One of the things that will drive most of us crazy is people being mean to people. We see it all the time....and maybe some of us do it. The young person in a check out line getting frustrated with the senior citizen trying to pay for groceries by swiping a debit or credit card mumbles unkind words about the old person and just wishes that they would pay with regular money. The clumsy teenager trying to dance but making a fool of himself is embarrassed by his friends. (I was always the clumsy one growing up. I was so clumsy that my father claimed that I would trip over the flowers imprinted in carpeting or in floor covering.) And more than once, I have wanted just to slap the high school bully who is picky on someone weaker than himself, but is the first to cry foul when his supposed “rights” are not being given to him.

All of these are situations that cry for remediation, that seek justice, and that look for retribution or at least a remedy. But where is the solution to be found? Who has the right answers? After all, there are some people who are just slow, and all the complaining in the world won't make them go any faster. There are clumsy teenagers who will probably grow into clumsy adults. And there are bullies who will grow up to be adult bullies with no friends or even be abusers of others.

Is there no solution to life's sufferings? Of course, there are solutions, and we find some in today's gospel. Picture the situation. Here are all kinds of “religious” people following Jesus. They are impressed by his teaching, in fact they are probably spellbound. That is why they continue to follow him. Imagine the poor blind man. He is identified as Bartimaeus. Poor Bart hears all of this commotion and knows that something is happening, but remember he is blind, and not only blind, but poor. He's begging for money.

Bartimaeus knew about Jesus, and so he cries out asking Jesus for mercy, to have pity on him. The people in the crowd keep telling him to be quiet. What a terrible reaction from the crowd. You think that they might want Bartimaeus to get to Jesus. It would be another chance for them to see a miracle. An after all, they were supposed to be religious people.

Here we have these people who are listening to the marvelous teachings of Jesus.....but they cannot or will not help the poor blind beggar. No one lifts a finger to bring him to Jesus. In fact, they try to silence him.

Only one person responds favorably to Bartimaeus. That one person is Jesus himself. But something very amazing happens when Jesus calls for the man to come forward.....the difference happens in the crowd. Before Jesus recognized the man, the people were tell him to keep quiet....But now something very different happens. The gospel writer tells us that the crowd helps Bartimaeus get to Jesus.

Those simple kind words of Jesus to Bartimaeus pushed the crowd to change their thinking. Jesus transforms their thinking with just a very few words. How amazing is that!

But there is more to the story. There comes a point in every man and woman's life...in fact, it may often happen...that a person realizes one's helplessness. When that happens, the only alternative is to reach out for help. Remember the story about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he asks his father to help him. So, too, Bartimaeus realizes that he cannot solve his own problem. Jesus restores his sight.

But look carefully at that. Yes, Jesus did restore sight to Bartimaeus, but that is not what happened to Jesus in the Garden. Jesus asked for the cup of suffering to pass him by. What the Father gave Jesus was the courage to face the crucifixion.

If Jesus had not cured the blind man, we might have been tempted to say that he couldn't or wouldn't. God always answers our prayers, but the answer may not always be the one we want. After all, God is God, and it is not polite to tell God what to do. Like Bartimaeus, in faith, we reach out to God, and, in faith, we should accept the answer that we receive. We can never say that God did not answer my prayer. Rather, we should always say that God answered my prayer with a response that I never expected! That is a faith answer!! ! There is a prayer/poem often quoted that illustrates this point quite well. It is a text that was found in the pocket of a dead confederate soldier. It reads:

I asked for health, that I might do greater things;

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. . . .

I ask for riches, that I might be happy;

I was given poverty, that I might be wise. . . .

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God. . . .

I ask for all things, that I might enjoy life;

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. . . .

I got nothing I asked for, but everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men most richly blessed.

We do not have all the answers, and we do not always know what is best. However, in faith, we know that our God watches over and protects us. Like Bartimaeus, we may be blind to that fact. Like the crowd in today's gospel, let us be transformed by the words of Jeus. Like Bartimaeus, let us pray that we can see.