Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

28 October 2012 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Princeton, NJ

Today’s Gospel takes place in Jericho, a Palestinian city near the Jordan River on the west bank. Due to the
copious springs in and around the city it is believed to be one of the oldest cities in all of the inhabited world.
During the time of Christ, it was a popular resting place and thus a center for commerce for those who were
travelling to and from Jerusalem, some 17 miles to the southwest.

So as Jesus and his disciples journeyed to Jerusalem it would have been logical for them to have passed this
way. And it wouldn’t have taken long for Jesus, the one who had been performing signs and miracles, to be
drawing a great deal of attention. So as they left the city on the road to Jerusalem (the same road as the story
of the Good Samaritan) he would have had a loud crowd following him. And it is here that Christ hears a cry
coming forth through the noise. Even though the crowd tries to hush the man, he cries out even louder for
Jesus calling him “Son of God.” And with that proclamation, Christ recognizes that this blind man –
Bartimaeus, has deep spiritual sight. And with the restoration of his physical sight, Jesus performs his last
miracle before entering Jerusalem. But when you also add to that fact that the Gospel writer also gives us the
blind man’s name – it becomes clear that this short story of the healing of the son of Timaeus carries a deeper
meaning for us to take away.

But in order to grasp the depth of this story we need to step back a bit from this passage and look at this entire
10th chapter of Mark, which we have covered these past three weeks. For the story of Bartimaeus is the key
that unlocks the message and meaning and teaching that Christ put forth for all of us. The gospels of this
month have all been about those who see but are blind and the blind who see.

It begins with the Pharisees trying to corner Christ asking about the laws as they relate to divorce, trying to
entrap him in a way that reasserts their power which is rooted in rules and regulations. This fear of losing
authority and control was the basis of the numerous encounters and linguistic traps that the Pharisees laid on
Jesus during his ministry.

We see this same affinity and love for power today! Whether it is on a national level (thank God the elections
will be over soon) or in the workplace or even in the Church – the focus is all too often on who is on top and who
is on the bottom - who has the power and who doesn’t…and a growing drive to have more of it.

Next we were given the story of the Rich Man who has followed all the rules and regulations and
commandments and has shown his face every week in synagogue. He proudly tells Jesus that he has checked
off all the right boxes, done all the right things and just wants to be sure that he will, indeed, inherit eternal life.
And as you know, Jesus, looked at him, loved him and told him that all he had to do was sell all that he had and
follow him. And with that the man went away sad. He followed all of the rules but he could not let go of his
possessions, of his things, of his personal stuff. And how prevalent is this today? I think more so, than ever
before. Just this past week I was helping out with the Confirmation Retreat we had for our 8 th graders. As we
gathered the 160 students into the Church I could not help but notice how many were on their phones, texting or
gaming. So I made an announcement and asked that all devices be powered off and placed in their pockets for
three hours till the retreat was over…asking them to silence their digital life so that they could be more available
to their spiritual side. It was only a short time later that they had them out again, unable or unwilling to make
space in their lives for God’s voice.

Then just last week we heard the story of James and John – the arrogant, boisterous but deeply loved cousins
of Christ. After spending all this time following Christ, watching him heal the sick and raise the dead and serve

1 Deacon Jim Knipper

those who live on the margins – they ask, “Will you do for us whatever we ask of you? In your glory can we sit
on your right and on your left?” Can we be the favorites, the top dogs? It was all about their desire for prestige.
They really had no clue what Christ was teaching. They didn’t comprehend Christ’s preferential option for the
poor. They simply wanted, in the words of that Frank Sinatra song, to be: “king of the hill, top of the list, head of
the heap.” You can pick those people out in a room fairly quickly. They are the ones chatting with you while
looking over your shoulder to see if there is someone else they should be talking to instead. These are the ones
who feel they are doing well, as long as the spotlight is on them.

Over the past three weeks these gospels have given us examples of power, prestige and possessions – the
three addictions we all tend to favor. For they allow us to build a false self in order to hide from others who we
really are. Many will spend most, if not all, of their lives supporting their false façades in order to hide their true
inner self. And after awhile it becomes easy for one to forget who they really are in the eyes of God – in short
they are spiritually blind. But this is why this tenth chapter of Mark gives us two examples of those who have not
lost sight – the blind man and the children.

More than once in the Gospels Jesus draws the young children forward, places them in the forefront and
reminds his followers over and over again that one needs to be like a child to enter the kingdom of God. Like a
child? How? Just think about it. Have you ever seen a 2 or 3 year old focused on power, prestige or
possessions? They are who they are – and they know nothing else! They hide nothing. They simply share
love, laughter and smiles. It is not until later that they learn how to build fences and walls around
themselves...and then spend much of their life trying to find the innocence they once enjoyed.

Which brings us full circle to the blind Bartimaeus. The reason this gospel story is given to us is to sharply
contrast the other stories we have heard this month. Versus the rich man who holds onto his possessions, or
the Pharisees who hold onto their power or James and John who hold onto their desire of prestige – this blind
man who has nothing but a cloak, which he discards as he moves to Christ, is the only one (like the children)
who truly “sees.” And it is through his faith in Christ that his physical sight is then restored.

All of us deal with our own degree of blindness. We can often be like the Rich Man, or the Pharisees or James
or John. Our personal blindness is caused by our own addictions to power, possessions and prestige and all
variations within. It is caused by our lack of faith and our fear of being who we really are.

We want to be on top and Jesus calls us to be on the bottom. We want to be the leader of the pack and Jesus
calls us to be servant. We rush to be an ‘adult’ and Jesus wants us to be like children. We want to achieve a lot
and Jesus simply wants us to be who we are for others.

For it is this gospel and this chapter of Mark which calls for us to focus on the least and not the most. That calls
to us to be freed from our own darkness - understanding that we are loved just the way we are. That reminds
us to let go of our love for power, prestige and possessions. It is this gospel that calls for us to be like the blind
man and the young children: to simply have faith in our God in all that we cannot control. A faith that will open
our eyes, cure our blindness, bring us into the light and allow us to accept who we are as followers of the risen
Lord.

2 Deacon Jim Knipper

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B