I Want to See!, Mark 10:46-52
Plymouth First United Methodist Church, October 24, 2021
Pastor Toni Carmer
A blind man sits alongside the dusty road, just outside of the city of Jericho. Jesus has been in Jericho, and he’s now heading on down the road to Jerusalem.
There are lots of people with him. The disciples are there as always, but a crowd of others have joined the parade, as well.
Jesus is moving into the peak of his popularity. Lots of people enjoy gathering around him, listening to him teach. Some believe that something big is about to happen politically, and they’re thinking that Jesus will be at the center of it. But he is the only one, of course, who is fully aware of what will happen once he arrives in Jerusalem.
It’s a good day. The crowd is humming. Folks are all spread out, with as many as possible walking close to Jesus, listening to everything he has to say, while others are walking ahead, leading the way, giving up on trying to hear, but enjoying the opportunity of being so close. More folks are following behind—mostly women and their older children trying to keep the animals on track, and making sure the younger children don’t get left behind.
There’s a swirl of activity, a growing momentum, lots of energy.
Everybody ignores the blind man. He just kind of blends into the side of the road. He’s dusty and dirty. Who knows how long he’s been sitting there? Surely the crowd will just pass on by. You see someone like this and you just keep going. Sad. And yet, life goes on.
And then, the blind beggar speaks. He not only speaks, but he shouts, addressing Jesus directly: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Several people turn to him, seeing him perhaps for the first time. They’re appalled that he would have the nerve to speak out/to shout out like that. Everyone keeps moving. Several scold him to be quiet: Jesus has more important things to do than to stop and talk to you! But the beggar is persistent. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” This time, Jesus hears. He can’t see who’s calling out with the crowd all around, but he stops and tells those close by to have the one who is shouting to come to him. When Bartimaeus hears this, he throws off his cloak, jumps up and goes to Jesus, moved along by the surrounding crowd. Not an easy maneuver for a blind man.
As the two men stand facing each other, Jesus asks, “What would you like for me to do for you?” The blind man responds, “Teacher, I want to see again.”
It’s an incredible request, isn’t it? A request that would have made the crowd gasp. But Jesus doesn’t hesitate. He says to Bartimaeus, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” Bartimaeus responds—not by “going”—but he joins the crowd, and follows Jesus.
Just like that: the blind man sees. He’s healed and his eyes are opened.
Being one who has always been able to see, it’s hard for me to even imagine how incredible it must be to be blind, and then to regain my sight.
I remember when I was in the fourth grade, my family was looking at a boat somewhere out on a lake and I couldn’t see it and had no idea what they were talking about. That’s when my mom realized I needed glasses. I remember seeing so clearly after not realizing I had an issue to begin with!
Scott is about to have his second cataract surgery. He’s said how clear his vision is after having the first one done. He was intently looking at me a few days ago and I asked, “what?” He said, “I haven’t seen your face this clearly in a long time!” I’m not convinced that’s good news.
And yet, I can’t imagine how amazing it has to be one for one who has been blind, to have their sight restored.
For 51 years, Bob Edens was blind. He couldn’t see a thing. His world was a black wall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through 5 decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated procedure and for the first time Bob Edens could see. He found it overwhelming.
Here are some of his responses:
“I never would have dreamed that yellow is so yellow. I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow.
Grass is something I had to get used to (he said). I always thought it was just fuzz. But to see each individual green stalk, and to see the hair on my arm growing like trees and birds flying through the air, and everything—it’s like starting a whole new life. It’s the most amazing thing in the world to see things you never thought you’d see…”
We see these things every day and don’t think anything of it. The trees that are starting to change…can you imagine seeing that beauty for the first time? We’ve just gotten “used” to it.
Helen Keller once wrote an article for a magazine entitled, “Three Days to See.” In the article she outlined three things she would like to see if she were granted just three days of sight. On the first day she said she wanted to see friends. Day two she would spend seeing nature. The third day she’d spend in her home city of New York watching the busy city and the activities of a typical work day there. She ended the article saying, “I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you were stricken blind.”
As bad as blindness is in this century, it was so much worse in Jesus’ day. Today a blind person has the hope of living a full life. Some of the most skilled and creative people in our society are blind. But in first century Palestine, blindness meant you were subject to extreme poverty. You would have to beg for a living. You lived at the mercy and generosity of others. Unless your particular kind of blindness was self-correcting, there was no hope for a cure. The skills necessary to make that happen were still centuries beyond the medical knowledge of the day.
Little wonder then, that one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah was that the blind should receive their sight. When Jesus began his preaching career, he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has sent me to recover sight to the blind.”
And now, Bartimaeus could see! Healed by Jesus, on the road outside Jericho, on the way to Jerusalem. Witnessed by crowds of people who were amazed that Jesus could do such a thing.
It happened because Bartimaeus called out to Jesus. He was persistent, and he kept calling out until Jesus heard him. And then Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
This isn’t the first time Jesus asks this question. In the scripture immediately preceding this one, James and John come to Jesus and say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (Interesting question, isn’t it?) Jesus responds by asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” They tell him they want to be his right-hand men when he makes it to the top. Jesus ends up teaching them a lesson on what it means to be a leader. About how leaders serve rather than expecting others to serve them.
