This Sunday we delve deeper into the discipleship we are called to through Bartimaeus who enters the scene as the second blind man healed by Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem. What is ironical, and even the Gospel itself noted in brackets, is that while our present narratives are framed by identity politics, here we are presented with a disciple-to-be whose name we know not of except that he is the son of Timaeus.
The glaring absence of information surrounding the identity of Bartimaeus gives us two points for reflexion. Firstly, he stands as a beacon of faith. Jesus’ fame as a healer would have preceded Him but that is not the core issue here. Faith is. Bartimaeus repeatedly called out to the Son of David for help. Whether he realised it or not, here is a nonentity pointing out the Messiah to all and sundry. All the more, he was blind. This nameless son of Timaeus, more than having a desire to see, stands as a symbol of faith in the Lord.
“I want to see” expresses a persistent faith. Here, we recall the cure which took place earlier concerning the other man born blind. In the previous healing account, the cure was effected in two stages. Initially, when his sight was restored, the man could only see vaguely. Only upon further action by Jesus that he began to perceive more clearly. In a way, the partially sighted man is reminiscent of the Apostles. Even though they had been following Jesus, still they did not fully appreciate the full extent of His mission. If only they could be like Bartimaeus. His appeal “I want to see” articulates a desire to believe in the Lord and more. It conveys a full-hearted longing to be a part of the restoration and salvation that Christ will bring.
The second point is that Bartimaeus’ experience with the surrounding crowd clearly illustrates how subtly pervasive the “reign of the evil one” can be especially when we desire to follow Jesus. As the Lord passed by, Bartimaeus plaintive cry to the Son of David was shouted down by the retinue or entourage that happily trailed along. It may even include the Apostles themselves[1]. One may argue this silencing to be a natural response as many were desperately jostling for a cure.
Such a “naturalistic” or even “realistic” interpretation could possibly imply how unaccustomed we now are to the insidious but oppressive reality of evil. We have almost discounted the enemy of Christ as inconsequential. Instead our impression of evil or Satan is derived from the outlandish imagination of popular culture. If the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel at the end of Mass, which describes “Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls”, is to make sense, then the voices that shouted down at Bartimaeus may be considered “satanic”, for want of a better word, but not of the grotesque display that we have come to expect from our entertainment genre.
“I want to see” can be easily silenced by forces opposed to the Kingdom of God. The voices of discouragement are many because in a world at war with God, anyone who chooses to stand for, stand with and follow God will surely be considered an enemy. He or she has to be tamed. Picture a young person desiring to follow the Lord via a priestly or religious vocation. The voices against it are always going to be louder than the soft prompting of the Holy Spirit.
The experience of Bartimaeus is vital for anyone who claims discipleship in Christ, that is, to be keenly aware that the enemy of the Lord will always seek to divert or distract us from our sacred intention to follow Him. Coupled with this is also spiritual blindness. Blindness is not merely the lack of sight but rather a wilful lack of desire to see. Frequently, the Lord Himself would castigate the Pharisees that they see and see and yet not perceive. Spiritual blindness is the inability to recognise that something is lacking in us.
Complacency makes for spiritual blindness. If we have no need of anything because we are self-satisfied or self-fulfilled, which in itself is not a bad thing, then it begs the question why we need to be saved then. The restoration of physical sight in Bartimaeus suggests that there was something missing—mainly his vision—which would complete his life here on earth. But more than satisfaction or fulfilment, our lack or privation can be grace for it allows us to acknowledge our need for God and that only God can ever fully satisfy us. When Bartimaeus gained the faculty of sight, he also made a spiritual discovery that the Lord is the only One who can fully satisfy all his longings. This spiritual discovery makes for good discipleship.
Today is also Mission Sunday. We commonly conceive of mission in terms of involvement, meaning that we actively engage in missionary activities. Right now, the world is in such a deep peril. We seem to have synonymously equated saving the world with discipleship. Save the world and follow Christ. Such a slogan sounds sublime and altruistic that to insist on following Christ would in fact come across as selfish. But saving the world is not the same or even on par as following Christ. Our primary goal as a disciple is more than a utilitarian conception of ministration through our apostolates etc. It is rather spiritual and existential as the Saints have shown us. They follow Christ closely. They love Him so ardently. In that way, they participate in His mission to save the world. Even if this gives an impression of narcissism, the primary mission of a disciple is to go after Jesus in order that he or she be saved. Bartimaeus shook off his cloak, jumped up in order to follow the Lord. If everyone is a true disciple, would the Lord’s work of salvation have been done?
Therefore, “I want to see” should be every disciple’s cry. The sight granted by faith compels our response. It is fascinating that we are that visual and at the same time that impaired in our vision, for if we could spiritually perceive, can you imagine the quality of our ministration in the world? Bartimaeus is an antithetical reminder of the Rich Young Man who had everything but gave up nothing even though he expressed a desire to imitate the Lord. Bartimaeus, even though he had gained everything, that is, in receiving his prized vision, still he chose to forgo his newfound freedom so that he could follow Jesus Christ unreservedly. That is our mission. That is discipleship.
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[1] Note that our participation in evil is not always wilful or direct. As this quotation commonly misattributed to Edmund Burke reminds us. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”. Social media’s viralling feature is a good example. Frequently, unsubstantiated messages are innocuously re-sent or re-twitted and this viralling effect proves the adage that a lie told one time too many becomes the “truth”.
