Sermon from February 25, 2024 by the Rev. Dr. Tara W. Bulger

Mark 10:46-52

As (Jesus) and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 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, 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.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

The Rich Man and James and John

This passage may best be understood by two others that precede it.

First is the story we read last week, the story of the rich man. The rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life and is, at first, told to keep the commandments, and Jesus cites five of them. But the man is saddened to learn that he must sell his possessions to follow Jesus. The man has made an idol of his wealth; his possessions are that important to him. Upon hearing that this man's wealth is a barrier to him following Jesus, the disciples are stunned. At that time, many thought that man's wealth and possessions were a sign of God's favor, but we learn that they were a barrier to fully following Jesus.

The second passage that helps us understand this one comes a few verses before this one, verses 36 and 37 of chapter 10. Jesus has just told his disciples that he will die when they get to Jerusalem. And James and John come to Jesus on the heels of this admission and say, "Teacher, we want you to give us whatever we ask for." And Jesus says, "What is it you want me to do for you?" This is the same question he asks Bartimaeus. James and John, however, then ask to be seated as Jesus' right and left hands when Jesus comes into his glory. Jesus has just told them that he will be killed, mocked, and spit upon, and the disciple's only request is that they get some of the glory, too.

The rich man cannot enter the kingdom because he is too attached to his things. The disciples are non-plussed in the face of Jesus telling them he will die and are only worried about getting their share of the glory. In both cases, neither the rich man nor James and John are faithful in the way they need to be. One is possessed by his possessions. The others are two worried about their glory.

What Does Faith Look Like?

So, what does faith look like? It looks like a blind man lying on the side of the road in Jericho. It looks like a man who is vulnerable and who believes in Jesus enough to yell at him repeatedly for help. For Mark, Bartimaeus is the model of what we should all be like: he is a man of faith, courage, and discipleship.

Faith, Courage, and Discipleship

He has faith enough in Jesus to ask for help. The rich man has asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, almost as an academic exercise. He is a man who has everything, and his inquiry is less about his faith in Jesus and more about his curiosity. We know this because he leaves unwilling to follow Jesus. Bartimaeus, however, comes to Jesus out of a deep need and out of his belief that Jesus can heal him. Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus' power; he has faith in it.

Bartimaeus is also a model of courage, calling out to Jesus for help even when everyone is shushing him. This is what true discipleship looks like—seeking to be close to Jesus despite the cost and not worrying about their own glory. James and John hear of Jesus' death and only worry about themselves. Jesus points out in that passage that they cannot drink from the cup he does. Mark's gospel makes a point of showing that they really don't even try.

Bartimaeus is also a model of discipleship because he leaves behind his life of begging to follow in the way of Jesus. He leaves it all behind to follow the one he has faith in, the one who has healed him.

The world looks at the rich man and thinks, "Surely he has it all. Surely, he is favored by God." And to him, Jesus says, "Your wealth and your possessions are such an idol they own you, and you can't even leave them to follow me."

The world looks at the disciples and thinks, "Surely they are the model for faith." But when Jesus' death is imminent, we find two disciples more concerned about their own glory.

The model for faith is a man with nothing left to lose, who believes in Jesus's power, dares to seek Jesus fearlessly and then follows in his way.

Bartimaeus' Vulnerability

What Bartimaeus has that neither the rich man nor the disciples have is a deep knowledge of who he is. Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus for mercy. That word, mercy, that Bartimaeus asks for implies that he knows he doesn't deserve it, but he is asking for it anyway. Bartimaeus knows he is sinful, yet he asks for the blessing anyway.

And Bartimaeus knows who Jesus is—the Son of David, the Messiah. The one who can heal him, physically and spiritually.

Bartimaeus also has something neither the disciples nor the rich man have—a vulnerability that makes him open to the work of Jesus in his life. He risks what little he has by crying out to Jesus for mercy. It is his vulnerability that makes him a model of faith, too.

Praying Together

Many years ago, right after Brian and I married, we had a tough time. A couple of months after our wedding, the company Brian worked for shut down. I was a graduate student at the time. And our future, which had seemed so bright only a few months before, suddenly was uncertain. We had no idea what we were going to do, and I remember being anxious and scared.

I was also relatively new to the life of faith. And I remember how nervous I was to ask Brian if he wanted to pray together. We had been together for over four years, but sitting together and praying to God seemed so intimate in a way that I wasn't used to. Sitting with another person and opening my heart to God—to share all my fears, concerns, and worries—seemed scary. But I didn't have a lot to lose. So I asked, and we began to pray together.

When Brian and I would come together and talk to God about our worries and fears, those prayers would become a part of our story that I treasure. We felt closer to one another and God. In our vulnerability, we could ask for help and mercy, and God answered those prayers in greater ways than we could have ever imagined.

To be a disciple is to always believe in who Jesus is and to follow him. Discipleship is not letting things become what we worship, and it is not worrying about our own glory. Discipleship is coming to God in our vulnerability and trusting that He can heal us. In that way, our faith will make us well.

Thanks be to God. And amen.