Seeing as Healing

Seeing as Healing – Today we continue moving through the New Testament with a scene from the gospel of Mark wherein Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho and a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, called out to him loudly and repeatedly and told Jesus that he wanted Jesus to let him see again. Jesus healed him, restoring his eyesight. Delivering the sermon today is Rea Green, a ministry intern at our church. Rea is blind, which give her much insight into the story of Bartimaeus. She says that the story demonstrates showing someone for who they really are. In similar stories of healing the blind in other gospels, the blind person is not named. When Bartimaeus calls out, we don’t know how long it has been since he has been seen, and people around him try to quiet him. Jesus, however, asks him what he needs, and, seeing him for who he is, restores his vision. The lesson is that Jesus sees us for who we are and responds according to our needs. We are all beloved children of God.