Bartimaeus. Crossing Over (2021-10-24, 30th Sunday)

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Homily: Oct.  24, 2021  /  30^th Sunday (Year B)

● Jeremiah 31:7-9  ●   Psalm 126 ●  Hebrews 5:1-6 ●  + Mark 10:46-52 ●

Title:  . Crossing Over

[__00_]   Many years ago, I encountered a blind person at a crosswalk, at the street corner.  I’d like to talk about this encounter, just as an example related to Bartimaeus (the blind man who cannot physically see with his eyes and the Gospel) and the

[ (1^st ) CROSSWALK, the

(2^nd ) CROSSROADS, and the

(3^rd ) CROSS + Christ. ]

[__01_]   [ 1^st . CROSSWALK]

          It was about 7:30 am, it was morning rush hour, in the city, outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

A blind gentleman walked up to me and asked if I would accompany him across the street, in the crosswalk =  the specially paved or marked path for pedestrians crossing a street or road.

This entire task of walking him across the street happened pretty fast and was completed in a lapse of time shorter than it's taking me to tell you this right now.

And, I was apprehensive, nervous. After all, this blind gentleman had been doing fine without me all along. I might mess this up.

          I do recall that my inclination was to talk with him…that I must fill in this moment and create conversation.  By the way - a note to myself --- don’t fill in every moment needs to be filled in with my conversation, with words, James Ferry! That’s true in praying as well…sometimes, it’s OK just to be there and be present and not say anything out loud.

Upon exiting the crosswalk and re-entering the sidewalk, he detached himself from my elbow from my arm, and resumed walking with his cane, and made his way confidently up uptown on 8^th Avenue.

Is there, right now, a difficult task or transition for you to complete or comprehend? Or for you to commence or begin to get started on?

There are things I can think of…”Oh, I don’t even want to start that… or I don’t even want to think about that yet.”

I need help to get started. I need the guidance of friends, neighbors, co-workers, neighbors just to get started.

          But, we are also called not only to seek out personal help from others but the spiritual help of God in our prayer and meditations.

          By the way, that incident with the blind man reminded me at the time that a friend of mine had a similar encounter in which a blind person also asked me friend for guidance across the street. And, the fact that someone had done this before was a help to me.

          But the real example for us is Christ, God’s word and God’s illumination in our blindness.

As we read in the 119^th psalm:

“Your word is be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105)

          That’s the “crosswalk”. Then, there is the “crossroads”

[__02_]   [2^nd The Crossroads]

Practically, this NYC gentleman – blind - needed assistance from someone -- it just happened to be me -- to enter the crosswalk, where there would be traffic and cars and more danger.

But, are we not all – at time – at crossroads and at intersections?

Bartimaeus was at a crossroads – a time of transition – in that he threw aside his cloak (his outer layer of clothing) to go and meet Christ.

There is also a crossroads between Jerusalem and Jericho which I would like to discuss in a moment.

But, Bartimaeus is at a crossroads in his life. He throws aside what is material, he throws off his cloak, in order to get closer to Christ. He does not much in the way of possessions. And, he is blind.

Am I willing – are you willing – to put aside material things in order to draw closer to Christ? What is getting in the way that I could put aside? Or, what material things might be blocking me in my responsibilities of love towards others?

One thing that Bartimaeus puts aside is “rejection”.  Bartimaeus – at least at first – is rejected by the crowd. But he puts that aside as well. Am I willing – are you willing – to put aside experiences of rejection to draw closer to God?  Experiences of rejection can keep us on the sideline or the side of the road.

It’s a paradox in this Gospel that Jesus is recognized as the Messiah – picked out of a line-up - by someone entirely NEW and entirely BLIND. That’s Bartimaeus.

Meanwhile, his disciples, up close and personal, are not so sure.

Are you sure that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? Am I sure? Do I live and act with this certainty, with the enthusiasm of Bartimaeus at a very public intersection, a public crossroads, and in front of a crowd?

