Sermon: Jesus, I Want to See!
March 8th, 2020 Rev. Betsy Perkins
First Baptist Church, Delavan WI
Scripture passage: Mark 10:32-52
Eyes Opened by Jesus
Mark’s Gospel contains two stories about Jesus giving sight to a person who was blind. We just heard the story of Bartimaeus who was sitting on the roadside on the outskirts of Jericho, the last stop on the road to Jerusalem. When he heard the commotion of a large group of people approaching on the road, Bartimaeus called out to find out what was going on. Someone replies, “It’s Jesus of Nazareth.” He might have thought: Jesus of Nazareth? I’ve heard of him – that Jesus is the one healing the sick, casting out evil spirits, making lame people walk, and blind people see. Wait a minute – making blind people see?! And Bartimaeus began to yell, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people around tried to hush him, but he was not going to lose this chance! He had prayed that God might send a Healer his way someday. He was not going to let any sense of decorum or hesitancy cause him to miss his chance.
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And then he hears a voice that sounds different from all the others, saying to him, “What do you want to me to do for you?”
The other blind man story Mark tells comes a couple chapters earlier, right before Jesus begins his final journey to Jerusalem. We know that Jesus actually restored sight to many other people who were blind. The other gospel writers tell some of those stories. But Mark chooses to share only two, the ones on either end of Jesus’ journey to the cross. I think he did that deliberately to help us understand something that was happening along the way.
Here is how that other healing happened: some people brought a man who was blind to Jesus and they begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. So Jesus took the man by the hand and led him out of the village, away from the crowd. Then Jesus put spit on the man’s eyes and laid his hands on him. Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” The man looked around and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.” So Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again. This time his eyes were opened, his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-26)
There are some interesting differences between these two men – the unnamed one in chapter 8 and one whose name we know in chapter 10, Bartimaeus. The first man is brought to Jesus, while Bartimaeus has to take the initiative himself. In the first situation, the people who gather around beg Jesus to heal the man, while those around Bartimaeus are scolding him and trying to deter him. But the most stark difference is that Bartimaeus sees immediately and clearly, simply with a word from Jesus. The first healing, on the other hand, requires a more deliberate, hands-on approach. It happens in stages, with only partial sight at first. I don’t think the lesson is that for Jesus, like us, practice makes perfect. Rather, Mark seems to be using these healings as illustrations of what is taking place as Jesus makes his way to the cross.
Eyes Opened to Jesus’ Mission and Call
We have started out on the Lenten journey, the way to the Good Friday cross. This is the second Sunday of Lent. For the last 2 Sundays, in our readings, we have been journeying with Jesus from the city of Caesarea Philippi in the far northern region of Israel, as he walks with those who are following him to Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for what is going to happen. His conversations with them on the journey include 3 discussions of his death. Each time Jesus tells his disciples explicitly what will happen. “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man (Jesus’ way of referring to himself) will be delivered over to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles (meaning the Romans), who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
Each time Jesus tells them what is going to happen, the disciples totally misunderstand. It’s as if they are blind. Following the first prediction, Peter scolds Jesus for saying those kinds of things. Peter had just told Jesus he believed Jesus was the Messiah, so while he seems to have partial insight into who Jesus is, he does not see clearly what that means, yet. Peter and the other disciples are having their eyes opened in stages. Jesus reaches out to touch the disciples’ eyes with his teaching, using the words of his mouth rather than the spit, to teach them about what discipleship of a Suffering Messiah looks like. It will require that they, too, set aside their personal agendas and personal protection and take up their crosses and follow him, Jesus tells them.
The second time Jesus talks of his death, Mark tells us flat out that the disciples did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. So instead of asking, they start arguing over which of them is the greatest – they are still pretty blind! I’m not sure they are even at the trees-walking stage! So Jesus again teaches them about discipleship. This time he puts a child on his lap and talks about receiving God’s kingdom like a child. Jesus touches them with this concrete illustration, saying, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me.”(Mk.9:37) And anyone who helps others by even giving a cup of water in his name, in Jesus’ name, is serving the God who sent him. Do they get it now? Do they see?
The third time Jesus shares with his disciples that the journey they are on will lead to his death, it triggers yet another argument among the disciples. It’s the part I skipped over as I read today – because it gets a little long. But no sooner does Jesus finish explaining the suffering he will face, then James and John approach Jesus to ask for a favor. They would like to have the glory seats on either side of Jesus when he comes into his kingdom, thank you very much. They are still not seeing clearly! Through their blurry vision they have not yet recognized that Jesus’ glory involves his willingness to endure the greatest suffering, abandonment, an excruciating death, followed by 3 days in the grave.
