Gospel for October 24 2021 – Mark 10:46-52
Gospel Reflections for October 24 2021
On the move!
With all that you have going on, now there are the World Series playoffs to follow!
We live in a faced paced world. Maybe your days are filled with driving here and there; off to work, or stores, or school, and then home again, and doing a million little tasks every day. Your life moves fast!
What a contrast to the poor blind man, Bartimaeus, in today’s Gospel. He is sitting by himself on the side of a busy road where people are moving quickly back and forth. But his own life is going nowhere. Suddenly, he hears that Jesus is passing by. He seizes the opportunity and takes a desperate chance!
He cries out to the Lord for help, despite the antagonism of the crowd. Bartimaeus is a man of profound courage, and that courage is exactly what Jesus recognizes and honors …and so Our Lord calls him forward.
While the crowd dismisses Bartimaeus as a pest, Jesus honors him with a simple question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus gives him the chance to speak for himself and Bartimaeus simply asks. “Lord, I want to see!”
In the ancient world, a blind person who cannot see “outward” was considered to have “in-sight” and could actually “see” deeper realities better than others. Bartimaeus accurately “sees” that Jesus is the only one who can change his life. That is why he enthusiastically jumps up to greet Him, throwing aside his only worldly possession, his cloak. Nothing will get in the way of his meeting the Lord! As he hoped, his vision is restored …but that is not all.
He leaves his familiar place beside the road and moves along the road with the disciples and Our Lord. He changes his life that was going nowhere to one that is now on the move, this time with Jesus. Instead of begging to receive help from others, he will give of himself to help others.
You cannot meet Jesus and stay the same person. The change in Bartimaeus is the actual sign that his meeting was authentic. Bartimaus finally sees outwardly what he should do with his life. He follows Jesus!
Jesus is still “passing by” your life in many moments throughout the day, as busy as you are. Now you can “stand up” like Bartimaeus, throw off your concerns, follow Jesus, and give of yourself to those around you.
Like Bartimaeus, seize the moment to do something great today.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Jesus must be pleased with the precious moments that people give Him
throughout the day… a kind word, a smile, seeing something that reminds us
of Him and thanking Him for it.
His Presence is everywhere, all we have to do is find it!
You have understood this Gospel very well!
This is profound, Father Dave. Thank you for the insightful reflection. It is all too easy to get caught up in the noise and “busyness” of our mundane world. We must try to set aside a moment of quiet reflection every day to filter out all the noise and static and to commune with our Lord.
Well said! You have understood the Gospel very well.
Thanks, Fr. Dave! Yesterday a friend of mine posted on Facebook that he awoke to find his sight was gone. He posted very courageously about his journey from going through the initial shock to undergoing surgery and accepting his limitation to praising the blessings in his life – God, his girlfriend, who remained there with him. It was very touching!