This weekend, we are continuing with the theme from the 29th Sunday, “What do you want me to do for you?” The sequence in Mark's narrative culminates with the healing of blind Bartimaeus. Blindness is apparent and tangible. So, we can say that Jesus knows what the man would need from him. Yet Jesus asks him the same question he asked the rich young man (Mk. 10:36).
Materially, the blind man is poor. Some Bible versions would describe him as a blind beggar. Isn’t it possible that the blind man would ask for material help like other beggars? Let's see if this was a part of the reason why Jesus would ask him to explicitly say what he would need from him.
Do you remember coming to your dad in your younger years with a list of your needs before going back to school? During my high school years, my dad would let me hold my list in my hands for a while and he would ask, "What is it you want?" I would shrink for a while before stretching out my hands with the list. He would take the list and go through it. It did not mean that my dad did not know my needs. Rather, he wanted me to express them, possibly, to instill some sense of autonomy in me. It could also have been his way of establishing a connection with me through our dialogue. As I matured, I became braver as I came up with my list and would sometimes discuss my needs before bringing my list out.
No encounter with Christ is an accident. Jesus knows he is going to meet Bartimaeus on his way from Jericho. Perhaps, the Lord uses that route specifically for him. In the gospels, Jericho becomes a prominent meeting place where Jesus encounters different kinds of people. An example is Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and a wealthy man (Lk. 19:1-2). God knows us and encounters us specifically. He brings healing to us as needed.
Back to the question about what the blind man wants from Jesus. It is more about letting the man affirm the identity of Jesus and profess his faith. The prophet Jeremiah declares, “The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng.” This prophecy fulfills in the life of the blind Bartimaeus.
Here’s the interesting piece in Bartimaeus’ story: “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. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." What follows is that Jesus stops and summons the man to himself. The same crowd helps him to come to Jesus as he throws off his cloak and every encumbrance. At that point, Jesus says to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” This is similar to the healing of the two blind men in Matthew where Jesus questions them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” (9:28). “What do want from me” is meant to elicit a deeper connection, to reinforce that Jesus’ healing goes beyond the external.
Furthermore, the blind man is facing opposition from the crowd. His desire to be healed is threatened by societal forces. Those leading the way rebuke him to be quiet, but he shouts all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Lk. 18:39). The question is important for him. He asserts his identity as God’s child with equal rights and dignity. He reaffirms his faith, by professing Jesus as the Son of David, the King who sets him free from physical and spiritual entanglement.
Clearing the blind man of every doubt is crucial for holistic healing. Jesus tells him at the end, “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” Inner healing precedes physical healing, the essence of the profession of faith. The blind man does not need physical vision to believe. It does not matter what the crowd does or thinks about him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary doubt: “Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness” (no. 2088).
The blind man represents the human condition blinded by circumstances beyond our control. When we come to Jesus, he asks us repeatedly, “What do you want me to do for you?” He wants us to heal from “hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity.” We suffer “blindness to spiritual truths; blindness to your own sin, blindness to Jesus’ presence with you; blindness to the needs of family members; blindness to the poor in your community; or any other area of your life where you don’t see with God’s eyes” (Bob Schuchts (2022). Do You Want to be Healed, p.43).
To answer the question like Bartimaeus, the Church recommends a strong gaze at Jesus. The Catechism states, “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. "I look at him and he looks at me… His gaze purifies our hearts; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our hearts and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ” (no. 2715).
The blind man teaches us strong lessons. Although not seeing, the blind man already knew what he expected from Jesus. He had an interior vision that enabled him to see and believe in Jesus within his heart, before seeing with his eyes. Here are some takeaways:
1. Focus on Jesus. Ignore the crowd.
2. Expunge every doubt from within. Be mindful of internal and external distractions. Your desire to encounter God will always be obstructed by inadvertent forces.
3. Keep working on deepening your relationship with God. Prayer can be hard. Never give up.
4. You don’t have to be shy about your faith. Call out loud.
5. Jesus, the Son of David is out to encounter you. He is intentionally on your way and nothing will stop Him.
6. Jesus always wants you to be convinced you want him, “What exactly do you want me to do for you?”
READINGS: 1ST- JER. 31:7-9; 2ND- HEB. 5:1-6; GOSPEL- MK. 10:46-52
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