+ We have heard this gospel passage many times before. And we are touched by Bartimaeus' impassioned plea for Jesus to heal his blindness, and Jesus' compassionate and immediate remedying of the situation. But we always apply this scene to one who is physically blind. Indeed, Jesus did have miraculous power from God to heal the physically blind. But, just as easily, though even more startling, is Jesus' ability to heal the spiritually and intellectually blind, who, having come to their senses, respond to the grace of conversion, and themselves ask to be healed thusly! The spiritual healing is the easy part; the reversal of prideful stubbornness of mind and heart is the hard part. Very few readily admit that they are spiritually or intellectually blind. But for those who are ready and willing – amazing things can happen.
Spiritual and intellectual blindness can be suffocating for the one experiencing them, and exceedingly detrimental to any relationship that such people attempt to build with others. There is always something faulty with such a person's vision, and their perspective is undeniably off-kilter and their conclusions are therefore unreliable. Do you know someone who is spiritually or intellectually ill-visioned, off-kilter and regrettably conceptually unreliable? Are you such a person yourself?
Such a state of blindness was the lot of the children of Israel for centuries. They were so blind and stubborn of heart that they all but exterminated themselves from existence – with the exception of the remnant that God preserved to keep his love and friendship with his people alive. It was God's intention to, in a very real way, perform a group miracle of conversion and restoration of sight to his spiritually and intellectually handicapped people! Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers, and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng. They departed (into exile) in tears, but I will console them and guide them…on a level road, so that none shall stumble. Yes, God offered the grace of conversion and healing, and the people responded and were gathered as they were invited to be. Those that sowed in tears, reaped rejoicing!
It is important to pray for the physically blind, that sight might be restored; it is much easier to get around in the modern world as a physically seeing person – but it is even more important to pray for spiritual and intellectual healing so that what we look at and see with our physical eyes, will make sense to the eyes of our souls!
May we pray, now, for the faith needed to cry out: "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me! – and heal in me, whatever needs healing, spiritual or otherwise!"
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