“What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus’ question to the blind beggar Bartimaeus is “What do you want me to do for you”.
If we are here today, then we all have something to ask Jesus. What do you want Jesus to do for you as an individual, what do you want Jesus to do for us as a community? What do we want Jesus to do and how are we going to ask it?
Firstly, how are we going to ask for it? Bartimaeus asked in faith because Jesus says that his faith had made him well. Somehow he knew that Jesus was someone special and he might have had a good inkling into the identity of Jesus. He called him “Son of David”.
This was a title used by some Jews with expectant reference to a royal Messiah. In 2 Sam chapter 7 God says of David:
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with you ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom forever. I will be his Father and he shall be a son to me” (2Sam 7)
Bartimaeus had not had the teaching that Jesus’ disciples had had. This story comes after Jesus had taught his disciples about his death and resurrection for the third time. But somehow, this blind beggar knew better than the disciples who Jesus was and he had faith in him. So in some ways he knew much less about Jesus than the disciples but he knew the essentials. He knew enough to get really excited about Jesus’ passing by; so excited in fact, that he jumped up throwing off his cloak with his meagre earnings in it and ran to Jesus.
Now we may believe and may have been taught quite a bit about Jesus. We believe from the Scriptures and from the Church tradition that he is in fact, the Son of God. He is God who comes to earth, rolls his sleeves up and gets on with the job. We also believe that he died and rose from the dead and that he ascended into heaven to sit at God’s right hand. We believe that we are saved through his blood and that he died to save us from our sins.
Do we really understand all that that means? Do we still have questions? I suggest that we are in fact rather like the disciples. We do know something about Jesus, even quite a lot, but we can never grasp with our human hearts and minds the wonder of who Jesus is. So you don’t have to wait until you have what you think is a perfect understanding of who Jesus is before you ask him anything. One thing is for sure, in this life, you will only know in part who Jesus is, even if we can say with our whole hearts that we build our lives on him. As Paul says:
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully”(I Corinthians 13.12)
So don’t think that you have to know everything before you ask Jesus to do something for you. We strive to understand our beliefs IN FAITH. What we need first is the sort of faith that this blind beggar had; a spontaneous and lively faith which leapt up in him and made him jump up and run to Jesus.
Jesus asks “What do you want me to do for you?”
Perhaps the first thing we should ask for is this energising willing FAITH which is a gift of God’s grace; Let us pray like the father of the apoplectic boy who cried “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9. 24) or the disciples who also begged Jesus “Increase our faith” ( Matthew 17. 5)
So let us pray “Jesus, give me the gift of faith”
What do we ask for then? Blind Bartimaeus asked “My teacher, let me see again”. Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Being given sight here means also given more insight. More understanding and perhaps Bartimaeus knew this as he addresses Jesus as teacher. If you worry about not understanding the long and difficult text of the Nicene Creed, don’t. As you pray for and are given faith, Jesus will teach you, Jesus will give us new insights as we study, search and pray together. He will help our unbelief and we will come to know him more and more until we see him face to face..
Being given his sight back means something else too.
Bartimaeus had been a beggar, sitting at the roadside watching the world go by. He had no hope for the future and no hope of earning a living and no rosy future to look forward to. When he asks to be given back his sight he is asking for Jesus to give him a life. He is asking Jesus to give him the possibility of leaving behind him a life of boredom and resignation. He is asking for new possibilities, new potentials, new prospects and new hope.
Have you ever known anyone who has not wanted to help themselves, who always finds an excuse not to do this not to go there, not to accept an invitation? Its amazing that whatever we suggest they might do there is always a valid reason for doing nothing and remaining in the same situation; usually one of depression and despondency, lassitude and ennui.
When Jesus asks “What do you want me to do for you”? Let’s ask for new and exciting possibilities for ourselves and for this community. Bartimaeus not only regained his sight but he followed Jesus on the way. On the way means the Christian way. It is the way of the cross but also the way of the resurrection and of the Kingdom of God. It is an exciting and joyful way. It is a way to a new fullness of life which we want to share with those despondent people sitting by the wayside just waiting for the opportunity to jump up and follow, all those who are hoping to know the joy of faith in Jesus and who are sitting at the wayside with the need to ask Jesus “Give me faith, give me understanding, give me a life, give me the joy of joining a community which throws off the old life of helplessness for the new life of wholeness, joy and hope.” Let us answer them “Come and follow, come and join the party”.
Amen
Revd. Christine Bloomfield, Strasbourg Anglican Church
25th Oct 2009 Last Sunday after Trinity Proper 25
Jeremiah 31.7-9 Psalm 126; Hebrews 7.23-28; Mark 10. 46-52.
