breaking down barriers

Jesus is leaving Jericho,

we've heard of Jericho before,

when Joshua called down the walls.

Jesus is leaving Jericho,

      on his journey towards Jerusalem.

Jesus is leaving Jericho,

      there is a crowd,

      wanting to hear,

      waiting to see what is going to happen next.

And then amid the noise and the people, comes a voice:

      Son of David, have mercy on me.

The crowd don’t want to hear Bartimaeus crying out,

they want to hear Jesus, the travelling teacher.

They are curious,

they have heard stories about him

they want to see him and hear him for themselves.

Even as the crowd tried to silence him,

still Bartimaeus cried out.

I'm reminded of another story,

where a crowd tried to turn people away from Jesus.

Where the crowd tried to protect Jesus from distractions.

Where the crowd thought they were more important than children.

It is only a few weeks ago, that we heard the story of the mothers bringing children to Jesus so that he could bless them.

And Jesus tells the disciples to let the children come to him.

And he calls for Bartimaeus to be brought to him.

Jesus doesn’t consider the children or the blind or the lame or the hurting to be a distraction.

And I wonder who or what tries to silence us?

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Who or what tries to keep us separated from Jesus?

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Jesus told the crowd to bring Bartimaeus to him.

And then he asks the question that he asked James and John in last week’s reading: what do you want me to do for you?

What do you want me to do for you?

I wonder how we would answer that question if Jesus was standing in front of us this morning asking: what do you want me to do for you?

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James and John wanted the seats on the left and right of Jesus when he comes in glory. They wanted to be near the seat of power, not understanding what that meant.

Bartimaeus is blind, it seems obvious what his answer is going to be.

Being blind was part of his identity, it gave him a place in society.

People who were unable to work would beg, and giving money to beggars was considered a part of religious duty.

We don’t know how long Bartimaeus has been blind, so what will he do if he is no longer able to beg?

Jesus doesn't guess what Bartimaeus needs, he doesn't make the decision for him; he asks and he listens.

What do you want me to do for you?

We don’t know what is happening in other people’s lives, but like Jesus we can ask, listen, and honour the person and their story.

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Jesus is leaving Jericho, on his way to Jerusalem.

Jericho the place where the walls came down.

And in this reading I sense another breaking down of barriers.

What are the walls in our life and our community that separate us from God and from each other?

What holds us back from a closer relationship with Jesus?

What stops us crying out to Jesus: Son of David have mercy on me.

While the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho tells us the walls came down with a trumpet blast and shouts, the walls and barriers in our life are removed by the love of Jesus. Just as the curtain in the temple was torn in two at the death of Jesus, so the barriers in our lives are dismantled by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.

Barriers of shame, anger, hurt, oppression, abuse.

Barriers of pride, arrogance, independence.

Jesus is leaving Jericho on the way to Jerusalem, and the walls of hate and fear will come crashing down. The walls that divide us from each other. The walls that separate us from God. The walls we build so that we can pretend.

Being honest with ourselves, and with God, is difficult.

Within each one of us there are things we would rather not notice. There are parts of ourselves that we try and ignore. There are parts of ourselves that we try and hide from others and from God.

I wonder what it would be like if we could be totally honest with God? I wonder what it would be like if we allowed Jesus to break down the barriers that separate us from God and from each other. I wonder what transformation might happen in my life, and in your life, if we answered the question what do you want me to do for you.

Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.