Worship, prayer and Bible resources
Ordinary 30 Year B, Green
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Introduction
The important things in life cannot be seen with physical sight
We cannot begin to understand the plight of those born blind at the time of Jesus. Yet whilst James and John are arguing about who is going to be the biggest boss and have most authority, it is a blind beggar who rises above the dreadfulness of his condition to see who Jesus really is. Bartimaeus must have had a dreadful life as person with blindness, it meant that he would spend the whole of his life regarded as a drain on the resources of those around him. Somehow he believed that all this would not matter to Jesus.
So we are all encouraged to believe that, no matter what other people
might think of us, we matter to Jesus. There is no prison from which we
cannot be set free, no oppression from which we cannot be released. This is
what being the messiah is all about for Jesus. It was with a statement about
healing the blind that Jesus had started his ministry, with this last
healing miracle in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus shows that he is still on track
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. Bartimaeus was blind but there
was nothing wrong with his spiritual vision, he recognised who Jesus was, do
we have his vision?
Opening Sentence
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall ever be in my mouth. I will glory in the Lord; let the humble hear and rejoice. Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord, let us exalt his name for ever. Psalm 34
Luke Chapter 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the
year of the Lord's favour."
Collect Prayer for the Day— Before we read we pray
O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our
learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest
them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may
embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have
given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
First Bible Reading Jeremiah Chapter 31:7-9
This is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
Second Reading Hebrews Chapter 7:23-28
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Gospel Reading Mark Chapter 10:46-52
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Post Communion Sentence
Holy and blessed God, you have fed us with the body and blood of your Son and filled us with your Holy Spirit: may we honour you not only with our lips but in our lives dedicated to the service of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
God of all grace, your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your true and living bread; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen
Commentary
Today’s reading centres on the theme of prayer and communication with God. In our Old Testament reading which comes at the end of the book of Job, it’s as if Job finally comes to his senses and repents of his own position of questioning God. He prays for his friends who have counselled him and offered so called comfort, but have similarly questioned God with the same ‘superficial caricatures’, as Tom Wright expresses it, and Job is restored. (Needless to say, there are some who believe that this last chapter of Job is a later addition, obviously preferring that Job stays in his position of misery and gloom.) Job realises that prayer is about coming into God’s presence and depending on His reliability and justice rather than our own predisposed ideas and notions of what God should or should not be doing in a particular set of circumstances. Job comes to this position of humble trust in a God He can’t quite understand but realises it is much bigger and greater that he can ever imagine.
The letter to the Hebrews, which is generally (although not universally) attributed to be the writing of Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, who was an eloquent speaker, and authority on the scriptures, with an ardent spirit (Acts 18 v 24 - 26) speaks of prayer too. Intercession for His people is a critical component of the role of the priest of the order of Melchizedek, the order to which Christ, the Messiah, is an eternal priest. God Himself appointed Christ for this very purpose, embodied and brought to fulfilment on the cross, in order that we can have complete assurance that there is nothing that can come between us and God that is outside the redeeming love of Jesus and His cross and resurrection. This reconciliation with God is permanent, just as Christ’s priesthood is permanent through the overcoming of death on the cross. Other priests, who intercede for the Jews will come and go, they will live, and they will die, but Christ lives forever. Christ comes before God on our behalf in prayer. The idea of Christ being the great high priest is so important to the writer of Hebrews he (and it probably is a he, whoever it was!) returns to it time and time again.
Bartimaeus comes before God through Christ in prayer. There is no complex theology in Bartimaeus’ prayer. There is not the logic or rationalising we see in Job. In Bartimaeus we see and hear a blind man asking simply to have his sight restored. There were many who didn’t want Jesus disturbed. Didn’t Bartimaeus realise Jesus was on an important journey up to Jerusalem? He’s just on his way out of Jericho, He’s a man on a mission. And even though Jesus is indeed a man on a mission, a mission of life and death, He still has time to stop and engage with Bartimaeus. Rather than being regarded as a bit of an inconvenience, Jesus regards him with respect and dignity and simply asks what Bartimaeus would like Jesus to do. Perhaps more than even the disciples, Bartimaeus has recognised who Jesus is, the Messiah and the Son of David, the heir of God’s promises.
In this week’s Church Times Angus Ritchie points out that many times over the past few weeks in our gospel readings we have seen the contract between so called able bodied people who misunderstand or reject Jesus’ message and mission with those who are marginalised, women, children and now Bartimaeus, who exemplify a faithful response. Those in greatest need seem to grasp the reality of the Kingdom of God and exemplify faith, while others, who we might expect to get the message and understand what is happening appear to miss out on the profundity of a God who has become incarnate through His Son and walks about among us. Perhaps it is because of their supposed self-sufficiency that they find it more difficult to cry out to a God who walks with us day by day, whatever our situation and circumstances.
