The Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Grace Cathedral
10/25/09

Mark 10:46-52

THE MAIN CHARACTER, OTHER THAN JESUS, IN THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY IS NAMED BAR TIMAEUS, WHICH MEANS THE SON OF TIMAEUS, WHICH CAN BE TRANSLATED AS EITHER “THE SON OF THE UNCLEAN ONE,” OR THE “SON OF THE DIRTY ONE.” THIS IS NOT A VERY NICE NAME AND IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE MAN’S REAL NAME, BUT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF JERICHO CALLED HIM. WHY HE WENT BLIND IS UNKNOWN TO US, BUT WE CAN TELL, FROM THE WAY PEOPLE REACTED TO HIM, THAT THEY THOUGHT HE WAS THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, AN OUTCAST FROM SOCIETY, THAT, ACCORDING TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, DESERVED TO BE OUTCAST BECAUSE OF HIS SINS. CLEARLY, IN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE, GOD WAS PUNISHING THIS MAN FOR SOMETHING. BECAUSE HE WAS AN OUTCAST, HE COULD NOT WASH IN THE RITUAL BATH, AND SO WAS DIRTY AND FILTHY IN MORE THAN NAME ONLY.

THE DIRTYIST MAN I EVER SAW WAS IN THE CITY OF SEATLE AS I TOOK MY FAMILY IN FOR OUR FIRST VISIT TO SEE THE SIGHTS. AS I STOPPED AT A DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC LIGHT, THIS DIRTY, FILTHY MAN CAME STAGGERING THROUGH THE CROSS WALK. HIS HAIR AND BEARD WAS MATTED WITH DIRT AND FILTH, HIS CLOTHING WAS LITTLE MORE THAN RAGS, AND I COULD SMELL HIS STENCH AS HE APPROACHED THE CAR. HIS EYES WERE PARTLY CLOSED BECAUSE THEY WERE ENCRUSTED WITH DIRT, AND, DRUNK OR STONED, HE STAGGERED AS HE WALKED ACROSS THE STREET. MY THOUGHTS, AS HE STAGGERED CLOSER AND CLOSER, WERE, “LORD, DON’T LET HIM COME NEAR US, AND, PLEASE, LORD, DON’T LET HIM TOUCH MY CAR.”

OFTEN, WHEN WE ARE CAUGHT UP IN OUR OWN AGENDAS, WE FAIL TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AS JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES WERE PASSING THROUGH JERICHO, A LARGE CROWD CAME ALONG WITH THEM. WORD OF WHAT JESUS HAD BEEN DOING IN THE NORTH HAD SPREAD TO THE TOWN, AND, AS JESUS PASSED THROUGH, THE CROWD CAME OUT TO BE A PART OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. EVERYONE LIKES A BIG PARADE, AND THE PEOPLE GOT SWEPT UP IN THE WONDER AND THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT. FOR SOME OF THEM, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST THING TO HIT THE TOWN IN THEIR LIFE TIMES, AND THEY RUSHED OUT INTO THE STREET TO FOLLOW ALONG AND BECOME A PART OF THE GREAT EVENT. JESUS’ CONFLICT WITH THE RULING ELITE WAS WELL KNOWN, AND, NOW, HE WAS GOING UP TO JERUSALEM TO GIVE THEM “WHAT FOR.” SURELY, JESUS WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL TO KICK OUT THE ROMAN OPPRESSORS, CLEAN UP THE CORRUPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS ELITE, AND RESTORE THE THRONE OF THE KINGDOM OF DAVID. THE CROWD SWELLED AS THEY TALKED AND LAUGHED, AND THE MOOD WAS ONE OF EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION, AND THEY SURELY DID NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DISTRACT JESUS OR RUIN THE MOOD OF THE MOMENT, SO WHEN THE POOR BLIND BEGGER CALLED OUT TO JESUS, THE CROWD TRIED TO SHUT HIM UP. THEY DID NOT WANT ANYONE TO “RAIN ON THEIR PARADE.”

NOW, SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP. BAR TIMAEUS WAS ONE OF THESE. THE MORE THE CROWD TOLD HIM TO BE QUIET; THE LOUDER HE CALLED OUT, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME.” SINCE THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIS HEARING, BAR TIMAEUS COULD HEAR THE CROWD TALKING ABOUT WHAT WONDERS JESUS HAD DONE, AND WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING HIM TO DO WHEN HE GOT TO JERUSALEM. THE CHANCES WERE THAT JESUS WOULD NEVER PASS THIS WAY AGAIN, OR THAT BAR TIMAEUS WOULD EVER AGAIN BE IN A POSITION TO CALL OUT TO JESUS, SO HE IGNORED THE VICIOUS ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE HIM, AND KEPT CALLING OUT TO JESUS, USING ONE OF THE TITLES OF THE EXPECTED MESSIAH – “SON OF DAVID.” THIS GOT THE ATTENTION OF JESUS, AND HE STOPPED STILL IN THE ROAD.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYONE STOP STILL IN A MOVING CROWD, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE AT THE FRONT OF THE CROWD? THERE IS QUITE A DRAMATIC RIPPLE EFFECT, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT THIS IS THE IMAGE MARK IS TRYING TO CONVEY WHEN HE SAYS THAT JESUS “STOOD STILL.” WE CAN PICTURE THE CROWD SWIRLING, AND BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER, AS THEY COME TO THE UNEXPECTED HALT; TRYING TO STOP AND NOT KNOCK JESUS OFF HIS FEET IN THE PROCESS. IN THE MIDST OF THIS SUDDEN CHAOTIC SCRAMBLE TO KEEP THEIR FEET, JESUS, STANDING STILL, COMMANDS, “CALL HIM HERE.”
 
