“Lord, I Also Want to See”

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 25, 2015

The human person, traditionally speaking, is endowed with five senses: sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. It is generally considered a deformity when any of these senses is unable to perform its job. In the time of Jesus, any misfortune like the loss of the sense of sight, hearing etc. was considered a punishment from God. The sufferer was seen as a sinful and unrighteous person that God was punishing. Such a person was only seen, not heard. 

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) is about a man named Bartimaeus, whose sense of sight was dysfunctional. Plainly speaking, he was blind. Like other persons who suffered misfortunes, he was seen as a cursed man. Everyday, “he sat by the roadside begging.” His life was virtually lived by the roadside, and it was by the roadside that he got his blessing. On one particular day, he got really lucky. As Jesus, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus heard the tramp of their feet. Although his sense of sight was not functioning, but that of hearing was performing to its maximum. The strong movement of people prompted him to ask what was happening. He was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing. Immediately, he caused uproar. He started shouting, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” But naysayers, pessimists, haters, cynicists, and enemies of progress shouted at him to be quiet. Oh! Bartimaeus has heard enough of their negative comments. He has heard enough from them that he was doomed to die, that there was no hope for him, that he was cursed and forgotten by God. He has heard enough of their pessimism, gossip and condemnation. He has heard enough of their discouraging words. He was sick and tired of them, and sick and tired of sitting in one spot begging. When they shouted him down, he recognized their voices: it was the voices of those who slammed the door against him; the voices of those who never welcomed him into their sanctuary, who never invited him to any feast, and who will never sat on the same table with him. For too long, he has been isolated and ignored. For too long, he has only been seen but never been heard. This time, he refused to let them shushed him. He refused to let the opportunity to pass him by: “Son of David, have pity on me,” he called out the more. By this time, Jesus heard him. Jesus noticed him and sent for him. You know, a cry of genuine faith will always rise above the clamor of the multitude. The courage of faith will definitely overcome the rules to be polite and to be silent. A persistent cry for help will obviously rise above the shout to be quiet. Silence is golden, but not when there is a life to save. When Bartimaeus was told that Jesus was calling him, his response was significant: He threw aside his cloak, sprang us, and came to Jesus. He did not waste time. He did not dither in any way. He wanted healing and he wanted it now. 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. Bartimaeus may have been stunned by the question of Jesus. What else could a blind man be asking for? one may ask. But it’s possible he wanted money. May be he wanted a house, or food or clothing. His needs would naturally be many. But the blind man wanted freedom from that which has kept him down, which has kept him in one spot for a long time. Do you feel you have been in one spot for too long? Do you feel that you have been kept down for too long? For Bartimaeus, blindness has kept him down and kept him in one spot. So he asked: “Master, I want to see.” He wanted to see clearly. He wanted to notice every color— red, yellow, green, orange, green etc. He wanted to really see every smile on every face, every frown and every tear too. He wanted to see very child, every friend, every neighbor. He wanted to see the good and the beautiful. He wanted to see the beautiful world that God created. He wanted to see the glory of God in his life and in the lives of others. Most importantly, he wanted to see Jesus. 

Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” With those words, his sight was restored and a new life was dawned on him. The restoration of his sight restored hope, joy, deeper faith and gratitude. Even though he was told to go on his way, he saw Jesus as the way. He saw the way of Jesus as the only way that mattered. Instead of going his own way, he followed Jesus on the way; the way that leads to life. 

Folks, like Bartimaeus, I also want to see. I don’t know about you, but like him, I am also asking, “Lord, I want to see.” I am not physically blind. I can see you. I can see different colors. I can see my way around. I can see the events of life. But I don’t always see Jesus in every events of my life. That I am praying, “Lord, I want to see” does not mean I am medically blind. I am, in some ways, spiritually blind. I want to see others as my brothers and sisters. I want to see others as friends, not enemies. I want to see the smile of others so as to smile with them. I want to see their laughter, so as to laugh with them. I want to see the tears in every face, so as to show compassion. Compassion is not just a feeling of sorry or sorrow. It’s rather a feeling of deep sympathy for another who is stricken by misfortune accompanied by a strong desire alleviate the suffering. I want to see the hungry, so as to share my food. I want to see the naked, so as to share my clothing. I want to see the thirsty, so as to offer them a refreshing drink. I want to see the sick and injured, so as to bring them healing. I want to see the lost, so as to guide them home to God. I want to see those thirsting for God, those who hunger for Jesus, those whose dignity has been stripped from them, so as to lead them to Jesus. I want to see God in everything that happens to me. I want to see myself truly as I am. I want to see the way of the cross as the way to the crown. Bartimaeus was physically blind, but through his blindness, he was still able to see the power of God working through Jesus. He was not blind to the truth. He was not blind to faith. He was not blind to prayer. He was not blind to persistence. I want to see what he saw even in his blindness. I can see clearly the material things of this world, I also want to see clearly the spiritual things of God. Through the lens of faith, I want to see the glory and power of God working through me, through you, through the Church, through the Sacraments and through the events of life. I want to see Jesus and follow him on the way just like Bartimaeus did.