Coming before God in prayer is not just a task for the Messiah, the Son of David, the great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, it is something we are all called to do. Sometimes this might be with specific prayers and requests, other times it will be simply coming to God in an attitude of quietness and expectancy as we lay before Him our deepest needs and hearts desires. The gospel tells us that Bartimaeus followed Jesus on His way, followed Him to Jerusalem and the events that would follow as Jesus conquers not just infirmities, but death itself. We should not dilute the story of the healing of Bartimaeus, he was blind, and he had his sight restored. Neither should we miss the broader context of the recognition of who Jesus was, and the exchange that takes place as a result of this and the transformation not just of sight but of life itself for a man who started the morning, as he always did, sitting by the road and begging for scraps and loose change. Sam Cappleman
Meditation
The home of God is among mortals. God will dwell with us as our God; we will be God's people. And God will be with us, wiping every tear from our eyes. Death will be no more; Mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the former things will pass away. All things will be made new. Revelation
Do not care much who is with you and who is against you; but
make it your greatest care that God is with you in everything you do. Have a
good conscience, and God will defend you securely; no one can hurt you if
God wishes to help you. (From ‘The imitation of Christ’ by Thomas à Kempis)
Hymns and Psalms
1. O Christ the healer we have come Song 34 MV
2. Your mercy flows upon us like a river.
Your mercy stands unshakeable and true.
Most holy God, of all good things the giver,
we turn and lift our fervent prayer to You.
Hear our cry, O Lord, be merciful once more.
Let Your love Your anger stem,
remember mercy, O Lord, again.
Your church once great, though standing clothed in sorrow,
Is even still the bride that You adore;
Revive Your church, that we again may honour
Our God and King, our Master and our Lord. Chorus
As we have slept, this nation has been taken
By every sin, ever known to man;
So at its gates, though burnt by fire and broken,
In Jesus' name we come to take our stand. Chorus
3. Jesus took a piece of bread, he shared a cup of wine.
'eat and drink with me,' he said, 'because you're friends of mine!'
We eat and drink with Jesus
because we are his friends,
remembering his promise
of life that never ends.
We share with one another,
the bread and wine he gives,
and celebrate together,
the special life he lives.
We rise up from the table,
and go where Jesus sends,
to tell the world the gospel
of love that never ends. Tune Royal
Oak
4. It is a thing most wonderful Tune
Heronsgate
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
God, our Shepherd, give to the Church a new vision and a new charity, new wisdom
and fresh understanding, the revival of her brightness and the renewal of her
unity; that the eternal message of your Son, undefiled by human tradition, may
be hailed as the good news of the new age; through him who makes all things new,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)
Gracious and all merciful God - we give thanks to you today for your compassion
and your love. We proclaim your goodness and your strength and we call upon you
in praise and thanksgiving. Bless us and bless your people everywhere this day
with your holy presence. Help us to worship you in a manner worthy of our
calling and to render to you the tribute due to your name. We ask it through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the silence of the stars, in the quiet of the hills and in the heaving of
the sea, you speak O Lord. In the words of the prophets and the message of the
apostles, you speak O Lord. Now we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of
our minds and the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and the
meditations of our hearts. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen.
Eternal God, You have been our resting-place through the ages. Generations
come and pass away, but You abide forever. We praise you for Your presence among
us. You bring us comfort amid our trials - clarity where confusion persists -
peace in the midst of conflict - and hope of eternal life. Hear us now as we
pray for Your Church and the needs of the world, for You are the God of our
lives. We pray for the Church of Jesus Christ; that, begun, maintained and
promoted by the Holy Spirit, it may be true, engaging, glad, and active, doing
your will. Let Your church be always faithful, O God, and ready to promote the
cause of compassionate love and peace
We pray that as Christian disciples we may be a faithful witness in word and deed to the Good News of Christ's Love. We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the word. We pray that everywhere upon this earth there may be justice and peace. We pray especially today for the well being of people in parts of the world affected by drought and famine. We continue to pray for peace in the Middle East. Lord, we pray for all people in their daily life and work - for our families, friends, and neighbours, and for those who are alone. We name before you individuals and families experiencing personal hardship or facing and uncertain future, those who are separated from loved ones, those who grieve this today, and those who are sick in hospital or ill at home. Hear us Lord as we now lift up those people and those situations you have placed upon our hearts.
Eternal God, giver of love and peace, you call your children to live together as
one family. Give us grace to learn your ways and to do your will, that we may
bring justice and peace to all people, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord of creation, you give a new strength to our faith. Grant that we may
recognise your presence in all life and history, and face our trials with
serenity and peace. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
O Jesus Christ, teacher and healer, you heard the cry of the blind beggar when others would have silenced him. Teach us to be attentive to the voices others ignore, that we might respond through the power of the Spirit to heal the afflicted and to welcome the abandoned for your sake and the sake of the gospel. Amen.