Yet despite the disciples’ slowness to comprehend, despite their struggle to understand, Jesus patiently leads them onward and they, to their credit, continue to follow. We know they will eventually see clearly. They will come to see the Suffering Christ and then Risen Christ. They will embrace the discipleship commission Jesus will give them, to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”(Mk.16:15) Like Bartimaeus, they will see and they will follow.
Opening our eyes to Jesus
Which brings to me wonder about our eyes, our vision. Are there things about Jesus or about what it means to follow him in the path to the cross that remain blurry? Do I have any blind spots?
When David and I are out shopping, he’ll often tease me about having blinders on. As we walk around the grocery store, I am totally focused on my list and what’s on the shelves. David, on the other hand, can do that and at the same time be looking around, watching for whoever he knows. So if I have ever walked right by you at Walmart or Piggly Wiggly and did not said “Hi,” I was not trying to give you the cold shoulder. I honestly, truly didn’t see you. I can be blind! But it helps when David reminds me to look and to see those around me.
The Lenten season is a good time for us to call out, saying, “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me. Jesus, I want to see!” Jesus will take us by the hand and lead us to a place of healing, where we can learn more about Jesus and from Jesus, as he opens our blind eyes.
In the Wednesday morning Bible study group, we are getting to the end of John’s gospel, reading and listening to a story-teller detail Jesus’ final hours. As we’ve paused to allow it to sink in, I’ve received a fresh awareness of the things that Jesus suffered, the disappointment of having close friends betray and desert him, the pain of 30 lashes with a cruel whip, of sharp thorns cutting into his scalp, of nails hammered into his wrists and his ankles. It brings into focus the depth of Jesus’ love for us, when we can see beyond the Jesus who teaches and the Jesus who heals, to the Jesus who suffers. I encourage you to read those final chapters in each of the gospel stories over the next few weeks.
But that is not all Jesus wants us to see clearly. In his remedy for the disciples’ blindness, we see that Jesus also wants us to see the path of discipleship more clearly, the ways he asks us to love him and follow him. At the ecumenical Lenten devotions at the Methodist Church this week, Father Oriel asked us a question: “Are you willing to suffer with those who suffer?” He shared the stories of 2 priests who were willing to suffer with their people in El Salvador and Guatemala, and who lost their lives as a result. It made me think that perhaps our first step in following Jesus along the way of suffering with those who suffer, is to first be able to see those who suffer in our world today and to see Jesus in them. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.”
In his Lenten message to the world in 2015, Pope Francis said, “Indifference to our neighbor and to God represents a real temptation for us Christians.” Indifference causes us to be blind. The Pope added that indifference results in our being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, unable to weep for another person’s pain, and unwilling to help others, believing them to be someone else’s responsibility and not our own. But there is a healing for this blindness.
Steps to that healing and to keep our eyes open, is what you already do when you cook a meal for the Shelter, or sit at the Breakfast in the Park table with some kids, or deliver meals on wheels, or support Lisa Reshkus as she serves in city schools. Here are some more suggestions for this Lenten season that can open your eyes as you choose the way of Jesus.
- We are often tempted to ignore news reports that show the suffering of others, but I invite you to listen to reports about the 1 million new refugees in Syria, caught between bombs and borders. I heard a father telling a cameraman through his tears, “I have no home, I have no work, I have no food; but all I ask is for a safe place to take my children.” We can allow ourselves to cry with those who cry.
- We can keep in our minds those in our own community who are homeless and hungry. Every time you are at the grocery store, buy one extra food item and bring it our Food Pantry wagons. You can speak up as an advocate for those who have no voice, challenging the “Not In My Neighborhood” voices as the Men’s Shelter and as New Beginnings work for permanent places in the area.
- Intentionally reach out to someone who is different than you – different race, different language, different nationality, different religion – ask them to tell you about their life.
- Attend one of our AB Women’s meetings and listen as they read letters from missionaries about their work and the challenges they face. Stay after church today to buy a pie so that the women can support these ministries.
- If / when COVID-19 comes to this area, be alert for those who are ill and may need a meal dropped off on their doorstep. There may be people who are exposed and have to self-quarantine who may need a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, some soup brought to them.
- Watch for someone who is struggling and do something to make life a little easier
Jesus is present with those who suffer. When we see them, we see Jesus. When they experience your love and care, they may see Jesus in you.
Closing Song: “Open Our Eyes, Lord” # 536
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