Seeing the Person
Can be listened to here
Gate Pa – October 25, 2015
Pentecost 22 - Ordinary Time 30
Readings:
Psalm
Psalm
34:1-8
First
Reading:
Job 42:1-6,
10-17
Second
Reading: Hebrews
7:23-28
Gospel:
Mark 10:46-52
What I want to say:
How easy it is to read these stories and not see the
people involved. But Jesus does see the person, the blind Bartimaeus, and asks
him what he wants. How do we not see people? How are we ourselves not seen?
What
What I want to
happen:
People to reflect on what prevents
them from seeing other people as people, and how they are labelled
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
For the last few weeks we have been hearing
from central section Marks gospel
starts
with story healing of blind man – takes two goes
after the first go everyone looks
like trees
then
three blocks teaching about upcoming crucifixion and resurrection
among
stories how disciples respond to that
telling him off
or as heard last week –
asking
right to sit at Jesus left and right hand side
section ends with Jesus following Jordan down
to Jericho
bottom
of the steep road up to Jerusalem
and as he is leaving a blind man – Bartimaeus –
hears he is going past
hears that it is Jesus the Nazarene going past
title has hint of snobbery about it
that
Jesus comes that hole – Nazareth
but also hint awe
that
Jesus
Bartimaeus calls out something very different
Jesus
son of David have mercy on me
sounds all good to us
in
those days – not title heard often
using
kind thing that could get you into serious trouble
David
the king is not romantic figure long ago
great
king Israel
his
son will be messiah who will
overthrow Herod
crush Romans into dust
talk of insurgent – we might say
so he is told to be quiet
……
2. The Outcast
he is also blind
we don’t know much about Bartimaeus
know
his name – actually really big thing
why
did Mark include that?
know
he was blind
so we and most commentators simply see him as
blind man – Bartimaeus
pretty much same all those people around him
he was just that blind beggar
we don’t know when we became blind – birth or
latter
we don’t know how much grieved either life led
when had sight
grieved
for his place in family, in his community
for
all that was gone
or life never had because blind
he was now blind
many
ways already dead
outsider
on
edge
beggar
outside
community
outside
of God’s care
those around him he is just blind beggar
to be ignored mostly
to not be seen
whose place is to be silent
Many ways
how we and commentators read this story is no
different
those people Jericho in story
Bartimaeus not person
simply bit part in story
beyond his healing is of no value
3. Jesus
But Jesus hears him
hears person Bartimaeus
will all his grief and hopes
and invites others to see him as well
says people
who do not see him
"Call him over."
then Jesus asks
very simple question, "What can I do for you?"
when was
last time anyone asked Bartimaeus that questions
what was that like for him?
only a few
verses ago Jesus asked James and John the same question
this time
it seems so seems so redundant
heal
him of course
would we ask?
whether we would assume
Jesus does ask the question
because to ask is to recognise that he is a
person
with
his own fears, hopes dreams
allows this Bartimaeus to speak for himself
name
what he wants for himself
When he is healed
this once blind Bartimaeus follows Jesus on
the way
the
way up to Jerusalem
the
way to the cross
unlike James and John
Bartimaeus gets it.
4. Today
we too live in world people reduced to labels
On Wednesday night some of us attended the Closing
The Gap
one things struck me how easily reduce people
to label
people
who work factories/warehouses – labour cost
idea being employers want drive cost
down
easy when seen simply as cost
not cost – these are real people with
ambitions and hopes, fears and struggles
sadly, too often we fail to see the people
works other way too
we are all guilty of not seeing people around
us.
applying label
which then allows them to not see them as
people
ask myself
do I see homeless man who has lived in our porch
for 2 months
as
person
own
hopes and dreams
hopelessness
of being in his cardboard box
homeless man living in our porch
we are all victims of being labelled
just finished reading Being Mortal – by Amercian
surgeon Atul Gawande
looks at Medicine in America and what matters
in the end
critiques own profession and rest home
industry
reducing
people to medical problem that needs to be solved/cured
even
when there is no solution
too often in America lose sight of the fact
that not just medical problem
person
with medical issue
brings
all hopes and fears with them
own hopes how their story will end
labels prevent doctors seeing the people
everyone
is the worse for it
5. Conclusion
This story of blind person, Bartimaeus is
about us
we are in crowd – telling this beggar of no
consequence to be quiet
wonder who Jesus inviting to see as people
to call today, tomorrow
asks us – who is it we label and dismiss?
We are Bartimaeus – labelled
our
personhood belittled
reduced
to other people’s categories
our
hopes and fears lost.
Jesus says to us – what do you want?
what
is it you want?
what
is it you fear?
where are you in this story?
what is Jesus saying to you today
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