Let me see again!
46 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. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 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.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher,[a] let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
<Falling
Leaves>
Fall is
beautiful. I’m deeply grateful to be surrounded by God’s artwork, seen in
nature’s colors—His painting that shines and glows, especially when sunlight
filters through the trees.
Yet, fall
also brings a sense of grief. Lately, we’ve been raking leaves. Victor collects
two full bags each day. I find myself wishing the leaves would stay, resisting
the sight of bare branches, yet the season arrives regardless. What do
falling leaves remind you of? Is there a loss you’re grieving right now?
Maybe it’s related to age, health, changes in relationships, trust, financial
loss or beloved one’s death.
Recently, I
have grieved with a friend and a mentor who lost their parents. I can only
imagine the weight of their loss. My mentor told me that each time she left her
mother—whether for college, marriage, immigration, or work—she left her behind.
This is the first time her mother has left her. Now, she understands the
deep ache her mother must have felt all those years.
In my own
way, I am grieving, too. I feel the loss my parents felt as they watched me
leave home, now that two of my children have left for school. I grieve when I
see the empty pews once filled by beloved church members. Victor has officiated
over 60 funerals in the past 10 years. And there are those who have left our
church over differences in belief or direction. Just like the leaves, these
losses come, whether we welcome them or not.
As we
recently discussed in small groups, Joseph lost everything in a single day, from
his favored status to becoming a slave and prisoner. Job, too, lost all he had
in an instant—his wealth, his 10 children, and his relationships. Bartimaeus in
today’s scripture has suffered his own kind of loss through blindness. Yet God
transformed their emptiness into fullness, giving them the sight to see His
purpose, His vision, and the bigger picture.
Recently,
Grace shared a morning devotion on the parables of the lost, only to hear the
same stories in her class later that day. Today’s scripture, which I’d prepared
for my M.Div. studies last week, is also the lectionary passage for today. I
couldn’t hold back tears, feeling God’s nudge to meditate on this story and His
invitation for us to see as Bartimaeus did in his loss. May God grant us
the vision of our Biblical ancestors, to find His purpose and fullness amid our
own seasons of loss.
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We are like oil, and God is like water. Just like oil and water, we can’t naturally come together. But Jesus is like a surfactant—He bridges the gap, allowing us to come close to God and be united with Him.
<Let Me See Who I Am, Who God Is, and Who Jesus Is>
For spiritual
awakening, many biblical ancestors and mentors tell us that
self-reflection—knowing who we are—is the first step. Socrates’s
well-known quote, “Know yourself,” forms the foundation of a learning attitude.
Saint Augustine’s [Confessions], one of the most influential
books in church history, is built on self-reflection. Augustine examines his
sins from childhood through adulthood, confessing his sinful nature and
recognizing humanity’s weakness and finiteness. His self-reflection shows us
the need for fellowship with one another and communion with our perfect and
eternal God. In the song “Is He Worthy?” by Chris Tomlin, we respond to
a series of questions that prompt us to consider who we are, who God is, and
who Jesus is. French philosopher Blaise Pascal says in Pensées, “Knowing
God without knowing our wretchedness leads to pride. Knowing our wretchedness
without knowing God leads to despair. Knowing Jesus Christ is the middle
course, because in him we find both God and our wretchedness.” Knowing
ourselves creates the desire to know God and know Jesus, the bridge between us
and God.
Bartimaeus
knew who he was, who God is, and who Jesus is. He lived in Jericho, near the
Jordan River. Though he lived in a bustling city, he belonged to an
underprivileged class. Being blind, he could not work or move freely and had no
means to support himself. Though introduced as the “son of Timaeus,” he had to
beg, and his family ties appeared distant. In this way, we see Bartimaeus’s
state of loss—socially, emotionally, and physically.
Though all
seemed lost, he had a spiritual eye of hope and a deep longing for God’s
presence. He
believed in God, waited for the Messiah, and recognized Jesus as the One sent
by God. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he shouted, “Son of
David, have mercy on me!” He knew it was the Lord who could save him from
all his losses. When others tried to silence him, he cried out even louder.
Their reactions, thoughts, and disapproval didn’t matter; he was determined to
meet Jesus and be healed.
Then, in a
moment that changed his life, those who had criticized him told him that Jesus
was calling him. “Take heart; get up, he is calling you,” they said.
