A lot of people have told me that they really don't like praying out loud in front of a group of people because they feel awkward. They're not sure of what to say or how to say it. To tell you the truth, this was one of the hardest things for me to learn in seminary, too. Even now, I sometimes think my prayers sound so clumsy, especially compared to the ones in the Book of Common Prayer.
But in today's Gospel lesson, we learn about a man who prays in a different way. He doesn't kneel down before Jesus, like two weeks ago when the rich man asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He doesn't make his request in private, like last week when James and John asked Jesus to honor them by letting them sit at his right side and his left. Today, we learn about Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who shouts his prayers at Jesus from the side of the road, like an old fashioned street preacher. "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" And when the people around him tried to get him to be quiet, he shouted out even louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" What was this guy thinking, shouting at Jesus that way? Didn't he know who Jesus was? And surely a beggar knows better than to shout out demands from the gutter. Who was he to demand that Jesus pay attention to him, or that he show mercy of any kind? Is this any way to ask for mercy? Is this any way to ask for healing? Is this any way to pray?
But it turns out that Bartimaeus knew perfectly well what he was doing, because he knew perfectly well who Jesus was. In fact, even as a blind man, he could see something that the rich man and the disciples never saw. He could see that Jesus was a king of Israel, the anointed one. But even more importantly, he recognized the kind of king Jesus was. Bartimaeus understood that the kingdom of God is upside down and backwards, that Jesus was a king who served his people. He saw that Jesus was a king who came to serve his kingdom. He knew that his request would be heard by Jesus. And so Bartimaeus took a leap of faith, and cried out for Jesus to heal him.
Last week, our inquirer's class was discussing faith. Now, contrary to popular opinion, faith is not about what we think is true. It isn't a question of who we think Jesus is, or whether or not we believe that he was the son of God. Those things are important, but they aren't faith. And faith isn't a measure of how often or hard we pray. Faith is a choice; it is way of living, a way of acting in the world that reflects what we believe. It is a way of living in the world based on what we believe, whether or not we have reason to believe that way. Faith is a way of seeing the world from point of view, the point of view of a child of God, regardless of whether or not other people agree with you. Bartimaeus not only believed that Jesus was the king of Israel, the Messiah, he acted on that belief. So without ceremony or hesitation he calls out for healing, calls out to be made well. And by his faith, his vision is healed and he is restored to wholeness.
We live in a time when the world is driven by information. We have computers that can analyze data a billion times a second. We are interconnected with hundreds and perhaps thousands of people through books and telephones, computers and TV; through email and the internet; through Facebook and Twitter. On any given topic, we can find literally thousands of different opinions. We can slice and dice what people say a million different ways.
And yet all of this information is worthless if prevents us from seeing that God loves us, and wants us to live our lives in faith. None of our modern ways of seeing the world are worth anything at all, if we have been blinded from really seeing who God is, and who we are as children of God. We have forgotten what it's like to live in the simple power of faith. We cannot see what life can be like if we gave up our scientific certainty of facts and figures, and lived our lives with a little more faith.
Jesus responded to the beggar who prayed boldly, the one who disregarded those who would seek to contain Jesus, the one who insisted on his right to wholeness. Time and again, he heals the least humble, the least quiet, the least meek. The woman who demands that Jesus heal her daughter, the man who screams for release from the demons, the widow who demands justice from the unjust judge – these are people who aren't afraid to say their prayers out loud. They are unconcerned if they get the words just right. They simply have the faith of their convictions, and take action. They tenaciously grab on to Jesus, and fight for his blessing.
Even as a blind man, Bartimeaus could see that Jesus came to save him from a life of brokenness. He could see that Jesus was the Messiah, who came to serve the whole world from sin. And he could see that a life of faith and prayer was infinitely better than worrying about what to say, or who else believed as he believed. Before he even touched him, Jesus freed Bartimaeus from a life where other people decided who he was or how he would live, and he does the same for each of us. Jesus came so we could see the kingdom of God. All we need is the faith to open our eyes and our hearts in prayer.
Thanks be to God.
LINK TO THIS ARTICLE - http://www.ecsssj.org/show_article.php?myid=116
Click here to read the lessons of the day.
Click here to listen!