had his sight at one point in his life since when asks for healing it is to see again, not to see for the first time.

So Bartimaeus is at roadside and Jesus passes by with a large crowd. Imagine the crowd, noise, and excitement. This is the height of Jesus’ ministry. ‘When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, be he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David have mercy on me.” Jesus stood still and said call him here.’

The son of Timaues, Bar-Timaeus is calling to the Son of David, Bar-David. Bartimaeus may be blind but he sees Jesus, knows Jesus as one of power, one who is connected to the promises of God for the Jewish people, the son of David.

And he cries out, “have mercy on me.” Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “what do you want me to do for you?” And Bartimaeus says, “My teacher, or rabbi, let me see again.” And Jesus says to him, “Go your faith has made you well.”

Bartimaeus is an interruption. Jesus is leaving the city, has places to go and people to see. Jesus has an entire religious leadership to confront in Jerusalem. And then there is this interruption. A blind man would like to see.

Jesus stops, interrupts the procession, and heals him. And Bartimaeus’ life is transformed.

An interruption, the inbreaking of the power of God into an individual’s life that makes a profound change.

I was listening to a story on National Public Radio this week about a new controversial documentary called The Bridge which is about people who commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate bridge. A film crew stationed themselves a quarter mile away and filmed the bridge for the entirety of 2004. Then they interviewed family members and friends of those who died. Some folks think this is a snuff film, an unacceptable exploitation of death and suffering that is at the least in poor taste. Some people think it is a good film as it truly explores the ramification of suicide on families and communities and lives.

I listened to one interview that was unexpectedly of a man who survived jumping off the bridge, an almost unheard of phenomenon. He said he had determined to commit suicide, was in deep depression and got up onto the bridge rail and jumped. He said the second his hands left the railing he said to himself, “No, oh no, I want to live.” In the four seconds of free fall he tried to decide how to save himself. He determined that if maybe if he hit feet first he might live. When he hit the water he went down, down maybe 50 feet. He didn’t know which way was up but finally, finally surfaced.

In his shock he then felt something bump against his leg and thought to himself, “Great I survived jumping off the bridge only to be eaten by a shark!” But what he didn’t know for months and months later, really until he saw the film, was that it was not a shark, it was a seal. And while he was in the water, the seal circled and circled him, helping to keep him alive until he was rescued.

This man says now, “I know what that seal was. That seal was God. And I will believe that for the rest of my life.”

Interruption. A dramatic one. God breaking in with saving grace for an individual just like with Bartimaeus.

Interruptions can be life changing.  We think the story ends with Bartimaeus being healed. He can see again. Great. But no, once he has sight Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, the tool of his trade, like the fishermen casting aside their nets.

Then Jesus tells Bartimaeus, “go, your faith has made you well.” Immediately Bartimaeus regains his sight ….AND follows Jesus on the way. Bartimaeus does not gain his sight and go find his family and throw a party. Or go back to whatever his former profession was. Bartimaeus gets up and follows Jesus. Immediately. Bartimaeus’ discipleship is readily apparent.

You see I think there is a much more radical message in today’s scripture. It is not just the easy, lovely Sunday school message of Jesus healing the poor blind man. It is instead a radical call to discipleship and inclusion. It challenges us to change, to believe, to truly see, and to follow.

First of all, you have to remember that sight in the New Testament is a metaphor for faith in Jesus. People who believe - even those who are blind - "see" Jesus.

The folks around Bartimaeus want him to be quiet, to be invisible, as people with disabilities have often been invisible.  But he won't be quiet; He yells out. And when Jesus stops and takes notice, well the people around Bartimaeus take notice as well and say “take heart, get up, he is calling you.” Funny how they change their tune when Jesus pays attention. (Larry Broding)

And then Jesus asks Bart what he wants. He doesn’t ask to be on Jesus left and right as the disciples do. He asks, "Lord, that I may see."

But wait, let us step back again. Bart is calling to Jesus, “Lord have mercy on me”.
“In the time of Jesus, the phrase "have mercy" meant to pay debts; when the debtor paid his or her creditor, he or she was "having mercy" on the creditor. Through God's eyes, the healthy and the well-off have a social debt to pay to the sick and the poor. In his cry for mercy, the blind man could be heard to be really challenging Jesus: "Hey, wise man, pay your social debt and cure me!"

