Bartimaeus and Jesus. Focus on Mark 10: n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 October 28, 2018 Proper 25 Semicontinuous Job 42:1 6, Ps. 34:1 8, (19 22) Complementary Jer. 31:7 9 Ps. 126 Heb. 7:23 28 Mark 10:46 52 Bartimaeus and Jesus Goal for the Session Tweens will engage the story of Bartimaeus and identify some voices of those who cry out to Jesus today. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Mark 10:46 52 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, A.K.M. Adam Mark shows us Jesus making the transition from his role as an itinerant healer to the fullness of his identity as the regal Son. The interaction between Jesus and Bartimaeus manifestly invokes both those roles, and Bartimaeus demonstrates persistent reliance specifically upon the Son of David as the one who could restore his sight. In the healing of Bartimaeus, Mark gently affirms Jesus identity as the anointed Son, but Jesus accepts that role by helping a noisy beggar. Together, the healer and the beggar recognize in one another more than the distracting, misguided crowd (or the imperial forces, or the temple establishment) understands: that regal authority comes to divine expression in deliverance, in persistence, in fulfilling the vocation of recognizing and strengthening one another. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Victor McCracken Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the way, a sharp departure from the normal pattern of healing stories in Mark s Gospel, which usually end with Jesus sending the healed away from him with the command to be silent (1:44; 5:19, 37, 43; 7:36; 8:26). At one level the conclusion to the Bartimaeus episode suggests something about the life-altering consequences that accompany the granting of sight. Bartimaeus will accompany Jesus on the way. Having been granted sight, Bartimaeus can do nothing but follow the Messiah who has brought the good news of God s kingdom to bear in such a tangible way. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Cynthia A. Jarvis This story invites us to consider our own ministry to the outsider, the voice silenced by institutional pronouncements. How easy it is to let the manageable needs of a congregation buffer us from those who await word of God s mercy on the margins. When our ministry is marked by encounters with the blind who want to see, the lame who want to walk, the leper who wants to be cleansed, we catch a glimpse of what it must be to come close to Jesus. For through them we hear the word he speaks to us anew. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Lincoln E. Galloway The blind man is portrayed as a model of Christian discipleship. He comes to Jesus and does so by casting aside his cloak. It is quite reasonable to regard his cloak as representing his most treasured possession. It has kept him warm through the cold nights. It may also hold the meager spoils of his begging. In his act of throwing off his cloak, we see the image of one who leaves his former life behind. To those who have always known honor, power, affluence, and prestige, this image reminds us of the transforming effect of the gospel to call forth a life of renunciation and dramatic change. 1

2 Bartimaeus and Jesus FOCUS SCRIPTURE Mark 10:46 52 YOU WILL NEED Color Pack 11, 13, 17, 30 Singing the Feast, ; CD player beads, buttons, or pebbles copies of Resource Sheet 1 from September 16 Bibles copies of Resource Sheet 1 bed sheet or beach towel index cards markers, pens For Responding option 1: Color Pack 17, 31; Singing the Feast, ; CD player option 2: copies of Resource Sheet 2, prepared fabric rectangles, fine-tipped markers, clothesline or twine, clothespins or safety pins; tape (optional) option 3: poster board, newspapers, newsmagazines, scissors, glue sticks, markers Focus on Your Teaching Tweens are still quite dependent on their families. They are also coming to see themselves as individuals with distinct opinions, even as they face peer pressure. They increasingly use their voices to articulate their opinions and needs, though their voices often go unheard or are dismissed. For these reasons, tweens may identify with Bartimaeus needing Jesus help, courageously crying out but unheard by most, and facing a crowd s pressure. As you teach, consider how you attend to tweens distinct voices and assure them that as Jesus heard Bartimaeus s cries, so God hears their voices today. God who hears our cries, hear my prayer. Inspire me as I teach, so that every learner may be heard and loved. Amen. n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, be sure you have learners copies of Resource Sheet 1 from September 16 (The Journey of Jesus in Mark 8 12). Make a few extra copies. If you are doing option 2 in Responding, cut solid, light colors of fabric (an old sheet would work) into rectangles about 8" x 12", one per learner. Welcome each learner. If some arrive early, recruit them to be greeters, welcoming the others. Place Color Pack 13 on a table and gather the group around it. Affirm that God accepts us, and we can tell God how we feel. Give each learner one or two beads, buttons, or pebbles. One at a time, let learners place their beads on the face(s) that best represents how they feel today. (Be sure to save Color Pack 13 and the beads, buttons, or pebbles for use in coming weeks.) Offer this prayer: God, thank you for hearing us when we express how we feel. Help us to listen to one another as well. Amen. Show Color Pack 17, and then pass it around the group. Ask: P How many people would you guess are in this picture? P If you were in this group and needed to get someone s attention, what would you do? P What is the largest crowd you have been in? P When you were in that crowd, how loudly did you have to speak to be heard? Invite volunteers to tell about their experiences, and then explain that today s Bible story is about a man in a big crowd. This man was calling out to Jesus. 2

