Lord, I Want See. . . . .

Week of October 25, 2015

The Gospel finds us pondering the great story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar on the side of the road. He calls out to Jesus as the son of David.  This is a unique insight.  Jesus is rarely called son of David. In fact, only the learned and the scholars of the day would make the connection that the Messiah would come from the house of David.  It is interesting how the blind beggar on the side of the road has more biblical knowledge then those in the synagogue or those of the priestly tribe.  Much knowledge can be learned on the side of the road.

Bartimaeus is relentless in his calling out.  As Jesus approaches, He asks, “What do you want?”   Bartimaeus wants to see.  Our eyes are the doorway to the soul, someone once said.  Our eyes see so many things.  Seeing 20/20 is always the goal.   When we have clear vision, the world comes alive in incredible ways.  The vibrant colors of Fall can inspire us.  The sunrise with frost on the ground can invite us to a peace found in creation.  For some, the ability to see draws them into the faces of the poor and needy.  Working at the food pantry and helping people checkout can find eyes that penetrate with a pain we cannot imagine.  Those in the medical field can watch hope be transparent, as well as hopelessness crush energy.

The ability to see can lead us to places we never thought imaginable.  When Bartimaeus asked to see, he was asking the Lord to shape his eyes and his sight so that he might be drawn into the kingdom, to see the things promised of the house of David:  that a ruler would come to save the people, a Messiah and Lord.

We have the ability to take in so many things with our eyes and with that comes the responsibility to pay attention to where those lead us.  Does seeing a person in need challenge us to respond?  Does a child struggling to read find us taking the time to teach them?  Does seeing a person waiting in line at the grocery store with double the carts of things find us helping them and being patient instead of finding another checkout line?  The Lord wants us to see, He wants us to see things that will stir us to action, to stir us to respond to the needs of others.

Many things we see will capture our attention yet only a few will capture our heart. Follow and respond.

Rev. John J. Ouper