A Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks this question of the blind man Bartimaeus in today’s Gospel, yet He asks the question of us as well. By looking closely at Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus we should learn how we should respond to Jesus when He asks us what do we want Him to do for us.
First we should note that this event in Jesus’ earthly ministry happens when He is on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus has already predicted His own death three times, and as we have been hearing in the Gospel readings for the past few weeks, Jesus has been instructing the apostles on what true discipleship entails. Jerusalem stands for more than just the capital of Israel or even its religious center. It is in Jerusalem where Jesus makes the eternal sacrifice that conquers sin and death. Jerusalem is a sign for paradise; where we will live in union with God forever. Jerusalem is the sign of true freedom.
In today’s first reading we hear from the Prophet Jeremiah. The Book of Jeremiah is not filled with much joy. Throughout most of it the Prophet warns the people to stop looking at themselves for their salvation, but to give themselves to God. Jeremiah sees the people reject God’s call, and in their blindness they are conquered and taken into exile. However, in the 31st chapter of Jeremiah the Prophet bursts into this oracle of joy, anticipating the time when God Himself will lead the people out of their exile back to their home in Jerusalem. Of course the real events that lead us to freedom and our eternal home is Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection.
And there, on the road to Jerusalem as Jesus is passing by is the blind man Bartimaeus. His name is rather interesting. In Hebrew “bar” means “son of”, while in Latin “timeo” means “fear.” In a certain sense Bartimaeus’ name means, “son of fear,” and isn’t it fear that keeps us from following the Lord’s call so often? When Bartimaeus hears that it is Jesus who is passing by, he casts off his fear, and responding to the moment of grace, Bartimaeus expresses his faith in Jesus by calling Him the Son of David, another title for the Messiah. Bartimaeus is open to God’s loving presence in his life. At first the people around him tell him to shut up and be quiet, but Bartimaeus perseveres against the many voices which try to silence him; the “son of fear” courageously persists in his openness to God, and Jesus calls him to Himself.
With joy Bartimaeus “sprang up, and came to Jesus.” Remember, Bartimaeus is blind. Blind people do not usually “spring up.” They have to be concerned about tripping, falling, and bumping into things. However, in his faith, Bartimaeus puts all his trust in Jesus, the Son of David; the Son of God.
“What do you want me to do for you?” “Master, I want to see.” “Go on your way, your faith has saved you.” Then Bartimaeus, after receiving his sight, follows Jesus on the way. We should note that Bartimaeus is the first person, besides the Apostles, who is described as following Jesus on the way. “The way” means more than just the physical road to Jerusalem. Rather “the way” is a whole new life leading to the eternal Jerusalem.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus still asks us that question today. How many of us would be quick to give Jesus many answers to that question, “a new house,” “to win the lottery,” “to be cured of some illness,” etc. Jesus is serious when He asks us this question. We need to take the question seriously, and not superficially. We need to consider the question in all its transcendence and always from the perspective of eternity. St. Catherine of Siena once said, “There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.”
While Bartimaeus asked to see, his blindness must not be seen as just a physical blindness. Bartimaeus stands for all who are in spiritual blindness, and all of us suffer from some spiritual blindness. The response we give to Jesus when he asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” will define what we receive.
We are called to follow Christ along “the way,” as Bartimaeus did. Following God’s will always means getting up and moving on. It means leaving old ways and things behind. We must deny the so-called “logic” of the flesh and our materialistic society which puts all hope in human securities and achievements. We must put all our hope in God. We must abandon ourselves completely into God’s hands.
This is not easy. In the past Western society was largely defined and imbued with Christian faith and culture. The overall culture shared a worldview that was in harmony with the Gospel. That is no longer the case. We live in a prevailing culture of death. This does not just refer to our society’s acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cells. No, the culture of death refers to all the ways in which modern, secular culture tries to redefine what God has decreed. Just this week, here in our own State, we see how the culture of death is trying to redefine the nature of marriage and family. A former governor was quoted as saying he wants to have his homosexual relationship “blessed.” Only God can bless things, and He is very clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. The culture of death has brought about a rupture with the truth of Christ. Jesus said that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” so when we break with the truth of Christ we become blind, and worse yet, in that blindness is death.
What better time to be a disciple of Jesus! The world so desperately needs the Good News of Jesus Christ. When Jesus asks us, “What do you want me to do for you?” the best answer we can give is “You!” We need Jesus! We need to become New Men and Women in Christ. Then as His disciples we are entrusted with the question, and bring others to Jesus.