3 Bartimaeus and Jesus Go to to see pictures of ancient Jericho. You might log onto the Web site during the session to show pictures of Jericho to the group. There are more male than female characters in the Bible. To be fair, encourage girls to read aloud, even when it means reading the role of a male character. EXPLORING Distribute Bibles, learners copies of Resource Sheet 1 from September 16 (The Journey of Jesus in Mark 8 12), and pencils. Ask tweens to help one another find and read Mark 10:46. Ask: P Where are Jesus and the disciples now? Have learners draw a line to Jericho on their sheets. Provide Color Pack 11 so they can check their work. Save the sheets for use in upcoming sessions. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Readers Theater: Mark 10:46 52). Ask for volunteers for the parts of Narrator, Bartimaeus, and Jesus. Tell the remaining learners that they will play the part of the crowd. Give Bartimaeus a sheet or beach towel to fashion a cloak to wear. Remind the group to read as expressively as possible. After learners perform the readers theater, look together at the notes at the bottom of the page. Encourage learners to look at Mark 10:46 52 in their Bibles as you discuss the story. Ask: P Bartimaeus was crying out for Jesus to have mercy on him (v. 47). What does it mean to have mercy on someone? P How do you think Bartimaeus knew about Jesus? How did he know Jesus could help him? P Do you think people usually listened to Bartimaeus? Why or why not? P Why do you imagine the crowd told Bartimaeus to be quiet when he called out to Jesus? P Other people ignored Bartimaeus, but Jesus stopped to listen to him. Why do you think Jesus did that? P Jesus asked Bartimaeus, What do you want me to do for you? (v. 51). How do you imagine Bartimaeus felt when he heard those words? P Bartimaeus asked Jesus to heal his sight, and Jesus did! What does that say about Jesus? P After healing him, Bartimaeus followed Jesus. Why do you think Bartimaeus did so? To help learners identify with Bartimaeus, distribute index cards and ask them to create postcards from Bartimaeus. Imagine Bartimaeus sending a postcard to a friend a few weeks after he regained his sight. The Bible does not say what happened to Bartimaeus after his healing, so encourage creativity. On one side of the card, learners can pretend they are Bartimaeus and write about what happened when he met Jesus and what he did next. On the reverse side, they can draw a picture depicting Jericho or Jesus and the crowd. Let those who wish to do so show their creations to the group. Say: Bartimaeus cried for Jesus to help him, even when others told him to be silent, and Jesus stopped and listened to him. P Who listens to you? P Who in our world today might be crying out to God for help? P What might happen if we listen to their cries? 3

