Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time. What is your experience of people with physical disabilities?
The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here Franciscan Gospel Reflection October 27 2024. Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photo: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Mark 10: 46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Background:
In last week’s Gospel James and John approached Jesus saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” They were asking for the seats of honor and power when Jesus comes into his glory. In his response, Jesus told them that Gentile rulers lord their power over those under them and make their importance felt by those under them. In contrast, He has come to be a servant, not to be served, and to give his life in ransom for the many. This week’s Gospel text follows immediately after that text in Mark. The text portrays Jesus as living out being of service to the least, as he has instructed his disciples to do.
Bartimaeus is very clever in how he has made his request. No doubt he has heard of Jesus’ reputation for healing, and therefore he shouts out repeatedly, “Son of David, have pity on me.” By calling Jesus the “Son of David,” he is acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, and links him with Solomon, the son of David. Solomon was known as a wise and competent ruler. Second, by asking for mercy, Bartimaeus is asking that he be given what is he owed. The debt that he established and needs to be repaid is the repeated public praise that the blind man has already offered by calling out that Jesus is the “Son of David.”
Assuming that the large crowd would block Bartimaeus from Jesus’ view, Jesus calls him over. The crowd, who are usually mindless in the Gospels, move from trying to silence Bartimaeus to encouraging him to approach Jesus. Jesus asks what he would have him do for him. Bartimaeus tells Jesus that he wants to see. Jesus tells him that his faith has saved him, and to go on his way. Now Bartimaeus is in debt both to God who restored his sight and to Jesus who acted as the servant of God. In recognition of his debt, Bartimaeus now joins Jesus as he makes his way to Jerusalem.
Recall the Gospel from two weeks ago, with the story known as the Rich Young Man. The man came to Jesus asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Although he had kept the commandments since his youth, he was unable to accept Jesus’ invitation to come and follow him because he had many possessions. The Gospel says that he went away sad. (Mark 10:17-30) However, Bartimaeus, when he learns that Jesus is calling him, throws off his cloak, springs up, and comes to Jesus, never to look back. Beggars usually spread their cloak before them to collect coins that were tossed in their direction. Imagine Bartimaeus being blind and hearing Jesus calling him, jumping up to respond to Jesus’ invitation, and the coins he had collected flying in different directions. The contrast between the responses of the two men to Jesus’ invitation is part of the instruction on the nature of being one of Jesus’ disciples.
Reflection Questions:
- What is your experience of people with physical disabilities?
- How do you understand the crowd’s interaction with Bartimaeus?
- What happens within you when the text continues with Bartimaeus ignoring the crowd and continuing to call out?
- What happens within you when Jesus calls him over?
- What happens within you when Bartimaeus tells Jesus he wants to see?
- Have you ever felt like what you wanted ask God for wasn’t important, or that others had greater needs?
- Who has been a voice to you saying, “Take courage, get up, he is calling you?”
- Have you been that voice for another?
- And if Jesus were then to turn to you and ask you by name, “What would like me to do for you,” what would you say?
- Can you talk with God honestly about whatever this Gospel text is saying to you at this point in your life?
