OLDER LECTIO DIVINA

“She, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

It’s tough to tithe. Consider how tough it must have been for this poor widow to give all she had to the Temple. What faith it must have taken! Where would she get her next meal? How would she pay her taxes? This is an act of not only giving all her money to God, but all her hope as well. As Christ said, she gave her whole livelihood. She depended on God so much that she believed he would sustain her life. What a far cry my faith is from that of the poor widow. God has always provided for me, especially when I’m generous and charitable. And yet, I still hold back. I still don’t give nearly as much as I should back to him. The poor widow relied on God so completely that she was content to give up whatever she had just to show God her faith and gratitude for sustaining her up to that point. It would be interesting to learn what happened to this widow afterwards. She probably did not receive any great fortune here on earth. It is certain that she stored up great treasures in heaven, though.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Who is this God we shall love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? If I am going to devote myself to him so completely, I ought to know him first. That’s the obstacle I so often stumble upon. I do not know why I should devote everything to him because I don’t know who he is. If I knew him as the Lord of all creation, perhaps then I would see why Jesus is saying what he is saying here. But, despite how much I try to convince myself that I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I simply do not. I put many other loves before him, such as money, my own happiness, and my own will. It’s no wonder I have so much trouble getting to know God, and in turn I have great trouble loving him completely.

Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.  Grateful for his healing, Bartimaeus became a follower of Jesus upon being healed. We can see here that Jesus’ initial calling of Bartimaeus was about more than healing. The blind man’s faith was strong enough to believe Jesus could heal him, and this faith is what Jesus is really looking for. So we can see this story is not about physical healing as much as it is about faith and what it can do. Even faith is a gift, though. When Jesus calls Bartimaeus, he is calling the blind man to put that faith into action by following him. Do I respond the same way when God grants my requests? Do I follow him more closely? Or do I just say, “Thanks, I’ll reach out next time I need something.” Perhaps more importantly, what do I do when he doesn’t grant my requests?

Christ is establishing the kingdom of God, a kingdom where the last shall be first and the first shall be last (Matthew 20:16). A good leader is reluctant to lead because he understands the gravity of the task. That is why popes and other leaders in the Church should never campaign. They are selected by their superiors, who are selected by their superiors, who ultimately ought to be selected by the Holy Spirit. When this practice overflows into the secular realm it is a good thing. A good politician understands that his first duty is to serve the people he represents. Even in monarchies, this ought to be understood. The dawn of Christian civilization, therefore, saw the dwindling of empires where the emperor had absolute power and was often seen as a god, and the rise of monarchies where the king was seen as chosen by God to serve the people as Christ serves and sacrifices for the Church. While Christ may seem to be addressing only his apostles in this passage, the way he led the apostles became the prototype for many civilizations, and the Christian family.

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

This question admits what we’re all after, whether we know it or not, whether we admit it or not. Our hearts cry out for something more than this life and this world. The rich man sensed this need for something more probably more than the average person because he had many possessions and learned firsthand how unfulfilling they ultimately are. He got on his knees and begged Christ to tell him how to obtain something greater. The riches of this life left him empty. How often do I pursue those same riches, saying to myself that they will finally make me happy? How often do they fall short in the end? When God reveals the wonders of his kingdom, the rewards are always greater than the riches of this life. Yet, time and time again I need to be reminded of that. 

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

The teaching about divorce and the story about children are connected, because the natural fruit of marriage is children. If marriage goes as God plans, there will be children. Mark is trying to share with us the beauty of God’s plan. While man may have other plans in mind, Christ shows us how God’s plan is to bring children into the world, because it is through children that we can more easily see the kingdom of God. Last week, Jesus warned us about how detrimental it is for someone to mislead a child, saying, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (Mark 9:42). This week, he is telling us of the glory and wonder in children, putting a bookend to the lesson. In other words, it is so bad to mislead children because they are such a direct link to heaven for us, especially when they are properly led. When we mislead them we sever that link.