Additional Material
Commentary
"Bartimaeus shows that God doesn't solve problems for us. God solves problems with us"
As Jesus progresses toward Jerusalem, he teaches his disciples and
demonstrates what discipleship entails. But while Jesus' message seems
almost painfully clear to us, his followers repeatedly appear to miss the
point. They don't recognise the significance of the "visual aids" Jesus
offers along the way. Now, as the "way" to Jerusalem grows ever shorter, we
have today's text about Jesus' miraculous healing of the blind Bartimaeus
(10:46-52). It is in this final scene before entering Jerusalem and the
inauguration of a new stage of Jesus' ministry that the elements of passion,
discipleship and miraculous power all come together.
Jesus and his disciples come to Jericho and leave it all in one short
breath. Obviously the significant thing about this point in the journey to
Jerusalem, which is less than a day's walk from Jericho, is what lies just
on the other side of this village, not the village itself. Mark alone among
the gospels identifies the blind beggar outside the town, naming him
Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. Bartimaeus is apparently sitting in his usual
begging spot , "by the roadside" between Jericho and the way that leads
toward Jerusalem. But when Bartimaeus hears who is approaching his roadside
perch, he begins to make a fuss. Jesus is identified to the reader, and
supposedly to the blind Bartimaeus, as "Jesus of Nazareth." But when the
excited Bartimaeus begins calling for him it is for "Jesus, Son of David"
(v.47). The name change is significant. Bartimaeus' enthusiastic confession
suggests that, though blind, he sees something else in the identity of this
Jesus. Like the crowd that will soon welcome Jesus' entry into Jerusalem,
Bartimaeus identifies Jesus with the messianic lineage of David. As the "Son
of David" Jesus is heir to the coming kingdom, not just a wandering
healer/teacher/preacher from Nazareth.
Everything about Bartimaeus' healing story is emphatic and decisive.
Bartimaeus' insight is sharp (calling Jesus the "Son of David") and his
conviction is unquenchable. When others try to "shush" him down, Bartimaeus
responds by shouting louder. His faith in Jesus' ability to heal him is so
great that it in effect stops Jesus in his tracks (v.49, "Jesus stood
still"). When told Jesus had called him, Bartimaeus springs into action.
What had been a dusty lump of a beggar sitting by the roadside is
transformed into a vital, vibrant man, who first springs up and then throws
off the cumbersome cloak that slows him down. Bartimaeus comes to Jesus just
as quickly as he can. Bartimaeus' request, however, is based on his
unquestioning faith in Jesus and his recognition of Jesus' unique being. The
form of address Bartimaeus uses here, ‘Rabbouni’, is an especially formal,
respectful term for rabbi or teacher and is used just this once in all of
Mark's gospel.
Now again, unlike the first healing of a blind man, Jesus simply says to
Bartimaeus, "Go, your faith has made you well" (v.52). There is no
miraculous spitting or eye-rubbing or deep stares here, only faith. And
Barti-maeus' faith is evidently more than enough. Just as this blind man's
faith enabled him to raise his voice above that of the crowd, to persist in
his demands, to eagerly come to Jesus, so his faith has healed him. That
Jesus' faith in Bartimaeus is well-placed is evident by the fact that,
having regained his sight, Bartimaeus now follows Jesus on "the way" to
Jerusalem.
Bartimaeus is therefore an example of faith to us all. (1) by his going to
Jesus; (2) by his belief that Jesus was the Messiah; (3) by persevering
against opposition; (4) by casting away all that hindered; (5) by obeying
Jesus when he was called; (6) by following and praising him after he was
cured.
Time to test our spiritual sight
In first century Palestine there were no government benefits or charities to
help blind people, you were inevitably useless to society, a drain on
resources and subject to poverty. You were subject to begging for all of
your life and at the mercy and the generosity of others. Listen afresh then
to the words of Jesus who began his ministry with those beautiful words
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the
year of the Lord's favour." Luke Chapter 4:18
So it is that today we read of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, the City of
David, when on his way he is acclaimed by a blind beggar to be the ‘Son of
David.’ This is a big story, the last healing miracle in the gospel and Mark
is making an important point. Last week we were told about James and John
who asked Jesus for power. They could not see what Jesus was about in his
ministry. Herein lies the irony in the structure of Mark’s Gospel, for just
as we have been shown how the disciples are spiritually blind, now we are
told about Bartimaeus who is literally blind but sees. Bartimaeus has the
vision to use the messianic title, ‘Son of David’ when he calls to Jesus.
Nobody has used this title and Jesus has discouraged people from seeing him
as the messiah, not least because they would see him as one to use military
power to overthrow the Romans. Now it is Bartimaeus, an insignificant blind
man, who announces that the messiah, Jesus, has arrived at Jerusalem the
Holy City. The impact is forceful, Jesus might not be what people expected,
but nonetheless he is plainly visible as Messiah to all of those who have
the eyes of faith like Bartimaeus.
