Sunday 25 October
Mark 10:46-52
Two important themes in the scriptures are light/darkness and being blind/able to see. Baptism has always been understood as a journey from the darkness of sin into the light of grace. In our lives we need moments of revelation in which we who once were blind now come to see. However, it can so often be true that there are none so blind as those who cannot see, wonderfully illustrated by the following true story.
One bleak winter’s day a man stood on a soapbox at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London. He was intent on pouring scorn on Christianity and could not hide his contempt. He began like this: ‘People tell me that God exists, but I can‘t see him. People tell me that there is life after death, but I can‘t see it. People tell me that there is a judgement to come, but I can‘t see it. People tell me that there is a heaven and a hell, but I can‘t see them.’ He stood down from his soapbox to cheap applause. Another man went up to the platform to speak but needed help to do so. He was nervous and unused to this kind of platform but was intent on speaking nevertheless. He began like this: ‘People tell me that there is green grass all around, but I can‘t see it. People tell me that there is blue sky above, but I can‘t see it. People tell me that there are trees nearby; but I can‘t see them. You see, I am blind.’
Bartimaeus was blind, but even in the darkness of blindness he had the light of faith. Bartimaeus was the only person in Mark’s Gospel to call Jesus ‘Master’. The only other time in the whole of the New Testament when this title is used is by Mary Magdalene on encountering the risen Lord near the empty tomb (see John 20:16). As we can see, Bartimaeus was not so blind after all!! We all have shadows and blind spots in our lives, which we need the light of Christ to illuminate. We have no reason to fear the darkness for, like blind Bartimaeus, we have only to turn to the Lord and ask him for the gift of sight.
‘Lord Jesus, you shine your light into the dark shadows of my life. I invite you to illuminate the darkness in my life that I may walk as a child of the light.’
Hebrews 5:1-6 • Mark 10:46-52
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