The Invisible Among Us
If you want help, you need to ask for it.
Jesus and his disciples 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. - Mark 10:46-52
Bartimaeus was invisible.
His name Bar Timaeus literally means "son of Timaeus," so even there, he has no name of his own. He is someone's son, nothing more.
His fate is laid out in this short story right from the start. He is blind and ignored.
But he hears Jesus coming and he cries out for him to take notice.
Those who knew him, who encountered him and paid him no mind, ordered him to stay silent, to remain invisible. To them, he was a problem, a nuisance.
Is this how we treat one another?
Have you ever been ignored? Have you felt you had something of value to offer and no one would recognize you?
If so, you may have an idea how this man felt. Yet, he didn't just sit quietly and let this opportunity pass him by.
Despite a lifetime of failures, he was willing to try one more time to get the attention he needed to be healed.
If he had said nothing, no one would have led Jesus to him.
So it is with us, sometimes. We need to let the world know we are in need of help. We are alone only if we choose to be alone.
Remember the parable Jesus told of the judge who couldn't ignore the pleas of the woman who kept hounding him?
That is what we have to do. When we are ignored, forgotten, lost, invisible, we need to make ourselves known, to be seen and heard.
And if we are the ones who can help others, we need to see and hear them.
It is in our power. Love one another.
More to come...