We are told that Bartimaeus ‘threw his cloak aside.’ The cloak was important
and Jewish law forbade taking the cloak as payment for a debt, because a
poor person would need it to keep warm. Mark is reminding us that Bartimaeus
had little, but even his cloak he was willing to leave behind to follow
Jesus. Mark had told his readers about the rich man who lacked the faith to
follow Jesus, contrast that with the spiritual focus and singleminded
determination showed by Bartimaeus. The reader is meant to be challenged not
to consider any sacrifice too big for the sake of following Jesus.
The crowd wanted to silence Bartimaeus, he was presumed to be too
unimportant to speak with Jesus. We should not be surprised that once again
in his ministry Jesus turns the attention away from those who expect to be
important and makes the marginalised person the centre of his attention. The
people we expect to be important are not, it is those who are often
neglected that Jesus wants to draw attention to. Mark will tell us the story
of the widow's mite in Chapter 12: 41-44, teachings such as this are meant
to encourage those who think that their contribution is too small, their
part a minor one in the drama of the life of Jesus. The mere fact that we
are able to remember ‘Blind Bartimaeus’ testifies to the importance which
Jesus and the early Christian community gave to him — his name has been
preserved. It is an encouragement to us all to leave our places and to
follow Jesus. Charles Royden
"Christ,
when he was lifted up,
did not say
'I draw some people to myself.'
He said 'I draw all, all, ALL!' John 12:32 Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Commentary
A Servant of All
There is a stark contrast between the picture of Christ we get from the readings
from Isaiah and Hebrews and the demands of James and John in the gospel. In the
Old Testament reading and the epistle we see Christ portrayed as the suffering
servant, crushed, oppressed, afflicted, a humble, obedient, submissive and
gentle servant who is called and anointed by God to be a priest of the order of
Melchizedek and the saviour of the world. In the gospel, we see James and John
making the outrageous demand to this saviour of the world to do for them
anything they ask. Its almost as if James and John have not understood quite
what Jesus is about at this stage, misunderstanding what it means to be with the
Messiah. But instead of suggesting to them that they must be joking or querying
whether they really mean ‘anything’, Jesus merely asks them what they want Him
to do for them. And whilst the demand of James and John is in contrast with the
earlier readings, Jesus’ response is not. When He hears what they want He does
not chastise them for asking but explains, as a gentle servant, what they ask is
not His to grant but that the places to the right and left of Him in glory
belong to those for whom they have been prepared.
Not surprisingly the other ten disciples were indignant with James and John for
separating themselves from their company in the hope of obtaining the highest
honour. Jesus continues in His gentle theme and explains to them that in the
Gentile, worldly rulers lord it over their people, and holders of high office
make their authority felt. This must not happen among Christ’s followers. On the
contrary, whoever wants to be first among them must be last of all.
John Chrysostom, one of the early Christian Fathers commented, ‘The fact is that
before the incarnation and self-abasement of Christ the whole world was in a
state of ruin and decay, but when He humbled himself He lifted the world up. He
annulled the curse, put an end to death, opened paradise, destroyed sin, flung
wide the gates of heaven, and introduced there the first fruits of our race. He
filled the world with faith in God, drove out error, restored truth, caused our
first fruits to ascend a royal throne, and gained innumerable blessings beyond
the power of myself or anyone else to describe in words. Before He humbled
himself He was known only to the angels, but after his self-abasement he was
recognized by the whole human race.’
In a world that is so competitive and status oriented it is difficult for us to
understand the upside down personal economics of an incarnate God who whilst
being the Messiah was also the servant of all, but was the Messiah because He
was the servant of all. As Isaiah states, it was God’s will to crush the
Servant, Jesus; but as the New Testament makes plain, it was that same Jesus’
obedience that made Himself the guilt offering for all and through whom we have
our salvation.
As we focus on the church’s mission this Sunday, the challenge is perhaps not so
much what we do with our time, our talents and our financial resources, but what
we do with our own self will. Are we prepared to listen to God to hear His call
on our lives and to be obedient to that calling in the same way that Christ was?
Are we prepared to become the servant of others, to put our time, talents,
resources and will at God’s disposal so that they may have God revealed to them?
Sam Cappleman
Alternate Hymns
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When morning gilds the skies
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Go tell it on the mountain
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Take my life and let it be (Tune:624 Mission Praise Nottingham)
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Out of the depths
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Forth in thy name
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All praise to our redeeming Lord
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One more step
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Brother sister let me serve you
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It is God who holds the nations
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For the healing
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King of Glory, King of peace
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O Christ the healer we have come
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O God beyond all praising
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We cannot measure how you heal
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Joyful, Joyful