Shout Out
Mark 10:46-52
A Sermon by the Reverend Odette Lockwood-Stewart
 

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Bartimaeus is the only person Jesus healed whose name we know.  His name is given in Mark’s Gospel, and it is given twice.  First in Aramaic and then in Greek: Bar-timaeus, son of Timaeus.  Two times he is named. Perhaps... Mark has a reason for this.

In Aramaic Bartimaeus could mean “son of shame or dishonor” – and there he was, a blind beggar sitting by the side of the road, his cloak spread out to catch charity dropped by passersby.  Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, knew shame.

In Greek Bartimaeus could mean, “son of honor or dignity” – and there he was, a child of God, worthy of respect no matter what, a blind man who could see far more than the disciples who surrounded Jesus.

Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, knew honor.  One name. Two meanings.

Which identity, which name would Bartimaeus claim?

The subversive and disturbing power of this Gospel story is that Bartimaeus chose honor by shouting out his desperate need.

He shouted out to Jesus: “Have mercy!”

When others tried to silence him, he shouted out louder!

And when Jesus called him Bartimaeus leapt up and threw off his cloak.

He asked for help and health and new life.

When Jesus told Bartimaeus to go on his way, that his trust had saved and healed him, Bartimaeus followed Jesus.

The story of Bartimaeus is not only a healing miracle.  This story is a vision of what discipleship looks like.  

It looks like Bartimaeus.

Hearing. Shouting out. When others try to silence him, shouting out louder. Calling Jesus by name – Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, my Teacher. Leaping  up, throwing off everything, speaking the truth of his need, following Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.  

Out of his poverty, out of his pain, Bartimaeus shouts out for mercy. And it is in offering his honest need that he finds purpose.

Think about it.  For Bartimaeus, discipleship begins, not with a glorious mountaintop experience, but with shouting that made others regard him as a desperate nuisance.

This text is an invitation to listen, to heed the shouts of those by the side of the road, those at the margins of society.

Whose are the voices we ignore, or try to silence?  What are the shouts that we call nuisance?

To those children of God given shaming narratives and names by the world, by bullies, by disciples who do not see, the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers another vision, another name, a counter story, a story of liberation and dignity and purpose. If we do not listen to the voices of those shouting out by the side of the road, if we tell them to be quiet down, to go away, .. God is still listening.

This text is an invitation to listen.  It is also a call to shout out for mercy.

We all have at least two names.  We have at least two narratives of our lives.  Sometimes it seems like there’s a crowd of names inside of us.  We know shame.  We know dignity.

Which identity, which name will we claim?

The downside up Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to see that listening to Bartimaeus, encouraging him is not enough.   We need to learn from him, to recognize our story in his story.  We all stand in need of Christ’s mercy, help, healing, forgiveness, and new vision.  We all are differently abled, we all are immigrants, we all live with the violence of poverty, we all are children of honor and dignity, we all are queer and questioning. We need to shout out with voices that cannot be silenced for the sake of the world that God so loves.

Shout out... for healing. Shout out... for justice.  Shout out... for a way when there is no way.  Shout out for mercy.  Jesus, have mercy on me! Have mercy!

A member of this community who has recently been visiting other churches told me that one thing she has noticed is that some churches share joys, but not concerns and sorrows.  She said there is something beautiful when people have a place to voice their burdens as well as their blessings.  If I can’t come to church because I feel broken, wretched, because I have sinned, because I have questions, because I am struggling, then we’ve got something to talk about, church!

Jesus is leaving Jericho on the road to Jerusalem... on his journey to the cross. And because of a wounded man who will not be silenced, who shouted out, Jesus is joined in this final journey by a new disciple, by Bartimaeus.