THE 30TH ORDINARY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR B!
There is a poem that was written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921 titled “The Touch of the Master’s Hand." It tells about an old, battered violin that is about to be sold as the last item at an auction for almost nothing. But just as it’s going, going, gone, an old man, a professional musician, and a violinist step out of the audience, picking up the instrument and its bow. The musician dusts it off, tightens up the strings, and begins to play a melody pure and sweet, demonstrating its beauty and true value. Prior to the violinist’s playing, the auction price was three dollars, but following the playing, the instrument sells for $3,000. The poem’s conclusion presents an analogy of this instrument, touched by the hand of a master musician, to the worth of a life that is led by the hand of God. The value wasn’t in the violin as much as in what the master could do with it.
We see in today’s Gospel how the gentle touch of our master restored the battered and broken life of Bartimaeus. We are made ‘priceless’ by His touch in spite of the dust we may have gathered. His gentle hold, changes everything. Our Master transforms us, and the worth of a soul is eternally changed by His touch.
Almost every day, we pass people whose lives are “out of tune” as the violin was in the poem, and yes, their lives are battered and scarred with suffering, pain, sorrows and physical deformities. We should allow the touch of our Divine masterJesus to use us to bring this wonderful truth to those who need hope before there was none. The touch of the Divine Master can make on a life, no matter how battered, how scarred, how worthless that life might seem.
Jesus shows the mercy and compassion of His Heavenly Father by healing the blind Bartimaeus. Just as the blind and the lame were God’s concern, Jesus is concerned with the blind beggar, Bartimaeus of Jericho. On hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, Bartimaeus loudly expressed his trusting Faith in the healing power of Jesus by shouting his request, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus invited him to come near, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak and ran to Jesus. His meeting with Jesus gave Bartimaeus the gift of spiritual as well as physical sight .
The healing of blind Bartimaeus is, on the surface, a miracle story but it is also, and more profoundly, a demonstration of faith evidenced by the sheer persistence of Bartimaeus and by his immediate response to the call of Jesus. Bartimaeus may have been a beggar by the wayside, but he was a person of gratitude. Having received his sight, he followed Jesus. He did not selfishly go on his way when his need was met. He began with need, went on to gratitude, and finished with loyalty, a good summary of the stages of discipleship.
Though we are not physically blind but we are spiritually blind and the greatest calamity that can befall people is not to be born blind but to have eyes yet fail to see. Instead of remaining in spiritual blindness, let us pray for spiritual sight. Each one of us suffers from spiritual blindness. Hence, we need the light of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. Anger, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, evil habits, addictions, sloth, etc., make us spiritually blind and prevent us from seeing the goodness in our Neighbours and God’s presence in them.
We are also blinded by greed when we are never satisfied with what we have and incur debts to buy luxury items. Hence, let us pray to have a clear vision of Christian values and priorities in our lives and to acknowledge the presence of God dwelling in ourselves and in our Neighbours. A clear spiritual vision enables us to see the goodness in others, to express our appreciation for all that they have been doing for us, and to refrain from criticizing their performance.
We need to “cry out” to Jesus, as Bartimaeus did. Like Bartimaeus, we must seek Jesus with trust in His goodness and mercy. Sometimes our fears, anger, and habitual sins prevent us from approaching God in prayer. At times, we even become angry with God when He seems slow in answering our prayers. In these desperate moments, let us approach Jesus in prayer with trusting Faith as Bartimaeus did and listen carefully to the voice of Jesus asking us: “What do you want me to do for you?” Let us tell Him all our heart’s intentions and needs. Let us imitate Bartimaeus, the man of Faith and vision, a man unafraid to recognize his need for healing and to cry out, “I want to see!” Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in Faith
Lord Jesus, we praise and thank you for the many gifts you give us, including the gift of sight. Open our eyes to all the areas of our lives where we are blind. Give us the Holy Spirit to take the risk of letting go of all that prevents us from following you more closely and having the fullness of life. Amen
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