“What do you want me to do for you?”
Once Jesus asks for the blind man, Bartimaeus, to come to Him Jesus asks an interesting question, “What do you want me to do for you?” We must realize that at the moment Bartimaeus begins the conversation with the Son of God, Jesus asks him what he wants done for Jesus to do for him. Let’s look deeper into Jesus’ questions Jesus and Bartimaeus’ response.
What is the meaning behind the dialogue? “And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvelous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God begins to speak and asks, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man answers. ‘Lord, that I may see.’ How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven’t you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? …. In short, our lips should express a true desire on our part to correspond effectively to our Creator’s promptings, striving to follow out his plans with unshakeable faith, being fully convinced that he cannot fail us…” [1]
If you recall last Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus asks this same question to James and John, but the outcome is very different for them. Why does Jesus grant the blind man’s request and not the apostles’? The blind man’s request is very logical. He asks in humble faith to have sight. His request is different from James and John because as Jesus says, “You do not know what you are asking.” [2] James and John were nearly demanding Jesus to grant their wish, as if He was a genie or ATM. The attitude of Bartimaeus is recalls the leper’s humility when he said to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” [3] Both men are saying to Jesus, “Your will not mine, be done.” How many times do we just expect Jesus to do for us whatever we ask of Him?
Why does Jesus grant the blind man’s wish? First, it’s important to note that Jesus is not a genie. He does not grant his request just because Bartimaeus asked him to, but because the blind man’s faith is true. We too must have faith if we are to ask of something to Christ. “The signs worked by Jesus attest that the Father has sent him. They invite belief in him. To those who turn to him in faith, he grants what they ask. So miracles strengthen faith in the One who does his Father’s works; they bear witness that he is the Son of God. But his miracles can also be occasions for ‘offense’; they are not intended to satisfy people’s curiosity or desire for magic. Despite his evident miracles some people reject Jesus; he is even accused of acting by the power of the demons. [4]
Why was curing Bartimaeus, a blind person, so important? There are many levels at which we look at this situation. 2,000 years ago, there was no medical technology that could cure blindness; only God had that power, similar to His power to cure the lepers. Because a cure was not available then, and in fact, today’s scientist are still unwrapping the mystery of blindness, the fact that Jesus could and did cure him lends evidence for all to see that He is God. Second, “The cure of the blind men is probably symbolic of what will happen to the disciples, now blind to the meaning of Jesus’ passion and to the necessity of their sharing his suffering. As the men are given sight, so, after the resurrection, will the disciples come to see that to which they are now blind.” [5] Lastly, on an individual level for today: “We are the ones who have to go to Jesus. Our eyes have been blind…This is why our most lovable Savior and Healer of souls has descended from on high.” [6]
Does Jesus hear our prayers? Yes, He hears our prayers whether they are said out loud like the blind man or in the silence like the paralytic or the woman with the hemorrhages. “Healing infirmities or forgiving sins, Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in faith…” [7] “When we ask for anything in prayer, we should be ready, always to accept God’s will, even if it does not coincide with our own: ‘His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us; it is not for us to advise him what to give us, for he can rightly reply that we know not what we ask’.” [8]
VIDEO – Benedict XVI: Prayer is the lifeblood of faith
The Holy Father explains the need for a prayerful dialogue with God in our daily lives. We need to be like the blind man today and come to Jesus when He calls us, listen to Him, answer Him with truth and humility, and be willing to do whatever it takes to follow Him.
What does the story of Blind Bartimaeus mean to me today? Like he asked Bartimaeus, Jesus asks us today “What do you want me to do for you?” We should all want what the Blind man wanted: our vision. For most of us, we’re not talking about physical sight, but the ability to see Jesus. When we put our own selves back into the story of Blind Bartimaeus, we can follow Bartimaeus’ actions to grow closer to Christ. “But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Master, let me receive my sight,’ Then Jesus answers, ‘Go your way. Your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed him on his way.’ Following Jesus on his way. You have understood what our Lord was asking from you and you have decided to accompany him on his way. You are trying to walk in his footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ’s clothing, to be Christ himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light of our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think you are going to find new ways. The faith he demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way.” [9]
How can we better “see” God in our life? Saint Francis of Assisi told his followers to look for the activity of the Holy Spirit each day. Saint Ignatius gives the following exercise in the fourth part of his Examen: Examine how you have been living this day. Recalling the events of your day, explore the context of your actions. Review the day, hour by hour, searching for the internal events of your life. Look through the hours to see your interaction with what was before you. Ask what you were involved in and who you were with, and review your hopes and hesitations.
What moved you to act the way you did? What was God trying to tell you through the events and the people you encountered today? One simple way to begin to “see” God is to “look” for Him in our life. We can reflect upon the loving presence of God in our life, even by the minute. We can write down how we experienced God in a journal, share His presence online through social media, and give God praise and glory in our conversations. If we but begin to “look” for Him, we will “see” Him. We need to make ourselves aware of the presence of God. For example, after buying a new model car, a person may start to notice how many other cars on the road are the same models as theirs. Did all of those cars just spring up overnight? No, of course not! Those other cars were always there, but we never had a reason to notice or care. God is always present, and we have every reason to notice and care.
[1] J. Escriva, Friends of God, 195-198
[2] Mk. 10:38
[3] Mk. 1:40
[4] CCC 548
[5] Footnotes NAB Matthew 20:29-34
[6] St. Bernard, Homily on the First Sunday of Advent, 78
[7] CCC 2616
[8] Navarre Bible Commentary, St. Mark pg. 144
[9] J. Escriva, Friends of God, 195-198