THE CROWD, WHICH HAD JUST BEEN VICIOUS IN TRYING TO QUIET THE BLIND BEGGER, NOW FIGURATIVELY FALLS ALL OVER THEMSELVES IN TRYING TO GET THE MAN TO JESUS. IF JESUS WANTS TO TALK TO HIM, HE MUST BE IMPORTANT, SO THEY TELL HIM, “TAKE HEART, GET UP; HE IS CALLING FOR YOU.” THE VERY ONE THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT A MOMENT AGO BECAUSE HE WAS CURSED BY GOD IS NOW THE CENTER OF THE CROWDS ATTENTION AS THEY MAKE WAY FOR HM TO COME TO JESUS. SEIZING HIS ONE CHANCE, BAR TIMAEUS LEAPS UP, EVEN DROPPING HIS CLOAK AND LEAVING IT IN THE ROAD. HIS CLOAK WAS HIS COAT, HIS BED ROLL, AND BACK PACK COMBINED, AND HE JUST LEAVES EVERYTHING HE HAS TO COME TO JESUS. NOW, STANDING IN FRONT OF JESUS, IT WAS IF THERE WAS NO CROWD SURROUNDING THEM, JUST THE TWO OF THEM IN THE DUST OF THE ROAD. JESUS’ WHOLE FOCUS IS ON THIS OUTCAST, DESPISED BY ALL, EXCEPT JESUS WHO ASKS HIM, “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?”

WHEN BAR TIMAEUS RESPONDS WITH “MY TEACHER,” HE IS SAYING THAT HE WANTS TO BE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. HE IS MAKING A DECLARTION THAT JESUS IS HIS MASTER, AND THE WORD OF JESUS IS WHAT WILL BE THE GUIDE FOR HIS LIFE; WHAT EVER THAT WORD MIGHT BE. “MY TEACHER, LET ME SEE AGAIN.” IT IS THIS DECLARATION OF HIS TRUST IN JESUS, HIS FAITH IN THE WORD AND WILL OF HIS MASTER THAT IS THE KEY. THE POOR, DIRTY BLIND BEGGER SEES WHAT THE CROWD DOES NOT; THAT THE WORD OF JESUS IS THE ONLY HOPE, AND THAT TRUST IN JESUS IS THE ONLY CHANCE FOR SALVATION FOR ANYONE. “GO,” HIS MASTER TELLS HIM, “YOU FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL.” WITH HIS SIGHT RESTORED, BAR TIMAEUS DOES GO. BAR TIMAEUS FOLLOWS JESUS ON THE WAY; THE WAY OF THE CROSS.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS A WAY FULL OF SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED STOPS, BECAUSE THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS THE WAY THAT IS GUIDED BY THE WORD AND THE WILL OF JESUS. BY THE GRACE OF GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT, AS WE WALK THE WAY OF THE CROSS, WE SEE THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE IN IT, NOT THROUGH OUR OWN POOR VISION, BUT THROUGH THE EYES OF JESUS. WE COME TO SEE THAT IT IS NOT OUR VISION OF THE WORLD, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT IN HOW THE EYES OF JESUS LOOK UPON THE WORLD AND THE CHILDREN OF GOD. WE START TO SEE, PERHAPS FOR THE FIRST TIME, NOT THE FILTH AND THE DIRT WHICH COVERS OUR BROTHER OR SISTER, WHICH IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THAT WHICH COVERED US, BUT SEE, INSTEAD, THE CHILD OF GOD WHO YEARNS FOR THE EMBRACE OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER. ON THE WAY OF THE CROSS OUR EYES ARE OPENED TO THE LOVE GOD HAS FOR ALL HIS CHILDREN, AND OUR EARS ARE NO LONGER FULL OF THE SOUNDS OF THE CROWDS AND THE NOISE OF THE WORLD, SO THAT WE CAN HEAR THE CALL OF ANOTHER CRYING, “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME.”

THIS IS WHY JESUS CAME TO US, WHY HE DIED FOR US, AND ROSE TO INTERCEED FOR US FOREVER BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD. HE CAME TO BRING THE MERCY AND THE LOVE OF GOD TO ALL WHO ARE OUTCAST, ABANDONED AND IGNORED BY THE WORLD. HE CAME TO BRING MERCY AND LOVE TO YOU AND TO ME. HE CAME TO CALL YOU, AND ME, TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS AND TO BRING GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE TO ALL WE MEET ALONG THE WAY. WE CAN EXPECT MORE THAN A FEW SUDDEN STOPS ALONG THE WAY, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS ALL ABOUT; BRINGING GOD’S LOVE AND MERCY TO ALL WE MEET ALONG THE WAY. “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME,” IS THE CRY OF EACH OF US WHO FOLLOW HIM AND CALL HIM “LORD AND MASTER.”
AMEN