“No wonder Jesus' disciples wanted to shut him up. What an embarrassment! But that did not stop the tenacious man. When Jesus recognized his plea (and challenge), the social embarrassment became encouragement. Jesus asked and responded to the man's request for sight.” (Larry Broding)

And that truly is the challenge for us. Bartimaeus was physically blind. But he saw Jesus just fine and understood that Jesus’ radical reinterpretation of the world meant justice, social justice. That Jesus had power to reverse the debt, to have mercy, to make things right.

To have mercy is the heart of Jesus’ message. And it meant, and still means, redistribution of wealth: monetary wealth, and the wealth of time and energy and other resources that can equal out the huge divides among us.

“The mercy he's crying for is the fundamental relationship that God has toward God's people through the covenant.  It's God's grace toward particular persons and situations and the very attitude that God requires among the people.  Mercy is connected with justice!  So in a way, Bartimaeus is recognizing that in Jesus' presence the time of Jubilee has been fulfilled.” ("Disciplines" by the Upper Room, Betsy Schwarzentraub)

Bartimaeus was physically blind. I don’t have a problem with physical blindness. I have a significant problem with spiritual blindness. This is not only true of me but the world around me. It is true for you as well.

Helen Keller was once asked what was worse than being blind and she replied, “having no vision.” Bartimaeus may have been blind, but he could see just fine. He saw Jesus when the crowd and even the disciples did not. He had vision.

What about us?

“Myself, and so many others, including you, are blind to the power and goodness of God all around us in every moment of every day.

“Myself, and so many others, including you, are blind to the immense human misery that is a significant part of most people who live on this planet Earth.

“Do you recall the words of the folk song, “How many times must a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn’t see, the answer my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.”

“How many times do we simply turn our heads away from the pain of the human race, from the immense misery that is part of our world?” (Rev. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle)

We need to have mercy, to see in a new way, to change in accordance with the call for justice and inclusivity and sharing of wealth that Jesus preached about. It all starts with seeing.

I was in Meijer’s this week doing a regular shopping trip for groceries. I had an experience that happens to me every once in awhile. Maybe it happens to you as well.

I was walking around like usual but my vision was different. I lost the numbed, self absorbed state that I frequently walk around in, especially while shopping, not my favorite task. All of the sudden I could see. On my way in the store I passed a man sitting outside on a bench waiting for the bus. He has his groceries in a bag beside him and he sat there looking out on this rainy, chilly day, his coat turned up to his ears. And I felt incredible compassion for him. To be an elder and be waiting outside for the bus in the wet. I thought of all this man had seen and done in his life. All those he had loved. And what was his life like now? I saw him, truly saw him, in that moment.

Later as I was pushing my cart through the frozen food aisle looking for spinach, (the safest kind these days), I saw another man. He had a shopping cart with a worn backpack inside. He was dressed in worn sweatpants and had several old sweatshirts layered on top. He was a bit bedraggled and had old headphones on maybe connected to a radio. He was standing in front of the frozen dinners looking at the Hungry Man and Stouffers frozen entrees most likely deciding what to buy. There wasn’t anything else in his cart.

Again, I felt incredible compassion for him. I wondered if he had anyone to eat with or if his meals were lonely affairs with the microwave for company. Somehow, with just the two of us standing there in the frozen food aisle, he looked so alone. And my heart hurt. For I saw him, truly saw him unlike the hundreds of others I pass every day.

I saw, but did not act. Perhaps I could not act in those situations, and I had only my impressions informing my assumptions. They could both have been very happy people. But that does not let me off the hook. To see, to truly see, means to follow Jesus down the road to Jerusalem and that means sacrifice and giving and risk.

Today’s gospel text is about blindness, that Jesus came to heal the blind, blind disciples, blind Pharisees, blind religious leaders, blind everyone, the blind me, the blind you.

If Jesus were to touch your eyes, what kind of blindness would Jesus heal in your life?

And once we can see, truly see, the suffering, the hurting, the lonely, the needs around us, when we have vision, what do we do then?

Do we follow Jesus? Do we throw off our cloaks of comfort and routine and accept radical challenge and change? Do we open our wallets and our hearts and our homes and our church to those who need us, need our wealth, need our presence, need our healing touch, need our listening, need our advocacy?

Once we see, truly see, do we follow Bartimaues down the road with Jesus?

Jesus, Bar David, Son of David, Teacher, Rabbi, have mercy on us. Let us see again.
Amen.