In all the gospels, in all the scriptures, there is perhaps no better spokesman for our human condition than blind Bartimeaus, sitting beside the road from Jericho to here. He asks for more than alms, for more than a handout. He cries aloud, again and again “Master, I want to see…”
This gospel has a touching moment that no other gospel has. In the middle of the story, we hear, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” It is one of those beautifully human moments that Mark frequently has. Mark’s Jesus is very human: he gets angry and exasperated and loses his “cool.” And, here, he looks at a person and loves him – a deeply human response.
Today we hear the exciting episode where children are brought to Jesus “that he might touch them.” The disciples rebuke the parents; Jesus rebukes the disciples. He takes the little ones into his arms, blesses them, and issues a stern warning to his closest friends: “If you do not receive the kingdom of God like a child, you will not enter it.” The episode is crucial for every one of us in the church today.