Two details touch me about this episode which do not appear in the other gospels. The first is how Bartimaeus throws off his cloak in order to get to Jesus (Mk 10: 50). If he was homeless, then this would have been his most precious possession to protect him from the elements and keep him warm at night. Vulnerable and needy he comes before the man he has been calling out to as "Jesus, Son of David." (Mk 10: 46 and 48) Certainly, Jesus was descended from the Davidic line (Lk 1: 27) but he was also the son of tradesman and born in humble circumstances. Bartimaeus is taking a tremendous gamble! The second is how Bartimaeus says: "My teacher, let me see again." (Mk 10: 31) We do not know how Bartimaeus lost his sight but the pathos of a man wanting to receive back what he once had tugs at my heart strings. When we apply this, figuratively, to ourselves we can reflect on our own attitude to Jesus. Am I motivated to come before him, emotionally and spiritually, naked and vulnerable? Have I fallen away from my faith and sinned? Am I prepared to ask for God's healing so that I may see him anew with vision cleansed by his grace? For those of us who have not been to the sacrament of reconciliation for years maybe this is a prompt in the Spirit to avail ourselves of the healing which come through Jesus' mercy and love?
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