Forget your fears, look to God, and BE RADIANT!
Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a
large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar,
was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he
began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly,
"Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said,
"Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak,
he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want
me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see
again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well."
Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
We don't know much of
Bartimaeus' life story, a man we find sitting on the side of the road. We’re told
he’s blind, something we often think of as a disability. But what others see as
a shortcoming becomes his motivation to cry out for Jesus. He pushes his fears
aside, paying no mind to the voices that try to silence him. Instead, he cries
all the more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” because he believes in
Jesus' powerful hand.
This is a man who is no
stranger to suffering, and even though people tell him otherwise, he knows his
voice will matter to Jesus. He's right. The courage it takes to fight the fears
of being insignificant pays off, and Bartimaeus becomes radiant with healing
light.
An interesting thing
happened this week, as I read the lectionary texts together. It seemed to be
possible, that Psalm 34, even though it was written centuries before Bartimaeus
was born, might be expressing the very emotions Bartimaeus experienced on that
day of healing. Listen in:
Psalm 34:1-8
I will bless God at all times; God's praise shall
continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in God; let the humble
hear and be glad. O magnify God with me, and let us exalt God's name
together. I sought God, and God answered me, and delivered me from
all my fears. Look to God, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be
ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by God, and was saved from
every trouble. The angel of God encamps around those who fear God; God's angel
delivers them. O taste and see that God is good; happy are those who
take refuge in God.
As a minister, accompanying people on roads of grief,
uncertainty, frustration, and many types of suffering sometimes gets to me. And
the words of praise spoken in this Psalm seem to ring hollow at first, as if they're not taking the pain of the world seriously enough. And my own prayers, alongside those I
care for who are hurting, often feel like not enough.
And then I remember that the people who wrote the
Psalms also knew pain. Deep pain. In fact, it could be their quest for meaning
in the midst of sorrow brought them to write these very words: I will bless God at all times. This Psalm, ancient as it is, continues to
inspire our worship as people who follow Bartimaeus' God, our God. The God we
believe in and bless, even in our suffering.
“Look to him and be radiant! O taste and see that the
Lord is good.” King David is likely the
author of these words, written during one of the most challenging periods of
his reign. "O magnify God with me, and let us exalt God's name
together!" David, like Bartimaeus, forgets his fears, looks to God, and
radiates the kind of faith that changes the world.
What's keeping us from proclaiming God’s goodness in
our lives? Are we afraid to say the wrong thing? Do we wonder if it'll make any
difference? Are we wondering what others might think? Are we afraid that
celebrating the good in our lives might offend those who are worse off? Do we
worry that no matter what we say, it will never be enough?
Bartimaeus' story would never have made our scriptures
had he simply waved at Jesus as he passed by. David's psalms would never have
been published had he stayed a shepherd boy. Both of them conquered their fears
in faith that what they had to offer the world mattered. And we would never
have received their testimonies of God's goodness had they lived within the
confines of their personal fears.
So I wonder today- what stories of God's goodness are
hiding behind our fears?
I write poetry, and I don't often share it with others
(really only if my mom asks me to). The truth is, I often fear it's not good
enough. That its meaning will crumble the moment I speak it aloud. I fear the
responses I receive, or the lack of any at all. And still, God places these
words in my heart. I wondered this week if maybe I need to forget my fears,
look to God, and let the warmth of God's love radiant through my words. So here
it goes, I'll share something I wrote this week inspired by the trees and river
of God's creation.
You Matter
Billions of fluttering
leaves,
Each making more
beautiful
The spectacle
of the trees.
When one falls into water,
I imagine its smile,
as it bobs to the
rhythm
of its space.
One leaf among
billions,
celebrating life given
in mercy and grace.
And if Creator Love
Can give meaning to
one golden leaf,
Ponder how much more
you are worth
...and ever will be.
When you wonder if you
matter, if you
question
your way,
look to the trees.
watch them sway.
And like the shimmering
leaf
who smiles as she falls,
Never let fear stand
in
your way.
Simply radiate the joy
of God's day.
What story of God's goodness is waiting for your fear
to fall away? "O taste and see that God is good; happy are those who take
refuge in God."
