Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 137:1 to 6 and Psalm 144; Evening, Psalms 42 and 43;
Exodus 10:21 to 11:8; 2nd Corinthians 4:13 to 18; Mark 10:46 to 52:
“So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10:50)
This is the healing story of blind Bartimaeus son of Timaeus who asks for his sight “again.” This means he once had sight, could see clearly. What is often kind of glossed over is Bartimaeus throwing off his cloak. Think about it, if you are blind you become well aware of keeping up with things so that you can put your hands on them again. I have my sight and still, I lose things all the time, my keys, my phone, my glasses, many things.
Bartimaeus, knowing he has the opportunity to stand (or kneel) before our Lord Jesus, throws off his cloak – his security blanket. He lets go of his “security blanket” knowing that being before Jesus will make all things new. He knew that having the attention of Jesus changes what he values. He wants to see again. Which means, he was once able to see but lost his sight.
The same is true for us today. The only way we can put our whole trust in our Lord Jesus is to let go of false security. Our Lord Jesus asks us today, What is it that we want Him to do for us?
Let us pray:
Dear God, in Whom we put all our hopes and desires, be present with us in our doubts and fears and receive us in our absolute trust in Your goodness. As we witness Your gracious hand at work in our lives, hearts and minds, teach us to through off all false securities and to value Your presence with us as the most important fact of our lives. This we ask in Your most Holy Name; Amen.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 