The Rev. Josh Shipman The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B/Track2, 2015 Mark 10:46-52

Transcription

1 The Rev. Josh Shipman The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B/Track2, 2015 Mark 10:46-52 Yes, I'm bein' followed by a moon shadow Moon shadow, moon shadow Leapin' and hoppin' on a moon shadow Moon shadow, moon shadow And if I ever lose my eyes If my colors all run dry Yes, if I ever lose my eyes Ooh, I won't have to cry no more Yes, I'm bein' followed by a moon shadow Moon shadow, moon shadow Leapin' and hoppin' on a moon shadow Moon shadow, moon shadow Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light "Oh, did it take long to find me And are you gonna stay the night? " 1 I guess you would call it my first real vacation. Sure, I had been on a handful of family vacations, but most of those could have had their own listing in the DSM as some kind of disorder. It was just my friend Christopher and me. We were going to the mountains (or what I might call hills) of Sewanee, Tennessee. We hopped in my big green Oldsmobile, 1 1

2 stopped by the University of Mississippi s Athletic Department to have a kayak strapped to the roof and headed off. Our misadventures began right away. It started with a few small drops of water, which upon being ignored turned into a pond in the floorboard some air conditioning hose disconnected. Picture it. We re driving down the highway, and Christopher is using a Styrofoam bowl to bail water out of the floorboard. And then, it started to rain. And it got dark. And Christopher fell asleep while I took a wrong turn somewhere in Alabama or Tennessee. Our 6 hour trip became a 10 or 11 hour one. But we made it. Alive, even. Let me tell you, if you ever want to walk onto the Harry Potter set go the Sewanee, The University of the South. Straight Outta England. It s amazing. When I walked into the chapel I immediately knelt down 2

3 before the Altar and prayed. I d never seen such beauty. The next evening, it was time to go for a hike. Now, I know you can t tell from looking at me, but I m not exactly what you would call a rugged outdoorsman. I was less than thrilled about this hike, but I went. And it got worse. It started to get dark and we were still in the woods. And I remembered, all of a sudden, every news item I d ever seen about hikers getting lost in the woods. But on we journeyed, it was dark, Christopher had a flashlight, and I trailed along behind, I couldn t see him very clearly he looked like a tree walking. But I could stay oriented on him by his song, I m being followed by a moonshadow, moonshadow moonshadow. 3

4 We made it out. Again, alive. And then went on to more daring things, like white water rafting we told the rental place that I was an old pro. I d never rafted in my life. Then, too soon, came the final morning. It was raining again, more specifically, in the tent. So, I got up, and went to sit in my car. I turned on the radio, and Elvis Return to Sender came on, and, much to my surprise, I sat in the car and wept. Very uncharacteristic of me. So I thought, Oh, great, and now I ve lost my mind. I did, years later, pass a rather extensive psychological exam, as part of the priesthood process, just so you know I ve had years and years to unpack that moment, 4

5 and truthfully, am still unpacking it. Here is what I think: I had this little taste of freedom, this experience of beauty, where I not only discovered the world, and freedom, but discovered things about myself, an epiphany, if you will. But, then, I had to drive that slippery road back down the mountain and return to my everyday life. And sure enough, once I got home, I got a phone call from an angry family member calling me Mr. Rockerfeller with my fancy vacation. Basically accusing me of living the good life while this person hadn t been on a vacation in 10 years or so. Some people feed off of the misery of others and are repelled by their joy. Those were some tough years. Son of David, Have mercy on me. (long pause) When Bartimaeus eyes were opened and he could finally see people recoil in horror at his beggars appearance or, worse yet, not even look at him at all, how did he feel? 5

6 It seems to me, amateur Jungian that I am, that everything has a shadow side to it. Both the good things that happen to us and the bad. But pay attention to what s going on in Mark s Gospel. The story of Bartimaeus is important for several reasons. You may not know it, but Mark drops a little hint about this in the text. The Gospel reads Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, but that s a redundancy Bartimaeus literally means son of Timaeus. the Greek is basically saying, Son of Timaeus, son of Timaeus. Could the Gospel author be trying to capture the reader s attention with this bit of weirdness? And Why? The story of Bartimaeus actually acts as a frame in this part of the Gospel. Two chapters earlier, some people bring to Jesus a blind man to be healed, but the healing doesn t take at first. Jesus asks him if he can see anything, and he says, I can see people, but they look like trees, walking. 6

7 So, Jesus puts his hands on him again, and is vision is restored. But the story of Bartimaeus isn t a story of Jesus perfecting his skills and getting it right the first time, It acts as a bookend. Look what happens between the trees walking story and the Bartimaeus story. We have story after story of the disciples and would-be disciples not being able to see. Get behind me, Satan, Jesus says to Peter. You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? he says to the crowds. Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God, he says after the rich man goes away in sorrow. Everybody trying to look, goes blind. But we have this blind man, who can see! And we encounter, in this Gospel lesson, once again, that all-important phrase that I ve talked about in previous sermons: the way. 7

8 Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. And what is this way? The very next chapter in Mark s Gospel, immediately following this pericope (or section) Jesus enters Jerusalem. And we know what happens there. This blind man who can see, follows Jesus to the Cross. And how did he prepare for this journey? So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. How much extra clothing do you think a beggar had? He took what may have been his only possession, and tossed it aside. And followed. The opposite, in every way, of the man with many possessions. In writing about his song Moonshadow, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) says, "I was on a holiday in Spain. I was a kid from the West End (of London) - bright lights, et cetera. I never got to see the moon 8

9 on its own in the dark, there were always streetlamps. So there I was on the edge of the water on a beautiful night with the moon glowing, and suddenly I looked down and saw my shadow. I thought that was so cool, I'd never seen it before." 2 What is it like to see, again, for the first time? My friends, if Bartimaeus, after meeting Christ, saw the scornful gaze of the powerful elite, such vision paled in comparison with gazing upon the one who is the Way. How different my life might have been, if in that moment, so many years ago, when I was lost in the woods, I let go of my concerns and reveled in my moon shadow. 2 Wikipedia contributors, "Moonshadow (song)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed October 24, 2015). 9

10 How different my life would be, still, today, if I would simply cast off my cloak, let every anxiety fall on the ground, spring up, and simply follow Jesus on the way, True, there is a grisly cross, but its shadow is a brilliant light. Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light "Oh, did it take long to find me And are you gonna stay the night? In times of darkness, pray for the light. Works Consulted