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IN THE NAME OF GOD: CREATOR, PAINBEARER AND SPIRIT OF LIFE AND LOVE
Gospel reading: Mark 10:46-52
The healing of the blind Bartimaeus.
The name is very interesting.
bar-ti-me'-us (Bartimaios is a hybrid word from the Aramaic bar = "son," and a derivation from bar-tim'ai = "son of the unclean" and of the allegorical meaning = the Gentiles or spiritually blind, (see Schmiedel in Encyclopedia Biblica.)
What is this little pericope in Mark telling us?
It is also related in the other two synoptic gospels - Matthew 20: and Luke 18.
Matthew has to go one better – he has 2 blind men – but it is the same story. Luke the gentile (non –Jew) adds little to the Markan original. There are other minor differences – in Mark Jesus and the disciples are leaving Jericho – in Luke they are arriving.
What are the Gospel writers trying to tell us?
Looked at on its own – not a great deal – it’s just another ‘miracle’ healing story – told to build the reputation of Jesus!
BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT FAITH!!!
What is faith?
Faith means different things to different people
Faith is that quality that leads a man to expect that his flowers and garden will resemble the views shown on the seed packets.
The Sunday school teacher asked little Billy, “What is faith Billy?” Billy answered, Dad says that it’s reading in the papers that the price of petrol has come down and expecting to find it is true when you next go to fill the car”.
Faith is believing the dentist when he says “This won’t hurt”!
Martin Luther's Definition of Faith: “Faith is not what some people think it is”. (Says Luther) “Faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace.”
The effect, according to Luther??
“Such confidence and knowledge of God's grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace.”
Where does Luther’s faith come from - GOD only!
For Luther it is only God who can give us faith – it is not something we can create ourselves and for Luther it was the Grace of God which gave us the faith we need for salvation. “By grace are we saved through Faith”.
Just what is this thing always referred to as “Salvation”? That is more than enough for another sermon – another time!
He writes, “Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do.”
"An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans,"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546
Here in today’s Gospel reading we have one of the keys of Jesus’ preaching – FAITH!
I am reading ‘The authentic Gospel of Jesus’ by a famous Jewish theologian and historian named Geza Vermes.
Geza Vermes is a Fellow of the British Academy and Prof. Emeritus of Jewish Studies in the University of Oxford - an eminent scholar!
Vermes, when discussing this story refers back to the story of the stilling of the storm in Mark 4 (also Matt 8 and Luke 8).
He writes, ‘The account illustrates one of the chief doctrines of Jesus. For him lack of faith was the greatest obstacle to religious well – being and the main barrier to a divinely inspired action.
The obverse of this statement is that faith as small as the proverbial mustard seed can enable a person to perform miracles. Successful cures are often credited by the healer to the belief (read faith) of the patient.”
We see this phenomenon again with the story of the woman who only touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak whilst he was passing through the crowd.
“Who touched my garment?”
“Daughter, your faith has made you whole: go in peace and be healed of your disease”.
The centurion’s servant is another story where this time it is the unexpected faith of a gentile (Roman officer soldier) who receives the reply from Jesus, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed”. AS YOU HAVE HAD FAITH.
Mark harps on about the disciples’ lack of understanding and lack of faith. That is why the original Gospel of Mark ends in such a bleak way with the disciples fleeing from the tomb in “terror and amazement”- “They said nothing to anyone for they were afraid”!!! For Mark there was no resurrection!!
Not much faith here!
It is said that Faith is not a noun – but a verb.
Action is a critical part of faith – without action faith is pointless.
“Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active.”
What is this thing called faith that so little of it can do so much?
Many people have tried to define faith – here are a few attempts:
Faith has been defined as being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see.
Leo Tolstoy said, “Faith is the force of life”.
And a line from ‘Miracle on 49th street” is; “Faith is believing in things that common sense tells you not to”.
Fear ends where faith begins.
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.
I wonder about that – IT SOUNDS GOOD BUT it expresses very old theology
– God is not UP – OUT THERE SOMEWHERE
- God is WITHIN OUR VERY BODY, MIND, AND BEING.
It takes a certain faith to even come to the understanding that God is real.
It takes a certain faith to come to the understanding that God can make a difference in human lives.
Is this just trust?
We could have a debate – Trust verses Faith. Are they the same?
NO!!! I don’t think so.
TRUST IS EARNED – FAITH IS GIVEN! Ask Luther!!
Is our faith restricted to Church only? I don’t believe it is.
The great lesson is that the sacred is in the ordinary - that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbours, friends, and family, and in one's own backyard.
That’s fine of course – so sure – faith can exist outside of the church but it soon gets pretty hungry and begins to look anorexic – begins to be wan and unattractive – starts to become introspective – can turn into self centeredness until our God belongs only to us – we are unable to share our faith with others. Faith shrivels along with love. It was St Paul who, writing to the Church at Corinth, penned those famous and often misquoted words (particularly at weddings!!), “ …if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” I cannot stress the point strongly enough!
Faith is a gift from God.
The LOVE that brings the gift IS GOD!
TRUE FAITH IN GOD WITHOUT LOVE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
I leave you to ponder this thought –“Unthinking faith is a curious offering to be made to the creator of the human mind.” Faith need not be blind! Informed and thoughtful faith can only bring honour to the giver. That is God.
May we all be challenged to revisit and question our faith – that we might also be healed and be freed to give God the thanks and honour due as did the blind beggar of old.
