The 30th Sunday of the Year
Jer 31:7-9; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52 (year b)
The prophet Jeremiah was an unwelcome voice to his contemporaries in Jerusalem. He consistently denounced the power that shamelessly exploited the poor. Above all, he condemned the shallow faith that had yielded to worldly temptations rather than embracing the God who had called his people out of slavery.
From the darkness of the gathering storm, this same Jeremiah spoke words of hope that would sustain God’s people through the approaching catastrophe: “See, I will bring them back and gather them from the ends of the earth. They left in tears. I will comfort them as I lead them back; I will guide them to streams of water by a smooth path where they will not stumble. For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first born.”
The drama of Jerusalem’s destruction and restoration is played out in the lives of every repentant sinner. Sin blinds the soul to God’s presence. The grace of repentance, even at the darkest moment, reveals the God who comforts and guides our stumbling steps. As a Father, he leads us to the undiminished streams of his love.
Jeremiah’s words of hope found their fulfilment in Christ, the light that the darkness could not overcome. Throughout his ministry Jesus illumined the darkness of the sinner, the rejected and the forgotten. Each and every miracle of healing and forgiveness bore witness to this ministry. As Jesus approached, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, sat ignored at the side of the road. The bystanders shunned his cries. From the darkness of his isolation Bartimaeus continued to hope that God would raise up a Messiah, a son of David, who would become his light and salvation. Thus, as Jesus drew near, he addressed him as the promised Messiah: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus did not ignore his cries. With understanding and compassion he drew Bartimaeus to himself. “Then Jesus spoke. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabunni,’ the blind man said to him, ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go, your faith has saved you.’ ”
There are times when the darkness threatens to overwhelm us. With the faith of Bartimaeus let us pray that we might see, see a love that has never abandoned us, that longs to lead us into the presence of the Father. May the Lord, who restored the sight of a blind beggar, gives eyes to our faith.
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