Friday, November 17, 2006

Bartimaeus

A few weeks ago Visions visited Acomb and did a morning service. The theme was Bartimaus and we did it cafe-style. We had
some discussion questions and a number of prayer stations to visit afterwards. Anyway here was the story, which we kept short, so we would have time for the questions and prayer-stations.


My name is Bar-Timaus, the Son of Timaus, and once upon a time I could see. Before I was struck blind. Now I have to grope around Jericho, trying to beg a living by the roadside at the gate. It is so degrading, so embarrasing, I used to love my job, but now I can do nothing but beg, but I’m not even very successful at that. You see as well as being struck blind, I seem to have become invisible. Noone wants to go anywhere near me. I hear their voices, “Shh! Don’t let him know we’re near. He’ll only ask us for money.” But you see, I need money. We don’t have a welfare state or benefits to help us. I need to beg to eat.

But I still had some friends, and they told me the stories of the healer man, the one we all hoped would be the messiah, the Son of David, the rescuer. And I wanted to meet him more than anyone. I was desperate.

Then one day, I heard the commotion, and knew that my chance had finally come. I called his name. "Jesus!". Then I added the Messiah-title that I hoped was true. "Son of David!" Surely he would prick up his ears at that. But no-one listened to me. They kept telling me to shut up. They wanted me to disappear, to stop being a nuisance. But how could I possibly let slip a chance like this. "Jesus!!! Son of David, Have mercy on me!” Once more I was ignored, and pushed to one side. I couldn’t work out where he was from the voices, and noone would let me near him. I cried out all the louder. "JESUS!!!!!! SON OF DAVID, HELP MEEEEEE!"

Then finally, just as my heart had sunk, thinking I had missed my once in a lifetime chance, I heard a whisper in my ear, from a friendly voice.
"Take heart. Get up. He is calling you.”
I threw off my cloak in excitement and sprang up, but I wasn’t sure which was to turn. The owner of the voice took my hand, and gently guided me to where he was standing. And then there came the question.
“ What do you want me to do for you?”
There I was standing before him, with a stick, groping in the dark, but he didn’t make assumptions. He valued me enough to ask me what I thought, to listen to my voice. I was moved to tears with the wonder of it.
“My teacher. Let me see again,”I found myself replying.
And as he spoke the reply, telling me to go and that my faith had made me well, my vision cleared and I saw his face. The face of the Messiah who would save us all. And his face was smiling.