Deacon Tom writes
“The Courage To Speak”
Today we hear the familiar story
of Bartimaeus, a man whose disability sets the stage for his encounter with
Jesus. It’s an ordinary day; Bartimaeus sets up on the side of the road to do
the only thing he can do…Beg. His blindness makes him vulnerable and without the
help of others, his life would go from bad to worse. How excited he must have
been when he heard the crowd approaching! Perhaps, he might have thought, their
generosity would get him through a couple of days, please God! But in reality,
a greater gift awaited him.
In some ways we are like
Bartimaeus. We routinely set out each day trying to secure the necessities of
life, to earn enough to pay the mortgage, the orthodontist, buy groceries, fill
the gas tank of the car. Yes, we need these things to provide for our families.
That’s keeping it real. But there is more to life than the things that money
can buy. Ironically, Bartimaeus, the blind man, helps open our eyes to the fact
that our well-being depends totally on someone else, and that someone else is
God.
It takes courage for Bartimaeus to
continue calling out to Jesus when those around him demand his silence.
Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus’ true identity as the “Son of David”. He cries out,
not for a handout to get him through the day, but for God’s mercy that will open for him a whole new way of life and satisfy all that is lacking
within.
We all stand in need of God’s
mercy, for his healing, for the gift of sight to see the awesome works of God
around us and even in our lives. We have so many needs; there are so many
things to pray for. Prayers that break the silence to ask for God’s guidance,
protection, and his mercy so that we might make it through today and have hope
for tomorrow; prayers that silence the rumble of war and that bring peace to
our troubled world; prayers for those who are abused and neglected who are
often silent victims.
Like Bartimaeus, let’s not be
silenced by the world around us. Instead, let us call out “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on us” and see what wonders lie in
store.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image credit: maryricehopkins.com:Bartimaeus3
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