Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 149

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

This is a shocking thing, that "many rebuked (the noisy beggar,) telling him to be silent." But it happens all the time.

Here's a fellow who clearly has a serious need for healing. Here's another fellow who has the authority and willingness to heal. They are within a few feet of each other. However, the healer doesn't know of the blind man's presence or his plight. He will only discover it if the blind man makes a lot of noise.

But when he does so, the crowd of disciples and would-be disciples tell him to pipe down.

It's not difficult to imagine why they are so rude. They are straining to hear the Master as he passes through their neighborhood. They hope to gain something from his teaching, and perhaps something from association with him. There is blessing in the practice of religion, as Saint Paul said. They don't need distractions.

But Bartimaeus' need is more urgent; his longing for sight is intense; and Jesus will teach more by doing than by talking as he asks the beggar that critical question, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Not long after I was ordained, in the late 1970's, judges and juries began to pay attention to victims of crime. I'm sure there is a complex history there and I know little of it; but I understand it was quite revolutionary. Until then, certain standards governed how a criminal was punished, regardless of the actual harm or damage they had done. Here's the type of crime; here's the usual punishment. Until that time, victims had no voice in the proceedings, and little standing in court. Their personal distress and trauma following the incident; their depression, anxiety, nightmares,  and so forth; not to mention the costs incurred: these meant nothing in the court of law. 

But even yet, when people are sexually harassed, exploited or abused there are powerful social forces that rebuke them, telling them to be silent. Very often the perpetrators suffer no penalty while the victims agonize. The criminal may have standing in the community; a powerful employer, politician or minister of religion. "Don't rock the boat! It's too unstable already!"

Even when the victims speak of it, they're encouraged to get over it. We'll listen once, and twice, "...but, really, it's time you let it go!"

In this gospel Jesus' asking Bartimaeus what he wants, his listening and his healing action -- which, by the way, will only add to the dossier amassed by his enemies -- pointedly rebuked the crowd around him. Religion is more than listening to the teacher; it is effectively caring for the needy, wherever and whenever you find them.

Saint Paul liked to remind his people the Spirit of God is no idle spirit:

...my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

and again:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

We must certainly talk the talk, we must also walk the walk and do as Bartimaeus...  

Immediately (the blind man) received his sight

and followed him on the way.