Overjoyed, Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, casting off his past life. He
leaped up and came to Jesus, the One he had waited for so long.
Bartimaeus
teaches us that when we know who we are and recognize who God and Jesus are,
we, too, can open ourselves to receive God’s healing and grace.
<Let Me
See Again>
The healing
of blind Bartimaeus is the last recorded miracle before Jesus entered
Jerusalem. Despite knowing Jesus was about to face His own suffering, He took
time to care for this marginalized, blind man. He listened to Bartimaeus,
called him forward, and engaged in a heartfelt conversation, asking, “What
do you want me to do for you?” Even though Jesus likely knew the answer, He
invited Bartimaeus to speak his need: “Let me see again.” Bartimaeus
had lost everything except his faith, and by that faith, he believed that
Jesus, the Son of God, would help him. Jesus healed him physically and
emotionally, encouraging him spiritually as well. Because of his faith,
Bartimaeus could see again.
Not only
did Jesus open his physical eyes, but He also opened Bartimaeus’s spiritual
eyes, allowing him to experience the joy of following Jesus. The Bible tells us that as soon as
Bartimaeus gained his sight, he did not boast or return to the life he once
knew; instead, he followed Jesus on the road. He embraced the life of a
disciple, committed to walking with Jesus.
“Though
the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the
olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in
the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be
joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet
like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk
3:17-19)
If we lose
everything, if we find ourselves grieving what we once had, but still have
faith, God will open our spiritual eyes. Just as the sun shines over the earth regardless of whether
we can see it, God’s presence surrounds us even if we’re not aware. Last week,
I received a picture from one of our church members that became a symbol of
hope for me. It showed a barren winter tree, stripped of its leaves, yet
glowing under the winter sun. With spiritual eyes, we can see God’s hand and
remember His faithfulness, dreaming of new growth in seasons to come.
When we
struggle to see, Jesus does not abandon us. He listens to our cries, calls us
forward, and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” We only need to respond,
“Let me see again,” with faith.
In 1885,
American missionary Horace Underwood arrived in Korea on Easter Sunday. At
first, he saw only barrenness; there were no churches, schools, or hospitals.
But he prayed, and God answered. He went on to build a church, a school, and a
hospital—all of which remain today as places of hope and salvation. His legacy
of service continued through four generations of his family. Underwood has
always been a role model for me, and today, I resonate deeply with his sense of
calling. God planted us here in Aroostook County, allowing us to serve three
churches we dearly love, though we are still learning how best to minister to
them. Each night, Victor and I pray for our churches and our church family. I
hope this prayer becomes ours together, and may God open our spiritual eyes to
see what He has done and dream of what He will do through us.
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Horace Grant Underwood’s prayer
“Lord, nothing is visible at this moment.
Lord, You have planted us on this barren and poor land,
where not even a single tree can grow tall enough.
It is such a miracle that we could come to
this land across the wide pacific Ocean.
Nothing is visible, though, in this
land on which seem to have been dropped off by Your hand.
Only stubbornly stained darkness can be seen.
Only Korean people chained with poverty and superstition can be seen.
They
don’t even know why they are chained, what suffering is.
They just distrust us and express
anger to us as well we tell them how to take away their suffering, which is not
suffering to them.
The thoughts of Korean men are not
visible.
The mind of this government is not
visible.
We are afraid that we may not have
any more opportunity to see the women commuting on Kamas(- one of
transportation at that time which is carried by men)
The heart of Korea is not visible, And
we do not see what to do.
Yet, Lord We will obey.
We believe that You begin Your work
as we humbly obey.
And that the day will come when our
spiritual eyes will see Your work.
According to Your Words, “Faith is
being sure of what hope for and certain of what we do not see...”
We believe that we will see the
future of the faith of Korea.
Although we are standing on a desert
with bare hands,
Although we are condemned to be
Western devils,
We believe that the day will come when they will rejoice with tears
realizing that they are one with our spirit in Christ,
and that we all have one Kingdom and one Father in Heaven.
Although there is no church to
worship You, no school to study,
Although this land is filled with doubt, suspicion, contempt, and disdain.
We believe that in the near future this land will become “ a Land of Blessing”
Lord, hold me tight in Your faith.
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