† Homily Notes
Sunday 30B: Healing Prayer
I have thought for a long time that the story of the cure of blind Bartimaeus in Mk 10:46-52 is an archetypal model of healing prayer. There is an acknowledgement of need; an awareness of the goodness of Jesus; a response of expectant trust; and finally a confession of faith.
Acknowledgement of Need
It is quite obvious that Bartimaeus was well aware of his need. He was materially poor, and had no means of support other than begging. He was marginalized by his physical disability and by the fact that the Jewish authorities considered him to be unclean and one of the accursed (cf Jn 7:49) His blindness was wrongly interpreted as a sign of God’s displeasure. As a handicapped person he was often on the receiving end of people's indifference, condescension and hostility. Evidently, his sufferings hadn't made him bitter or hopeless. Instead they had humbled him and strengthened his desire to be well again. As soon as he heard that Jesus was passing he expressed his pent up feelings by urgently crying out to him for mercy. Implicit in the Greek text there is the notion of a scream. One is reminded of the words of the psalmist: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading" Ps 130:1.Because of his single-minded desire, Bartimaeus was undeterred by the rebukes of the bystanders. Instead he shouted even more loudly. Jesus heard him above the noise of the crowd. He had been anointed by the Spirit to bring the Good News of God’s unconditional and unrestricted mercy and love, precisely to poor people like Bartimaeus and to give sight to the blind (cf Lk 4:18). He instructed the apostles to bring the blind man to him. As soon as he received the Lord's request, Bartimaeus responded immediately. He cast off his cloak, which was symbolic of his willingness to cast off anything that might impede his relationship with Jesus. Then he ran, without being able to see, toward Jesus.
Awareness of the Goodness of Jesus
He did so because in all probability he had already heard that Jesus had a reputation of being a prophet, healer and man of God. Presumably Bartimaeus' faith was strengthened by the fact that instead of presuming to heal him Jesus, made it clear, with exquisite sensitivity, that he was there to serve him. He expressed his attitude of empathy and respect by asking Bartimaeus what he wanted. He reverenced that fact that God the Father was already active in this poor man, by his grace. As Jesus himself had said on another occasion, "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him" Jn 6:44. It seems clear that Jesus discerned that ultimately, Bartimaeus's petition was the articulation of a holy, God-prompted to see Jesus. By relating to Bartimaeus in this way, Jesus not only boosted the bind man's self-esteem, he also revealed to him something of the loving kindness of the heart of our God This revelation strengthened the blind man's trust in Jesus.
Expectant Faith
Unlike the man at the pool with five porticos in Jn 5:7, Bartimaeus expressed his growing confidence when he responded without hesitation , "I want to see." One could interpret this faith-filled reply in a literal and a metaphorical way. Of course he wanted to see with the eyes of his body, but there is also reason to believe that he also wanted to see Jesus with the eyes of his heart (cf Eph 1:18). Jesus discerned that Bartimaeus' desire for healing was the expression of God's will. With a word he healed the blind man. With the restoration of his sight, the longings of Bartimaeus' heart were satisfied.
Confession of Faith
As Bartimaeus' body and soul were illumined, the very first person he saw was the Lord of life standing right in front of him. With the psalmist he could have proclaimed: "This poor man called, and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles" Ps 34:6. He immediately confessed his faith in Jesus by becoming his disciple and following him along the road.