Now, Bartimaeus—who can’t see, who hasn’t had the privilege of spending time with Jesus for these many months, who hasn’t been able to hear all his teachings, who hasn’t before witnessed a healing and is an outsider in every sense of the word—is still able to “see” and understand in a way that the James and John (and the other disciples) can’t. Bartimaeus can’t see with his eyes, but he isn’t near so blind as James and John.
Before we feel too much disappointment in the disciples, let’s think about how we sometimes “miss” what’s right in front of us. How are we blind? What do we need to see that we aren’t able to right now? How do our eyes need to be opened?
But maybe the first question we need to ask ourselves is this one: Do we really want to see?
I’ve always been pretty good at asking questions, but I’m not always so sure of the answers. Maybe it’s because there are different answers for each of us. Our different experiences have offered us different opportunities: different sight lines. My experience of growing up in a working-class family and having the opportunity of going to college, of being white and married and employed throughout my adult years will be much different from a single, Hispanic mother who had to quit high school to care for younger siblings and now struggles with affordable childcare, a minimum wage job and responsibilities of extended family. We look at the world differently because our experiences have been so different. One of my seminary professors talked about how “position yields perspective” and I’ve held onto that phrase all these years.
I see the world based on where I’m sitting/on my perspective. It looks very different to me if I’m sitting dust-covered on the side of the road surviving on the handouts of others, than if I’m one of those folks who happens to walk by and drops a coin into the beggar’s jar because I have some extra ones jiggling around in my pocket.
Position yields perspective.
And yet my “position” doesn’t entirely prevent me from seeing beyond my own perspective, my own skin, my own expectations, prejudices or impressions. Our faith in God offers us new possibilities, new dreams, new perspectives. New ways of seeing ourselves and others…
So, it’s worth asking again, how are we blind? What do we need to see that we aren’t able to see right now? How do our eyes need to be opened? And, really, honestly: do we really want to see?
Because, along with the joy of seeing comes a burden of responsibility/a need for action. It’s like losing your innocence, and whatever excuses you once had don’t work anymore. I either join the parade and am a part of what’s happening, or I just stand along the side of the road and do nothing, watching it pass on by.
How do my own eyes need to be opened?
What do I need to see that I can’t see?
How would I answer if Jesus asked me, “what would you like from me?”
Betty stopped washing the breakfast dishes and turned down the radio. Did she hear something? She leaned forward and looked out the window over the sink.
Standing on her front stoop was a man holding a bouquet of balloons. Betty stood staring and muttered to herself, “what in the world?” As the man reached for the doorbell, he turned toward Betty. He looked familiar. Did she know him? He looked like…like…like that guy from the clearinghouse sweepstakes. On my Lord, it was the sweepstakes man!
Betty ran to the front door and threw it open. “Did I win? Aren’t you the man from TV?” she squealed.
The man smiled and said, “Betty, don’t you recognize me?” Betty’s hand flew to her mouth. The answer came from her heart, not her head. She heard herself say “God?” As soon as the name was out of her mouth she knew it was true. God said, “Yes, Betty. I’m here to give you something. Tell me, what would you like from me?”
Betty was stunned. She said, “What do I want from you? I thought I was supposed to want whatever you wanted me to want.” God chuckled and said, “Well, that works, too. But let’s try something new. Just for today, what can I do for you?”
Betty wrapped her arms around her body to hold herself up. What did she want? From God? Anything at all? She shifted her weight and said, “I don’t know. I know what Jimmy would want. He’d say, ‘Honey, choose money. Get enough money so I can retire. Get enough so we can buy a boat, maybe an RV. And enough so we can spend winters in Florida.”
God asked, “So that’s what you want? Money?”
Betty said quickly, “No. No. That isn’t what I really want. Wait. Wait. Let me think.” Betty started to chew her nails. God waited.
Then she said, “I don’t know. I know what I used to want. When I was a young girl I wanted to be a famous movie star. I wanted to go live in California and war fancy clothes. I sing a little, you know.” She looked up into God’s kind eyes. “Oh, I guess you do know.”
God smiled. God said, “So you want to be famous movie star? That’s what you want from me?”
“No. Wait. Wait.” Betty started to sweat. The heat spread up her neck and her face flamed. She whined, “Wait, I don’t know what I want. I know what I should want. I should want my children to be safe and healthy. I should want them to find partners to love and to give me lots of grandchildren. And I do want that, but…”
“So, you want health and happiness for your children. Is that what you’re asking for?” God said.
“Yes. No. I mean yes, it’s what I want, but it’s not what I want. I mean what I want for me. I mean…I don’t know what I mean.” And Betty started to cry. A deep sob shook her body and she clung to the screen door for support.
God reached out and touched her shoulder. “It’s OK, Betty. I tell you what, why don’t we go inside and have a nice cup of tea. We’ll sit together while you think. Then you can tell me what you think” (Pat McGrath in StoryTellers Companion to the Bible, Volume 9).
What do you want?” Jesus asks. One could ask for a lot of things. But for one with eyes of faith, the answer will be different.
What would your answer be?
