This is the Way

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MARK

They came to Jericho. As Jesus 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

Sermon: By The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

“This is the way.” This phrase gained popularity a few years ago when Disney+ released The Mandalorian, a Star Wars series focused on the Mandalorians, a warrior people scattered across the galaxy after their home planet is destroyed. To unite themselves, they follow a strict code…“This is the way” expresses their commitment to that code: this is how we act, this is how we live, this is what it means to be a Mandalorian. This is the way.

Now, I want to suggest that the Mandalorians' "this is the way" resonates with aspects of the Christian tradition. Christians, too, are a scattered people, spread all over the world. At first glance, it might seem impossible to say, “this is the way to be Christian,” because we’re so different. We rarely agree, we struggle to get along, and our practices vary so widely. But despite all of this, there is a way—a way we are called to follow—and it’s the way Jesus lays before us.

Today’s Gospel might not seem to be about “the way,” but I believe it is. Many Bibles title this passage "The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus," suggesting the focus is on the miraculous healing…Jesus transforming Bartimaeus from a blind man to one who can see. But if we focus only on the healing, we miss the bigger picture. In fact, Dutch scholar Maarten Menken suggests that this passage is a call story with elements of healing mixed in. If we compare it to other call stories, we find all the same features: Jesus is passing by, he sees Bartimaeus, Bartimaeus is named, he’s performing his role as a beggar, Jesus calls him, Bartimaeus abandons his occupation and possessions (he throws off his cloak), then he follows Jesus. Yes, there is healing, but the heart of the story is Jesus calling Bartimaeus.

We must look, then, beyond Bartimaeus gaining sight to how he responds to Jesus’ call. As the Gospel tells us, “Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.”

Bartimaeus' story ends with “the way.” In the Gospel of Mark, “the way” is more than just following Jesus on a road…it represents the journey to Jerusalem, to Jesus’ suffering and death. As Menken notes, “Bartimaeus is called by Jesus to follow him on this way. Bartimaeus is presented as an example to Mark’s community: they too are called to follow the way of service, and, if necessary, martyrdom, walking in the footsteps of the Son of Man.”

The fact that Bartimaeus, once blind, now sees and follows Jesus on this way makes for a striking comparison with the disciples. In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples are blind to what Jesus is calling them to do. They recognize that Jesus is the Christ, but they don’t see that following him involves suffering and death—they don’t understand “the way.” However, Bartimaeus does. He not only gains his physical sight but also sees clearly what it means to follow Jesus and he eagerly jumps at the chance to do this.

Mark’s Gospel, then, challenges us to be like Bartimaeus: to see and follow Jesus on the way. The question is, do we?

There’s a quote that has really spoken to me over the years. It is on the screen now and reads: “Sure, we can sing to Jesus. But Jesus never asked us to do that. Jesus asked us to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, care for the sick. Jesus didn’t want songs. Jesus wants justice.”

We often think the way of Jesus is about singing hymns, going to church, attending classes, learning theology, knowing creeds and Bible stories. But that’s not the way. The way isn’t about what we know…as Jesus shows us, it’s about what we do. And this is where everything about being Christian gets really, really difficult.

Think about what we’ll be doing with the Mustard Seed this Christmas. For those who weren’t here when I shared this, we’re partnering with the Mustard Seed to make stockings for their clients…people struggling with chronic homelessness. When I first went to the Mustard Seed to work out the details, it was challenging. I’m very sensitive to smells, and as soon as I got near the door, all I could smell was cigarette smoke and weed. The same people who are often talked about on the Grande Prairie Facebook page for stealing bikes were there. For a moment, I wanted to turn around and leave. I was uncomfortable. But what kept me going was reminding myself that this is the way of Jesus. These are the people we’re called to love and serve, no matter how they live, what they’ve done, or what they smell like.

This is why following the way is so challenging. Many in Grande Prairie are angry at the homeless community and would rather nothing be done for them. But what would Jesus want us to do? The way of Jesus calls us to go to uncomfortable places and love those whom society would rather not love. And that’s what makes being Christian so hard. No question, it would be easier if all we had to do was sing hymns and know creeds.

Thankfully, though, we don’t walk this difficult way alone. We do it together, as a church family. We come together on Sundays to renew our faith, reenergize, and prepare ourselves to walk the difficult and uncomfortable way of Jesus. We are here at Christ Church together, and we serve others together. When one of us finds it difficult, another will hold us up. When one of us questions why we help “those people,” another will remind us of the call of Jesus. When one would rather give up, another will give hope. So the way, while hard to follow, is not something we have to face by ourselves. Bartimaeus got up and followed Jesus, joining others on the journey. They did the work together and so will we.

Christians are a lot like the Mandalorians. We are scattered, but we’re united by one thing: we’re all called to walk the way of Christ. What if, instead of arguing about who we marry or how we worship, the church focused on asking, how can we be better servants of Christ? What if, instead of debating theology, we put our energy into asking, are we on Christ’s way? Because the reality is, whether we’re in Canada, Argentina, Kenya, or Australia…whether we’re Anglican, Pentecostal, Catholic, or Orthodox… we are called, as Bartimaeus and the disciples were, to love, serve, and share with others. That’s it. That’s Christianity. This is the way.