4 Bartimaeus and Jesus Kum Ba Yah EASY PREP Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! O Lord, kum ba yah! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! O Lord, come by here! Jesus went about doing good; Jesus went about doing good. He told everyone God is love; God cares for you. RESPONDING Mark the activities you will use: 1. Sing An old song that expresses people s cries to God is Kum Ba Yah, which means Come by here. Listen to Kum Ba Yah (Color Pack 31; track 10 on Singing the Feast, ). Ask learners to imagine Bartimaeus singing this song, and then to imagine people today who cry out to God, or things that people ask God for. Ask volunteers to tell about what they imagine. Show Color Pack 17 again, and ask learners to imagine a huge crowd singing this song with them. Then sing the song together once more, keeping in mind the people named. 2. Prayer Flags To express cries to God, make colorful prayer flags, using the directions on Resource Sheet 2 (Prayer Flags). After all have pinned their prayers on the clothesline, tape or tie the clothesline up so the prayer flags hang. Ask each learner to stand under his or her prayer. Explain that the group will pray its prayers aloud, all at the same time, trusting that God hears every prayer. Indicate when the learners should begin to pray aloud. Close with a joint Amen. Ask permission to hang this line of flags somewhere in the church building and post a sign with it explaining its purpose and origin. 3. Needs Collage To help learners think more about the cries of people around the world, distribute newspapers and newsmagazines. Form pairs to find and cut out headlines, pictures, or articles that suggest a need in the world. Afterward, ask each pair to present their findings and to glue them on a piece of poster board that says, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us! After all have posted their findings, pray for the needs represented on the board by saying together, Your people cry to you, O God. Have mercy on us. Amen. CLOSING Gather the group and sing Let Us Love One Another (Color Pack 30; track 11 on Singing the Feast, ). Let Us Love One Another Let us love one another. God is love and loves us all. One that knows not love knows not God above. So, beloved, let us love one another. Let us love our neighbors. God is love and loves us all. One that knows not love knows not God above. So, beloved, let us love one another. Direct learners to spread out all around your meeting space. To review the session, ask volunteers to name details from the story of Bartimaeus. Every time a detail is named, everyone in the group can take one step toward the center of the space. Everyone must reach the center! Once the group is bunched together in the middle, ask if there are any special prayer requests and encourage everyone to listen carefully. Then direct learners to place their hands on one another s shoulders. Close with this prayer or one of your own: Gracious God, thank you for hearing our cries, even when no one else hears or notices us. Help us to stop and listen to others, as Jesus stopped and listened to Bartimaeus. Amen. 4

5 October 28, 2018 Bartimaeus and Jesus Tweens Resource Sheet 1 R dрs Th tр: Mark 10:46 52 Bartimaeus: They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Many sternly ordered him to be quiet... Crowd: Bartimaeus: Jesus: Crowd: Jesus: Bartimaeus: Jesus: (Crowd makes up lines telling Bartimaeus to be quiet.)... but he cried out even more loudly, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus stood still and said, Call him here. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Take heart; get up, he is calling you. So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, What do you want me to do for you? The blind man said to him, My teacher, let me see again. Jesus said to him, Go; your faith has made you well. Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. Notes: Jericho: Jericho was a thriving city in Jesus time. Jericho was north of the Dead Sea and to the west of the Jordan River. Can you think of other Bible stories that take place in Jericho? (Joshua 6 tells of an important one!) Son of David: Son of David meant one who was descended from King David. People expected the Messiah to be a descendant of King David. Can you think of other titles that people gave Jesus? (Hint: Bartimaeus uses another title for Jesus in this story.) 2018 Westminster John Knox Press

6 October 28, 2018 Bartimaeus and Jesus Tweens Resource Sheet 2 Pr р F gs In many places around the world, people write prayers on flags. When the flags blow in the wind, they represent prayers being carried to heaven. To make a prayer flag: 1. Choose a rectangle of colored fabric and a fine-tipped marker. 2. Think of a need that you have or a need you know of in the world. (Examples: a family member who is sick; a friend who is having problems; children who are hungry; endangered animals; places where there is no clean water). 3. Write a prayer to God on the fabric. Begin, Dear God, I cry out to you for... and fill in your prayer. End the prayer with Amen. 4. Attach your prayer flag to a clothesline or twine by folding the top edge of the fabric over the line and securing it with safety pins or clothespins. Now your prayer flag has joined the prayers of many others. God hears our cries! 2018 Westminster John Knox Press