Panhandling and Jesus

When I lived in Seattle I would frequently notice people standing 

at intersections and freeway on and off ramps panhandling.

Usually they would have a crudely made sign written on a piece of cardboard 

saying something like “need work, can you help?” 

            or “will work for food”

            or “Veteran, anything helps, God bless you.”

Once I saw a particularly creative one:

            “Sometimes you just need a little extra help.”

 

Common sense warns against giving money 

because your charity might end up paying for alcohol or drugs, 

although there is no way we can tell what the truth of their situation is 

during a brief encounter that ends the moment the light turns green.

 

It’s a no-win situation for you in the safety and privilege of your car 

or for the beggar by the side of the road.

Nothing’s changed in thousands of years.

 

Bartimaeus was strategically positioned by the road 

at a main intersection for maximum exposure, 

living day to day, 

hand to mouth, 

managing to get by for who knows how long.

 

A large crowd comes by; 

hope rises for pocket change to come his way.

 

Then he hears who it is that has attracted such a large crowd around him 

– Jesus.

Suddenly new possibilities arise in his mind, 

possibilities beyond simply a generous handout.

But how to get his attention in that large crowd…

He starts shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”

using the royal title for the Messiah.

Hey, King Jesus, Your Majesty, cast a little of your favor in my direction.

 

Have you ever had a panhandler 

call attention to your prosperity with a compliment 

and use that to guilt you into an embarrassed response?

 

People around him apparently thought 

that what Bartimaeus was shouting to Jesus was a little much, 

since they tried to hush him up.

But he had nothing to lose and this was getting some attention.

 

But now the whole course of the story changes for Bartimaeus.

 

Jesus calls him.

Jesus calls him to come to him

-       just like he called Peter and Andrew, James and John

-       just like he called Matthew, the tax collector

 

And something seems to happen in Bartimaeus, 

something instantaneous and powerful, 

powerful enough so that he leaps to his feet 

throwing off the cloak that they say was used 

to spread out in front of the blind person 

to catch the coins people would toss 

which his groping fingers might not find.

Apparently Bartimaeus is no longer thinking about alms.

 

He is responding to a call.

 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus says.

These are words of a servant,

what Jesus said to James and John in last week’s Gospel

                        as they aspired to places of honor, thrones

and it is what Jesus now says to a beggar by the road.

Bartimaeus had given him a royal title, 

and Jesus had responded as a Servant.

 

And notice, there is no judgment from Jesus 

about the appropriateness of what Bartimaeus was saying 

or how he was saying it, 

Jesus was simply being available to serve.

And the blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.”

 

“My teacher” – 

Bartimaeus, still blind at this point, is already responding as a disciple.

He understands, maybe like he never understood before, 

his necessity for sight.

He is coming into awareness.

 

Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”

                        “Your faith has healed you.”

            That same word “healed” in Greek also means “saved.”

 

By the time Bartimaeus gets to Jesus something is happening in him: faith, 

faith strong enough to restore his sight.

This faith is a gift from the Teacher, from the One who called him.

When this kind of gift comes, 

faith that goes beyond whatever we might call our own faith or belief, 

then it’s no longer a matter of 

right attitude or right motivation or right thinking, 

but surrender, 

surrendering in trust, 

surrender of self that becomes possible 

when we are in the Presence of Love.  

In that kind of assurance of Love the heart opens and the incredible happens.

 

Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

So now you can see that this is a story about being called into discipleship.

 

This story shows us the pattern of discipleship, 

            of being called, 

of responding, 

of leaving behind that which had been your identity, 

like Bartimaeus leaving behind his cloak, 

of surrendering in trust to the Teacher, 

of having your sight opened up, awareness expanded, 

and of following Jesus in the Way.

It’s all there – for you, me and the beggar.

 

It’s all about a huge abundance of Jesus’ love, mercy and compassion 

overflowing to everyone, including roadside panhandlers.

 

There’s not much difference between us and the beggars.

They’re more aware of their need than we are of our own need.

So as a result they are more likely to be open to Jesus 

when he shows up and walks by.

 

If we could just see some of our poverty of spirit, 

we might be in a better place spiritually 

for being open to miracles happening.

 

You can look at what your own needs might be.

But how about looking at our needs as the Nativity faith community?

 

That’s not hard!

Here we are in the midst of a time of transition, 

not just for the parish in terms of clergy leadership, 

but in the course of the last two years, 

            dealing with conflict in the parish 

            while also stumbling our way through a pandemic.

 

But it is the differences within this congregation 

                        which had been seen as a problem, 

the differences can also be seen as something to affirm as a potential strength, 

as a characteristic of our faith community

that can guide and inform a sense of vision and mission for the parish.

 

Differences can truly be a strength.

Differences are good 

because these bring a richness of faith and experience to the community, 

and diversity opens possibilities.

 

The measure of true diversity is the ability to work and live together.  

This is beyond simply acknowledging differences.

The presence of diverging differences within a congregation requires 

that we are continually aware of these differences,

and that each of us is continually vigilant 

in seeking to learn about each other 

and to withhold judgment 

and to walk in the other one’s shoes as far as it is possible.

 

We all need to be careful about spiritual blindness, lack of awareness.

Let us be willing to recognize and acknowledge 

            our need for healing from blindness we might not even perceive. 

 

Blindness keeps us from seeing in the moment God’s vision and mission.

 

If we think we have everything figured out, 

we could be in danger of blindness.

 

Disciples are always in the process of learning, 

always engaged in continued education.

 

So as disciples of Jesus, 

let us all bring to Jesus our blindness, 

what we know of our narrow range of vision, 

and what we are ignorant of in ourselves, 

coming for healing, 

seeing new possibilities for mission and ministry

                                    right here, available for us.

 

You don’t have to settle with survival as a congregation.

Jesus can generate the faith in you 

            as he did in Bartimaeus.

 

Let us receive and act on the gift of faith, 

    and follow Jesus in the Way.