Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 25 October 2015, Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost, by Dr. Kung Lap Yan. The scripture readings that day were MK. 10:46-52.

According to the Protestant tradition, today (Oct 25, 2015) is the Reformation Sunday. It would be the 500^th anniversary of Reformation in the year 2017. What are the meanings of Reformation for today? The Lutheran World Federation suggests ‘Human Beings- Not for Sale’ as one of the themes to commemorate this event, and this is the theme we are going to explore today.

The gospel that we have heard in this morning is about a blind beggar named Bartimaeus being healed by Jesus. Once he is blind, but now he sees. Would you consider to invite him to speak at your church if he lived here and now? If yes, what would you like him to speak on today, the Reformation Sunday? There are two approaches. The first approach is to focus on Jesus’ miracle and Bartimaeus’ recovery of sight, and the chief targeted audiences are non-Christians. First, some churches would probably invite Bartimaeus to speak at an evangelistic meeting (something like Billy Graham’s crusade) and to share his experience of being healed so that more people might be converted to Christ. Second, some Christian organizations would probably design a marketing strategy to reframe Bartimaeus’ story into a very moving story. These two practices are commonly found among churches in Hong Kong. A recent example is Nick Vujicic. His crippled condition with his faith in God is a theme used by the churches to propagandize Jesus Christ.

The second approach to Bartimaeus’ story is to focus on his rich experience of faith and the challenges to Christians and non-Christians. First, it is a story about the tension between Bartimaeus and those quieting his voice. The Bible does not give details here. We are not sure whether anyone is on the side of Bartimaeus and stops those quieting him, and whether anyone directs Jesus to Bartimaeus’ voice. However, Bartimaeus’ keeping on crying out loudly does not necessarily imply everyone should fight for one’s own destiny, but rather we should stop those quieting Bartimaeus, and even be the voice of the voiceless. In this sense, Bartimaeus’ experience challenges us whether we can be a voice of the voiceless. I am pleased to know that KUC supports the asylum seekers, overseas domestic helpers and the church of one body in Christ.

Second, Bartimaeus' experience is a story moving from sitting by the roadside (v.46) to following Jesus (v.52).  After being healed, Bartimaeus no longer sits by the roadside, for he can travel freely, and even may be able to earn his living on his effort. However, Bartimaeus chooses to follow Jesus. Why does he choose to follow Jesus? Does he believe that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah (v.48)? Does he want to join Jesus' healing ministry to bring sight to the blind? Or does following Jesus provide him friendship and food? We do not know. However, one of the main differences between sitting by the roadside and following Jesus is about the meaning of life. I am not saying that following Jesus is more meaningful than sitting by the roadside, but sitting by the roadside would never be the purpose of life. Following Jesus is not the necessary result of the recovery of sight. Neither is the following Jesus the purpose of Jesus’ healing.  Jesus’ healing does not stop at physical recovery, and it invites us to reframe our life.

Third, there is a tension between Bartimaeus’ longing for God’s mercy (v.48) and longing for power expressed in the argument of who sits left and right at Jesus’ glory among apostles (MK 9: 36ff). It is not the accountability and responsibility that the apostles are concerned, but greedy and pride. Therefore, if it is accountability that motivates, there is nothing wrong to look for the appointment of the post of pro-vice-chancellor at the University of Hong Kong. Apparently, Bartimaeus is more ‘Christian’ than the apostles, but don’t forget that the apostles in their early stage of following Jesus are longing for God’s mercy also. What makes them shift their focus from longing for God’s mercy to longing for power? This is a very existential question to Christian leaders in whatever sense. A recent example is Pastor Kong Hee, Spring Harvest Church in Singapore. The story of Bartimaeus brings us back to the basic of our faith.

Fourth, it is definitely the power and grace of Jesus Christ that makes Bartimaeus able to see. But Jesus said to him, ‘Go, your faith has made you well.’ (v. 52) Does our faith have a role to play in our salvation? If Bartimaeus did not raise his voice, he might miss the chance to be healed. If it was not his faith in Jesus’ mercy, he would not cry for help. On the other hand, if Jesus did not respond to Bartimaeus, nothing could be happened. Due to this, there is a very common saying among Christians, ‘I do the best, God do the rest.’ I don’t think it is about the division of labour between God and humans. Rather I would say God is pleased to know we have faith in him, and let’s pray to God, grant us faith in his mercy.

At the beginning, I have suggested that there are two approaches to think about Bartimaeus’ story. The first emphasis is on the miracle and his recovery of sight. The second emphasis is on his exposure in faith. These two approaches are not in contradiction. If Bartimaeus was invited to speak on the Reformation Sunday, which approach would you take? I would take the second approach, for the richness and struggles of Bartimaeus’ life is acknowledged and embraced, not being reduced to a single theme. At the same time, Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus reflects that human dignity would never be denounced due to one’s poverty, illness and social status. This is the meaning of Human Beings, not for Sale.