Available, Ask, Articulate
If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar;
for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
(1 John 4:20)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
If we follow the template outlined by the Apostle Paul, what is important to know about Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection?
With the template in view, many interesting details of Jesus’ public life fall away. We are not, for example, asked to emulate many aspects of his early life that have to do with his Jewish upbringing, although the church may practice traditions that parallel them. Baptism has replaced circumcision; forgiveness and generosity have substituted for temple sacrifices; sacrificial living has emulated his death. Many times Christians have found unique ways to participate in Jesus’ life and ministry.
Still, many of Jesus’ healings, miracles, and exorcisms are simply reported, but others follow a pattern that is worth highlighting. Consider this account of the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus, near Jericho:
“And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, What do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me recover my sight. And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 18:40-42; also: Mark 10:46-52)
Jesus employs a three-way pattern: 1. He makes himself available to the man; 2. He asks the man what he can do; and 3. He articulates an interpretation of the healing. While many of Jesus’ actions are simply reported, this healing is interesting because of what it teaches.
Availability
Jesus made himself available to people in a surprising way, often stopping what he is doing to attend to the needs of individuals. In Jericho, we are told that the blind man is initially begging and had to cry out for Jesus’ attention. When he does, the people around him rebuked him. What does Jesus do? Jesus stops the parade and attends to the needs of the blind man, expressing a surprising willingness to be available.
Robert Wicks (2000, 39-40) sees our willingness to be open and available to others as an important segue to being open to God.
Ask
Ever since I was young, I have marveled as to why Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted him to do. Why would he ask a blind man, if he wanted to be healed?
Being available to people is one thing, valuing them as individuals is another.
Not everyone who visits a doctor wants to be healed. A hypochondriac might just want attention; a single-person might just seek an eligible partner; a poor person mights just look for a handout. The answer to the question may seem obvious to you, but it may not be the answer sought. Jesus was not trying to be cheeky, he sought to affirm the value of the individual by asking the question. We are all created in the image of God, but do we truly act as if that were true when we interact with other people?
Articulate
Not all of Jesus’ healings are in response to faith, as in the case of Bartimaeus. In the case of the widow of Nain whose son had died, the young man did nothing at all to deserve being resurrected—Jesus acted only out of compassion (Luke 7:11-15). In the case of the paralytic, the faith of his friends is noted, but the healing is done: “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” (Mark 2:10)
A cynic might argue that articulating the reason for a healing is simple a matter of spin-control, but the wider point is that miracles, healings, and signs need to be interpreted. Otherwise, the cynics will truly have the final word. As the Apostle Peter reported:
“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Pet 3:15)
We need to bear witness to God when we act out of faith.
References
Wicks, Robert. 2000. Availability: The Spiritual Joy of Helping Others. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company.
Available, Ask, Articulate
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
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