That’s the crossroads for Bartimaeus. Now I’d like to talk about the crossroads of Jericho and Jerusalem. Bartimaeus is outside Jericho.

[__02-b_]    [2^nd The Crossroads + Jericho, Geographically]

          It so happens that Bartimaeus is outside the city of Jericho. There is something that we can is significant about Jericho in both its ‘NEARNESS / PROXIMITY to Jerusalem’  and in terms of “DISTANCE from Jerusalem”

          Also, nearness to Jesus.

          [1^st. Nearness]. Jericho is 15 miles from Jerusalem and the last stop of Jesus’ caravan (there are many people near Jesus) before entering Jerusalem, for his suffering, death and resurrection. The crowd surrounding Jesus is not a group of local by-standers, but rather the caravan of disciples, at least some of whom want to keep this show on the road, get to Jerusalem.

          They have heard there is glory in Jerusalem, but they do not know fully know what that means yet. They

– at least at first – want to avoid the poor Bartimaeus.  Bartimaeus was an unexpected newly recruited disciple.

          Am I willing to be recruited, to be near Jesus? How do I feel about being recruited, if I am also being asked to experience some suffering, to go along on the way of the Cross?

          Am I willing to recruit others, for service of the Gospel? To invite, for example, someone to come to church, or to know about Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, we are also ONLINE (virtually, YouTube channel) for those who cannot be here!  Or, for those of you who are visiting, to do this for your own parish.

          We hope and pray for those who are not with us physically. We are all called and recruited together.

          But, this is not only about church attendance. Am I willing to recruit others, to help others, not because I exist to share my wisdom, but to share God’s Wisdom?

          This recruitment is not about getting people to have more people in your inner circle or my inner circle…but so that everyone will recognize Christ as our true friend in the interior life.

          In this Gospel episode, Bartimaeus is near to Jesus and in the spotlight, Bartimaeus he is asked, “what do you want me to do for you?”

          This was the exact same question asked by Christ to James and John who ask for “seats at Jesus’ right and left in his kingdom”.  James and John want to be near to Jesus so as to avoid difficulty.

          Bartimaeus’ response is: “I want to see”

          James and John want (desire) what no one else has or is supposed to have and, thus, avoid suffering.

          Bartimaeus is satisfied, grateful, just to be on a level playing field, to have what everyone else has and to give SIGHT this back to God.

Am I happy to have what God has already given me?  Or do I want more than my fair share. Sometimes, I want more than my fair share of the good stuff and less than my fair share of the tough stuff!

Am I happy with gifts similar to what everyone else has?

          Am I happy just to be near Jesus, to be near him in Jericho, to be near Jerusalem and on the way of the cross?

          The nearness of Jericho and Jesus is important.

[2^nd Distance] The distance of Jericho from Jersualem is significant. Jericho is below Jerusalem in altitude, elevation. Jericho is below West Orange in altitude, elevation. Jericho is below everywhere in altitude, elevation!

          Jericho is not the lowest point on earth, but it is the lowest elevation of any inhabited city.  At 800 feet below sea level, Jericho is the lowest inhabited city in the world, that was true in JC’s day and is true today.

          Jerusalem, OTOH, is 2,000 + feet above sea level.

          So, it is a strenuous, steep, treacherous climb, 1,000 meters or 3,000 feet to go up to Jerusalem.

          Bartimeaus is up for the climb. Jesus is up for the climb and goes ahead of us to help us to go the distance and gain eternal life!

          Are you up for it? Am I up for it?

 [__03_]    The blind man of New York City and Bartimaeus are similar to me in this way. They both knew someone else would be their guide to get them to the other side. But for Bartimaeus and for you and for me, this guide in person is not a human being not some random guy on the street like me.

The guide to get us to the other to get to the other side is Jesus Christ who helps us to focus our attention on new life, to make our way to the cross to Jerusalem. Jericho is Jesus's last stop before entering Jerusalem. He's going to Jerusalem to help us to cross to the other side, by giving his life first. Our journey begins now. [__fin_]