Readings: 1Pet. 1:18-25; Ps.147; Mark 10:46-52
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHAT DO YOU WANT THE LORD TO DO FOR YOU?
There is no doubt that Jesus has shown his compassionate love for humanity in different ways, especially to the poor, the sick and those possessed by the unclean Spirit. This attitude of Jesus which springs from the love of God the Father constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activity which is rooted in our faith in God.
Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Bartimaeus, the blind beggar gives us a complete lesson about faith, expressed with total simplicity in front of Christ Jesus. He had faith enough to call out to Jesus as he passed by, even when he was scolded by the people close to him, his need for Jesus was so great that he cried all the louder, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Then Jesus asks an unusual question “What do you want me to do for you?” So even though his need was obvious, Jesus wanted him to mention it. In the same way today, Jesus is asking us: my child what do you want me to do for you? Why not like this blind beggar tell Jesus your need. Even though he knows your needs, you still need to present them before him. This blind man needed his eyesight restored, so he said aloud to Jesus, “Lord, that I may see!” And Jesus said: ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’
Here, we see a man whose faith led him to put off his former identity and cry in the hope of restoration. Bartimaeus’s faith involves proclamation, prayer, liberation, personal encounter and following of Jesus. More so, Jesus in this healing reveals his compassion towards human sufferings and wants us to imitate Bartimaeus’s faith in our struggles and challenges of life.
Dear friends, what is that one thing you need in your life? Have we ever felt helpless and neglected? Do we feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of our lives? Do we know people who are helpless and need some help? How strong is our compassion towards them? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he see them? Why not in faith present our needs before Jesus who is willing and ready to help us? For St. Peter, in our second reading today reminds us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
So, like Jesus, each one of us is called today to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that you may be the only person who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives.
