Reflection for Sunday October 27, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 10:46-52

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”  

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

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Reflection:

What would happen if you don’t give up on something that you truly desire? Sooner or later you will have what you want. What would happen if you have strong faith? You will never lose hope no matter the difficulties and challenges that you face in your life. 

In the gospel, we hear of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Due to his blindness, there was no way for him to go to Jesus to ask for His healing touch. Therefore, upon hearing that Jesus was passing by, he shouted his prayer to the Lord: 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.

He was told to keep quiet by those around him, but he did not obey them. Instead, he shouted even louder: 'Son of David, have pity on me.' His persistence immediately bore fruit, as Jesus heard him. The Lord subsequently called him, and after a brief conversation with Jesus, the blind man regained his sight and became His follower.

The healing of the blind man Bartimaeus shows us that there is hope even if we are in the darkest episodes of our lives there is hope. What is important is we do not give up no matter the difficulties so that we keep the fire of hope burning.  

What if Bartimaeus had easily given up? He would not have been healed by the Lord, nor would he have become His follower. Our prayers can move mountains, as long as we never give up on our faith in the Lord.

Do you have a prayer before the Lord? Don’t give up, continue to be persistent and continue to have faith because the good Lord will soon hear you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas