30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52

October 27, 2024Bartimaeus was a blind man.  As a blind man, he would sit “by the roadside begging.”  He hears that Jesus of Nazareth is coming.  He must have already heard of Jesus’ mighty deeds because he immediately “began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

Many rebuked him.  Why?  We look back to Leviticus 21:18 and 2 Samuel 5:8 to see how the blind and the lame were kept apart at times.  This may puzzle us as we know Jesus wants us to help all in need.  In our first reading today, we hear the Lord say that He will gather his people “from the ends of the world” including “the blind and the lame.”

It seems the people around Jesus favor excluding the blind and the lame, but Jesus does not.  As Bartimaeus “kept calling out…Son of David, have pity on me,” Jesus told them to bring Bartimaeus to him.

Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Last week we heard Jesus put the same question to James and John.  They wrongly asked for places of honor.  Bartimaeus asked for something good, “Master, I want to see.”

Bartimaeus asked for physical sight.  He has shown great spiritual eyesight.  He knew Jesus could help him.  He called Jesus “Son of David,” showing that he recognizes Jesus to be the promised one.  He rightly called Jesus master.  In faith, He asked Jesus for something good. 

Jesus responded to the faith He saw in Bartimaeus.  Immediately, Bartimaeus was healed.  Imagine his joy in being able to see.  His response…his response was perfect, he followed Jesus on the way.

How is our spiritual sight?  Do we see as God sees?  Do we see the fallen state of society?  Do we see the signs of the times by the light of our faith? 

Do we see our own sins or are we blinded by our sins?  Our sins can prevent us from seeing as God sees.

Throughout the Book of Jeremiah, we often hear messages of gloom and doom.  The Israelites were to be punished for their sins.  They were defeated by their enemies and many were taken away in exile.

Yet today’s passage from Jeremiah starts off differently, with a call to “shout with joy…exult…proclaim your praise.”

In exile, what reason do they have to praise God?  The Lord speaks of what is to come, how He is going to deliver his people, “the remnant of Israel.”  As they were taken away to exile, “they departed in tears” but the remnant He will bring back in joy.

Will you be part of the remnant?

What is meant by remnant?

Many of the Israelites saw their defeat and exile as God abandoning them or perhaps that their “god” wasn’t even real.  In a foreign land in exile, some would turn to false gods.  The remnant are those who remain faithful.  Over and over, throughout the Bible we hear of how God uses the remnant to save and restore his people.

If Jesus would come today, would you be considered part of the remnant?

This might seem like a foolish question to ask of people in church.  One might think that your presence in church would show you to be part of the remnant.

However, even Satan can enter a church.  Just being here is not a guarantee of salvation but it does mean there is hope.  It at least shows that we believe God exists.

The question I will put before you today is do you “see” what is offered to you during this Mass.  By “seeing” I speak of understand what is offered to you.  We have just heard God’s Word read to us.  If we truly “see” it as God’s Word, we would be attentive to every word.

When it comes to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, do you see what is really going on?  Do you see me holding bread and wine that continue to look physically like bread and wine? 

Or do you see Jesus offering his life as a sacrifice for our sins and changing the bread and wine into his Body and Blood?

We call the place where we celebrate the Eucharist an altar.  An altar is a place of sacrifice.  If there is no sacrifice, it would only be a table, but there is a sacrifice.  Do you “see” Jesus sacrificing his life for you at the altar?

If you do, then you should be transformed by what you see so that when you leave church, instead of following the ways of the world, you will live according to what you have heard from God.

Yet, we fall short.  We are trapped at times by the limit of our physical sight.  At other times, we are blinded by our sins.  Jesus can fix both through his sacrifice.

When Jesus restores our spiritual sight, we weep for our sins in repentance and we return to him rejoicing for the great things He has done for us.

Jesus, please help us to see as You see.