We just heard in today Gospel, that Jesus cured the man who was physically blind. Jesus did that out of Love toward another person. Here we have to understand that those who were blind in Jesus’ times were outcasts of the society. During that time people thought that the blind person or his/her parents had to commit sins. Thus God punishes them with blindness.
When the blind beggar, Bartimaeus calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,†the crowd tells him to shut up. But the blind beggar stands his ground. He refuses to be bullied into doing what the crowd wants. Instead he does what he knows is right.
My dear Sisters and Brothers
There comes a time in every life when, like the blind man in the Gospel, we can’t help ourselves. Not even our family or our best friend can help us. We are all alone. At times like this, we need to do what the blind man in the Gospel did. We need to turn to Jesus for help.
The model of how to do this is none other than Jesus himself. In His agony in the Garden, he had to turn to his Father for help. He did so by repeating over and over again: “My Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want but what you want.†His Father helped him, not by taking away his suffering, but by giving him the strength and courage to bear it.
God often chooses to help us in this way. In other words, God does not always answer our prayers in the way that we want. God answers them in a way that will be better for us in the long run.
Let’s illustrate with a familiar poem. It was found in the pocket of a dead Confederate solider and illustrate what we mean by being “better for us in the long run†It reads:
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things…
I ask for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise…
I ask for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel need for God…
I ask for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things…
I got nothing I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.