Have you ever had to tell someone something over and over again in order for them to get it? [Don’t answer that, Heather.]
Has someone ever had to tell you something over and over again in order for you to get it. [I don’t want to answer that.]
We can be pretty thick headed at times, can’t we? Tried to think of an example, but my personal stories are all too embarrassing to share for your entertainment...maybe yours are too...
The point is: we’re in good company with the disciples in the Gospel of Mark.
Our text today has been called the centerpiece of Mark’s Gospel. Actually it’s the tail end of the centerpiece, chapters 8-10. (And this is chapter 10.) I’m going to draw a quick mental diagram of this entire two-chapter centerpiece: The beginning of Chapter 8 and the end of Chapter 10 have Jesus healing a blind man stories. So this centerpiece is framed by healing the blind stories. That always means pay attention. And in the middle of these stories -- right in the center, the crosshairs of Mark’s entire gospel -- Jesus tells about his death and resurrection 3 times. It’s wonderfully symmetrical! And we can’t see this unless we read it in full. But I wanted to give you some context for this amazing story today.
So, healing the blind man in Bethsaida, Jesus foretells his D and R, Jesus foretells his D and R, Jesus foretells his D and R, and today healing the blind man Bartimaeus, now in Jericho. Interesting, right? Add in the geography: “up to Jerusalem”.
And if I can add one more layer: every episode in between is the disciples not getting it. Over and over. [rehearse 8-10 again, adding “duh” after each]
They can be pretty thick-headed, right? And when I say they didn’t get it, I’m talking about this constant request of Jesus to make them awesome, to make them powerful, to “lord it over”, to sit in positions of privilege and high status, to win.
Makes me think of all the times in my Catholic high-school we’d pray for a win, before our basketball games. We even used to huddle up -- hands into the center -- and someone would call out a saint’s name, and we’d all shout, “Pray for us!” Nothing wrong with asking God to help us play our best, but we -- at least I -- was praying for the win! The disciples were always praying for the win, and we see it again today: [same voice as in the locker room] “Jesus, grant us to sit one on your left and one on your right...in you glory.”
Hopefully you catch the irony, then, of blindness in Mark’s gospel. Who’s really blind in these stories -- is it the literal blind man...or is it the disciples -- and we do well to insert ourselves here -- is it the disciples who can physically see, but spiritually, are stumbling all over the place?
We are about as thick-headed as those disciples, sisters and brothers in Christ. It’s Lent, let’s just say it. Let’s just be honest to God. We want glory. In every way. Whether that’s recognition at work, especially through titles and pay-raises; or whether that’s victory over our enemies; or whether that’s special status as a super-generous and holy person. We do stuff to get props.
It’s really nice when others see all we do, and all the ways we succeed, and give us recognition for it. And really what we’re hoping -- especially us more humble church-types -- is that God sees us doing great stuff. I mean, it’s not just material glory, everyone’s after, some of us are after a much deeper kind of glory: “Grant us to sit, one at your left and one at your right...I mean, we gave up so much to follow after you. C’mon Jesus, give me some props, some status, at least at some point.” But none of that is what Jesus is offering. Over and over the disciples are after it, and over and over Jesus says, “Not about being served, but serving others. The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give himself away, and that’s what it’s about for you too.”
You see, the blind man saw something that the disciples didn’t see. [repeat?] The blind man saw even before his literal sight was restored, the blind man saw that its not status that Jesus gives, it’s actually status that Jesus takes away, and it’s mercy that Jesus gives. The disciples didn’t see that. They wanted status, high status. The blind man had status, low status, and Jesus took that away from him. He wiped the label away. Isn’t that something? Ever had a label...especially a bad one? Ask a high schooler that question. “Nerd, jock, fatso, airhead, ‘gay’ (damaging on many levels), teacher’s pet, black sheep, drama queen, goody-two-shoes…”
Jesus. Wipes. The labels. Away.
Jesus wipes our status away -- whether that’s high or low, glorious or shameful. He’s been wiping status away all through this Gospel. The bleeding woman -- he wiped that unclean status away, the sick, the immigrant, the child -- all those with inferior status. Wiped. And he does the same to those with high status.
Jesus brings everyone around the table of mercy. That’s what Jesus offers. That’s what we ask for, that’s what we say all through Lent: “Have mercy on us, forgive us and help us.”
That’s what the blind men said, that’s what the bleeding woman and the leper said, that’s what the child didn’t even need to say, and that’s what we say: “Have mercy on us, forgive us and help us.”
The blind man shows us the way, just as he showed the disciples the way: Jesus is not about granting status, he’s about wiping status. And then granting mercy. Get it?
We’ll see. There’s a reason Jesus has to keep saying the same thing over and over. We’ve got thick heads and a deep-seeded, internal craving for glory. That’s sin. No way around it. And it’s a strong force. But God is faithful and just, abounding in steadfast love, and pouring out mercy, and forgiveness, and help.
God is faithful, and pours out faith for us.
I want to finish with a reflection on faith...pouring from God. Lutheran theology posits that faith is not something that we possess and grow; it’s something that possesses and grows us. In other words, faith is a gift. It’s a gift that we can only accept and receive. And it flows from the waters of baptism that are given freely to us, daily. Faith is what allows us to receive this mercy that God has for us, and faith is what allows us to overcome our cravings for glory, honor, high status and power. Faith is the antidote to sin. And it’s freely yours. Faith is a gift. “Go,” Jesus says, “your faith (which is a free gift flowing from the font) has made you well.” Amen.
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