top of page
Search

Revd Sara's Reflections for w/c 27th October 2024

Lisa Wenmouth

Revd Sara’s Reflection Sunday 27th October 2024

Bible Reading: Mark 10:46-52 

Today’s Gospel reading is a simple story. I mean, as simple as stories of miraculous healings can ever be! That also, I think makes it a dangerous story. Dangerous because it can, I worry, be used in isolation to justify potentially damaging theological views. The subject of this healing is also important. Important enough to actually be named. We know that is not always the case with healing narratives in Mark’s gospel.


The paralysed man in Mark 2, the man with a withered hand in Mark 3 and the deaf mute in Mark 7 are just some of those who are not named directly. Yet, here in this story we are introduced to the blind man, Bartimaeus, as early as the first chapter. Bartimaeus is sitting by the roadside begging when he hears a crowd approaching. When it is confirmed that Jesus is with the crowd he shouts out, addressing Jesus as the Son of David and asking for mercy. The crowd try to silence him but Bartimaeus just shouts even louder, continuing to ask for mercy, until Jesus stops and tells the crowd to ‘call him’.


This causes a change in the response from the crowd, moments ago they were trying to shush Bartimaeus, now they are telling him to be cheerful because Jesus wants to talk to him. Bartimaeus is on the periphery of society. Due to his disability he had been pushed to the edge, having to beg to survive. Then when there is a chance for his life to be changed the crowd initially is not interested, choosing to try and ignore his pleas and silence him.


Maybe my discomfort comes from the way we as a church, to our shame, have often chosen to ignore those on the edges. Even worse, I can think of several times when legitimate access concerns have been raised and the one asking for help has been ignored, silenced, ridiculed or dismissed. Jesus invites Bartimaeus to ask for what he needs, to be specific in his request. When the request is then made ‘I want to see’, it is certainly something which will be specific and measurable. It is a request which is quickly granted. Bartimaeus has his sight restored and is told to ‘go’. It is now that we get to the dangerous bit... Jesus says ‘your faith has healed you.’


Now, I have no problem with people being healed because of their faith. It seems that in this story, and in some of the other healing narratives throughout all our gospels, Jesus is making a special point of mentioning the part that the individuals faith plays in their healing. The danger comes when we begin to think or to express that the only way to be healed is through our own faith.


If we hold fast to that theology we can end up doing a great deal of damage to those who are incredibly faithful people yet do not experience the kind of healing found in this passage. Indeed, the gospels are filled with accounts where the faith of the individual is not the trigger for healing. There are even accounts where it is clear that faith follows healing, such as in John 5:1-11 where the healed man does not even have any idea who Jesus is. It is also important to note that Jesus never asks anyone to prove their faith before healing them.


The healing narratives in our Gospels then, seem to me to say far more about who and what Jesus is rather than who we are. For us they may be a reflection of our faith or a means to grace. For Jesus they are always signs of his messiahship, part of the promise of the Lord’s servant in Isaiah 42. Bartimaeus responds to his healing by following Jesus on the road. His life has been transformed and so he chooses to follow.


Of all the challenges presented to us by this story today, this is the simplest and easiest and at the same time the hardest and most complex. It is a reminder, once again, to give all that we have and all that we are into the care and service of the one who loves us and is our saviour. To call out and ask for what we require, to be blessed as we receive and, above all, to follow where he leads.


love and prayers Revd Sara




4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

留言


© 2021 - 2025 by Towcester Methodist Church

bottom of page