Mark Photos - 10:46-52 - Hinge
The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
---- There's a recent song by U2 called Invisible. It was a song that was released to raise money for their (RED) foundation for helping people in the developing world. I love the lyrics in the song - its a song that sounds like it could have been written by Bartimaeus...Bartimaeus who would not let others shout him down when Jesus comes by...The song goes...
I’m more than you know I’m more than you see here More than you let me be I’m more than you know A body in a soul You don’t see me but you will I am not invisible
I am not going to be shouted down is what we get from Bartimaeus. I am not going to be invisible and unheard. His persistence doesn't allow himself to be forgotten. Its like the sound of a hinge that you can't forget about because you hear it each time you open the door, but this is not an annoying sound, but the sound of someone in need.
The U2 song goes on to conclude with the following...
There is no them There is no them There’s only us There’s only us There is no them There is no them There’s only us There’s only us There is no them There is no them There’s only you And there’s only me There is no them
As we read this story today, we cannot forget that we are all like Bartimaeus and we are all like the crowd. We are all in need of the healing touch of Jesus, yet we all like to shout others down who we don't want to hear from. Our job is to listen to the one who is in control and to bring others to him for, to God, no one should be invisible and no one should be unheard.