The big question on everyone’s mind was,
would anyone
notice?
For forty-five minutes, Bell played—and of the 1,097 persons
who walked by him, only a few took notice. Even fewer dropped coins or dollar
bills into his case. Eventually, a woman recognized him, because she’d seen him
perform at the Library of Congress a few weeks prior. The $20 bill she dropped
in constituted the majority of the $32.17 he collected.
What do you call it when you’re face to face with the
extraordinary, but you do not see it? Is that a form of blindness? If so, maybe
“Blind Bartimaeus” really wasn’t so blind after all…
In today’s Gospel, we find him begging along the Jericho
road, where a large crowd is following Jesus. He cries out, “Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!”
Never had anyone called Jesus the “Son of David;” not even
Jesus’s own disciples. And yet, the Scriptures plainly teach that the Messiah
will be a son of David.
So how could a blind man see that which those who had their eyesight could not?
Consider this: Scripture tells us that there was nothing
remarkable about Jesus’s outward appearance which suggested that he was the Son
of God. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, was not able to judge the proverbial
book by its cover. He knew Jesus by what Jesus spoke, or what was spoken about
him.
And he was a destitute beggar. His only means of survival
was to beg others for mercy. Did his helplessness and vulnerability make him
open to Jesus in a way that others were not?
We don’t know for sure. Only God knows.
Nevertheless, he persists in calling out to Jesus, even with
the crowds trying desperately to shut him up. Then, Jesus calls out to him. He
asks, “what do you want me to do for you?” He says, “Let me see again.”
Bartimaeus immediately regains his sight and follows Jesus.
So, here’s where we are: Bartimaeus already “saw” who Jesus
was, despite his blindness. In restoring Bartimaeus to sight, others now “saw”
who Jesus was, too. Everyone present saw something new.
But still, I wonder: what would it have taken to make the
people in the metro station pay attention to Joshua Bell? A gigantic sign? A
posting on social media?
In a big way,
you determine what your eyes will
see—as well as what they will not see. When the police officer pulls you over,
and you say you didn’t see the stop sign—that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t
there! You either weren’t looking for it, or you weren’t paying attention. Just
the same, you could be face-to-face with Jesus, but you will neither notice him
nor care if your mind is focused on other things.
Many people rejected Jesus because he was not the Messiah
they were looking for. Think about it: if you were looking for your Messiah to
be a mighty conquering warrior, you’re not going to believe in former carpenter
from Nazareth who taught people to love their enemies, and who ended up crucified.
Jesus is wildly popular in 21st-century America. But who,
exactly, is this Jesus people love? One who identifies exclusively with a nation,
race, or political party? One who makes you rich and prosperous in exchange for
believing in him? One who would never demand that you change how you live? One
who would never challenge your most deeply held beliefs and convictions? The
Jesus
you want may not be the Jesus
who is.
The biggest reason why you don’t see Jesus is because of
suffering. Nothing says “Jesus isn’t real” like unanswered prayers; soul-crushing
poverty, the unfairness of life; the grim reality of death; and the
pervasiveness of evil.
It is only through the eyes of faith that you will see Jesus,
and you cannot create faith in yourself any more than Bartimaeus could make
himself see. And yet, Jesus isn’t actively hiding himself, to be seen only by
the fortunate few who are intrepid enough to seek him out, or clever enough find
him. Jesus wants to be both seen and known—but only as he truly is. And if the
Gospels tell us anything, it is that Jesus shows up to feed the hungry, to care
for the sick, to befriend the outcast, to forgive the sinner, and proclaim the
Kingdom of God. He’s not a warrior or a conqueror but a servant.
Chances are, Jesus has put someone like Bartimaeus in your
life—someone to whom Jesus has given something amazing? Amazing healing or
deliverance; amazing courage in the face of adversity; amazing peace in the
face of death; amazing love when they appear to have so little to give. Who are
those people? And how has Jesus used them to reveal his true self to you?
But you must remember that your encounters with Jesus this
week will have much to do with how high a priority Jesus is. Yet it is never a
question of
if Jesus will be gracious to you. The only question is if
you will notice. Either way, you will encounter people love you like Jesus—and
they may not even be Christian. Just the same, you will encounter him in people
who need a gift you have to share. Jesus’s face is
the face of human
need. So do not pass him by,
Jesus is risen and alive in this world, whether you see him
or not. But Jesus will be revealed where love, hope, and charity meet human
needs and create new beginnings. If this is what you need in your life, then
Jesus has much to show you this week if you will follow him.
See Isaiah 11:1-2, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Ezekiel 34:23-24
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