Weekly Medidation for October 24th ~ Rev. Sue Yarber

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Weekly Meditation
By Rev Sue Yarber


Jeremiah 31: 7-9


For thus says the Lord:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
'Save, O Lord, your people,
the remnant of Israel.'
See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.


Mark 10:46-52


They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he 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, but he cried out even more loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him here.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart; get up, he is calling you.' So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man said to him, 'My teacher let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well.' Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.


Both Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet, and Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, come calling "Save, O Lord, your people." Jeremiah says it literally, and Bartimaeus does so figuratively. Jeremiah foretells how the Messiah "will gather up the people from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and lame." Bartimaeus is a blind beggar, for to be blind in ancient days meant that one was relegated to a life of poverty, one's only chance for survival was to beg. Blind people could not enter the temple, which was the center of community life, but had to remain outside while others enjoyed each other's company.

Bartimaeus yearned to see again. He understood that sight would restore him to the community. As Jesus and his disciples were leaving they encountered crowds and, yet, over the din of chaos they heard a strong and determined voice calling, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted, surely he could tell he was blind, yet he asked what he needed. Jesus empowers Bartimaeus to state his own needs and to participate in his own healing. Receiving Christ's mercy happens when we recognize our own need and humbly confess that need to Christ. I have experienced this spiritual truth in my own life. God will allow me to struggle over and over with something until I am finally done and able to give it up to God's care. When I can identify my own need for healing and sincerely ask God to heal me, then, and only then, can I move forward in my process. God's grace, as demonstrated through Jesus in this story, can only be received through a humble and waiting heart, one that has quieted enough to hear when Jesus speaks. Jesus said, "Go; your faith has made you well." Jesus calls Bartimaeus and us to move beyond the situation for which we have requested healing. We can acknowledge how God has moved in our lives and brought healing to us. We must see ourselves as healed, not perfect, just as ones who have received mercy and grace and are grateful.

Bartimaeus followed Jesus; once healed, he was compelled to be a part of other people's healing experiences. We, too, are able to pass on the unconditional love, the compassionate care and the promise of new life to others. We have all met people who define themselves by their problems or their personal histories. They may focus on what has happened to them, or the ways in which they have been mistreated by others. They have not, yet, approached Jesus requesting healing, they are caught at the point of surveying the damage. Jesus will be there whenever they are ready to move on in the process. We are called to point that way to the foot of the cross where we are receive mercy.

Sight is so much more than vision; Bartimaeus knew that a miracle had happened and that his entire future was transformed in an instant. Help us along the path to Jesus and give us the courage and faith we need to walk as a healed and beloved people.