“Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing” (Helen Keller)
The Gospel of Mark 10:46-52 tells the story of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Every day, Bartimaeus would sit by the roadside in the busy streets of Jericho begging and waiting patiently on the expected Messiah, who would open hearts and eyes of the blind. In the Scriptures, we have no evidence that a prophet ever restored sight to the blind. The prophet Isaiah, however, encourages us with the promise that the Messiah will come to open the eyes of the blind: “Say to those with anxious heart: ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, He comes…to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped…” (Isaiah 35:4-5). Ultimately, Jesus Christ came to Jericho. He is the Good Shepherd who looks for his sheep; He comes to look for and save those who are lost, to heal their wounds, restore sight to the blind, give strength and peace to the weary and troubled souls.
When Bartimaeus heard a cheering crowd, he asked what was happening. He heard the noise because he was listening to hear the Word; he asked because he was waiting for the Silent Visitor in the midst of the noisy world; he was looking for the Light in the world of darkness; he was hungry for the Healer, the Hope and the Life in the world of disease, despair, and death. Though he could not see the Messiah with his physical eyes, Bartimaeus could see Him with the eyes of the heart. With their physical eyes, the crowds were looking for visible signs to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but Bartimaeus saw with his heart and believed that the One who was passing through the crowd is the Messiah.
Confident that the merciful Lord would answer him, Bartimaeus cried out to Him. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd yelled back and told him to shut up. Bartimaeus refused to be quiet. A brave soldier does not back down until the battle is won. A tenacious soul, like Bartimaeus, never gives up even in the storm. How often our “crowd” tries to hush us from praying, from proclaiming Jesus Christ and making our identity in Him known. Bartimaeus’ cry for mercy was louder than the noise of the crowd around him. When they said, “Keep quiet,” he kept crying out even louder. Jesus heard his voice in the midst of the surging crowd. No matter the noise around you, Jesus hears the cry of your heart; he hears the silent groanings of those who trust in Him.
The Lord tells the crowd to call Bartimaeus. Blessed are you when God calls your name in the midst of the crowd, raising you from the bed of sickness to health, from darkness to light, from suffering to salvation. At that moment, those who tried to hush Bartimaeus began to hail him. When God is about to change your situation, He prepares a table and makes your enemies watch you dine with Him. No one can stop God from blessing you, if you do not stop calling upon the Lord.
Bartimaeus threw off the cloak to cling to Jesus. He had to let go of any attachment to created things in order to be attached to God alone. He was forever free to follow the Lord, free to serve him without fear or distraction. Neither his past, nor his disability, nor his weakness, nor any worldly comfort would hold him back. To move forward in following Christ, we must cut off the string that holds us back, whether it is hanging on to negative thoughts and emotions or clinging to the past. Bartimaeus chose to live in the present in Christ’s transforming presence. Jesus asked him a very vital question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus knew exactly what he was looking for and would not miss his opportunity for healing: “Lord, that I may see” (Mark 10:51). Seeing his great faith, Jesus heard the cry of his heart and restored his sight.
The members of the Society of St. Bartimaeus (Bartimites) see with the eyes of their hearts and are confident that in Christ, they have broken free from any barriers that held them back in life. Blessed are our eyes for we see the Messiah (cf. Mat 13:14-16).
Do you call upon God when you can’t see him with your physical eyes? Do you trust that he is with you when you don’t feel His presence? Do you believe that he will change your life even when you don’t know how long you have to wait on Him? Pray that the Lord may open the eyes of your heart to see Him by your side at all times.
Father Martin L. Ibeh