In our first reading, Jeremiah sharers God's promise to
restore the people of Israel to their former lives. The exile which the people experience as
God’s just punishment of their former lives will not last for all
generations. The political and military dynamics
which are oppressing them will come to an end.
The people of Israel will be restored to their freedom and their home
land.
My sisters and brothers, to be true followers of Christ
we must both let go… and grab hold…
This portion of Jeremiah’s writing is the text of a hymn extolling
the glory of the People’s return to Israel.
A procession of the weak emphasizes the miraculous nature of this
restoration. The imagery of Yahweh as a
father to Israel shows up in various parts of the Old Testament and first
served to define their covenantal relationship with God.
In our second reading we hear from the author of Hebrews about
the eternal quality of Jesus' intercession for us. He does not leave office or die. He lives through eternity without need to
make further offering for sin. As we
talked about last week, the temple priests were under Mosaic Law (the “Old
Covenant”). Jesus, the high priest,
unlike others, he became a priest at God’s oath and has also become the guarantee
of a better “New Covenant.” Therefore, Jesus
is the way to God and to salvation for those who are godly because he (as
priest) lives to plead with God on their behalf.
From Mark’s gospel we heard about Jesus healing Bartimaeus
of his blindness. He restores the man's
sight with the simple and profound statement: "your faith has healed
you." Bartimaeus seeks Jesus out
actively, is healed immediately, and then becomes a disciple; this is as much a
story of Jesus calling a disciple as a story about healing.
There are several other details that make this story
stand out. It is unusual because Mark
does not normally give the name of someone who is healed. Also, the way he addresses Jesus as “Son of
David,” is loaded. It expresses an
acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. Bartimaeus
is the first person to do this after Peter’s declaration. And, Jesus does not order him to be quiet
about it as he did up to this point. It
marks a major shift in the telling of Jesus’ story. Now as He draws closer to his crucifixion the
story is marked by this greater openness of the truth about who He is as
Messiah.
Becoming one of Jesus’ followers, becoming a Christian,
is about many things. Some central elements
are embracing him as a healer (or doctor for our souls) as well as a teacher
whom we follow through life.
Bartimaeus is a powerful symbolic example of this reality. Shedding what little pride he has left, he
calls for the help he knows he needs- removal of his blindness. Having received the blessed healing he
sought, he walks away from his old life to live the way of Christ!
In our own lives, a similar dynamic is active. To embrace Christ we must first make room in
our lives. We make this room by removing
the things that get in the way, the things that take precedence over Jesus. That may be a favorite sin we just never put
effort into removing from our lives. It
may be a bad (unchristian) attitude or a memory we have never given over to
Christ for his healing touch.
Once we have let go of whatever is in the way, we must
then take on the life long process of being His followers, i.e., study His way
of life and patterning ourselves after His teachings and example. He has left us with many things to guide us
but the Golden rule is the easiest to remember and the most universal
guide. Love God with your whole heart,
all your mind and all your strength (your whole being) and Love your neighbor
as yourself.
Today, let us turn loose of whatever is between us and
Jesus; and embrace him more fully.
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