By Leslie Mojica
Scripture:
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Reflection:
A relationship with Jesus allows us to have the courage to believe in times of need and in times of fulfillment. Bartimaeus is a blind man seeking to be able to see again. He confides in Jesus to make that happen. He shows his faith by stepping up and calling for Jesus to heal him. He shows courage in being able to approach and ask for something so grand. He shows that he believes in a higher power and he trusts that he will be taken care of.
In this passage, we learn about the importance of having the courage to ask for help. Asking for help in a time of need takes courage and risk. In this passage, Bartimaeus could have stayed quiet and could have just let the presence of Jesus escape him; he could have let his opportunity to ask for help pass. Jesus, at the end of the passage, lets him know that his faith saved him. It’s important to believe in your faith and believe in receiving help or asking for it. Doing so does not make you weak and does not make you seem selfish. It allows you to be open to your faith and believe in something.
This passage is relevant to my life as a Catholic and disciple because it is a perfect example of why I believe in my faith. I try to attend Mass and pray as much as I can, but, sometimes, life just happens and you don’t always have the time. That’s when believing strongly in your faith comes into play. I know that I may not always be as dedicated as I want to be, but at least I know that I believe in something bigger than all of us and that I have something and someone to follow.
