Scripture Scribbles: October 27, 2024

the Gospel

Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" 
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." 
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." 
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

the scribble

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to imaginatively pray with this reading in the style St. Ignatius taught us, or in the form of Lectio Divina. Every time, something different speaks to me and I ask, “where are you calling me at this moment, Lord?” This time around as I prayed with this Gospel, “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus” leapt off the page and into my heart. I imagine, as a bystander, witnessing such enthusiasm, such delight, and eagerness to encounter Jesus.

I wonder to myself, how often do I become spiritually blind and allow Jesus to pass me by? How often do I hear His call and instead of leaping up, I cower away because I know that following Him requires certain sacrifices? 

We are called daily to deeper conversion in our relationship with Christ. I find the newness of conversion, like when I was in college, ignites this same kind of enthusiasm and fire. We desperately seek Jesus and jump at the opportunity to grow closer to Him. 

What about the slow embers of a long-established relationship? They glow and are constant, sometimes a bit too comfortable to seek Him in certain areas of our lives. We become blind to where we need to grow. These embers could either easily be snuffed out or reignited. 

If you are in a long-standing relationship with Jesus, what areas of your life have turned into slow embers, and where is Jesus calling to you to reignite these flames? If your conversion is still new, what areas might you still be blind from allowing yourself to run to Him readily as Bartimaeus did? May we have the courage of Bartimaeus when Jesus summoned Him to follow Him. Let us throw aside our cloaks and run to Him.

Today’s devotion was written by Diana Giard