‘The eye is the lamp of the body’ (Mt 6:22). One becomes blind when this light turns dark for him. But the Bible tells us about a person who could see even after losing his vision. His name is Bartimaeus. He was sitting by the road going out of Jericho, expecting alms from those passing by. It was then that those who were going with Jesus – all of them blessed with clear vision in their eyes- told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Bartimaeus could not join that crowd, but he shouted out saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’ (Mk 10:47). When the crowd started rebuking him, he cried out even more loudly. ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’
Why did Bartimaeus regain his sight? In a sense his prayer resembled the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane, where we see a Jesus who prayed more earnestly during his hours of anguish (Lk 22:44). When all doors are closed before us, and we start asking why God is not inclined to listen to our petitions, our only way out is to pray more earnestly.
When our physical eyes turn blind our inner eyes get opened. This is why Bartimaeus, who never saw Jesus with his eyes, identified him as the Son of David, when all those who saw Jesus with their eyes, called him Jesus from Nazreth. The term ‘Son of David’ tells everything because Israelites knew that it denoted none other than the Savior whom they were expecting for centuries. Bartimaeus was one among a lucky few who could identify Jesus as the Lord during his lifetime.
Jesus was aware of the difference between what men see with their physical eyes and what they see with their inner eyes when he said; ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind’ (Jn 9:39). It is a warning to those who, even after accepting the gospel, either ignore or fail to appreciate the divinity in the person of Jesus Christ. A true warning to those who think they do see, but are actually blind! For them Jesus’ advice is to buy salve from him to anoint their eyes so that they may see’ ( Rev 3:18).
It was Jesus Christ, the true light which enlightens everyone (Jn 1:9), who revealed the Father dwelling in unapproachable light (1 Tim 6:16) to us. The light that opened the inner eyes of Bartimaeus was the same light that shines in the darkness (Jn 1:5). We know that darkness will never overcome the light of Jesus (Jn 1:5). When that eternal light illuminated the inner eyes of a blind man he realized Jesus as his Savior. His words were an echo of what Peter would say when confronted with the question as to the true identity of Jesus; ‘But who do you say that I am?’ (Mt 16:15).
Let us pray for the grace to confess Jesus as ‘the Messiah, the Son of the living God’ (Mt 16:16). May God open our inner eyes to this eternal truth.
