Seeing the story of Blind Bartimaeus with new eyes:
INSIGHTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AGENCIES
Introduction
The Gospel story of ‘Blind Bartimaeus’ holds several lessons for social justice agencies (NGO’s, churches, faith-based organisations) in the way we approach and do our work. The story joins Jesus coming from Jordan and passing through the city of Jericho with his disciples on their way to Jerusalem where they meet a man blind from birth called Bartimaeus.
Mark 10:46–52
46 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.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 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.”
50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
51 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.”
52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
1. Recognising People and Places.
Understanding Gospel stories requires us to take note of the context and key people engaging with Jesus and his disciples. In this story, the place is the ancient city of Jericho, which in Hebrew means a place of fragrance. Wherever Jesus went, He brought fragrance to places of pain, poverty and injustice by His presence. Social justice agencies also can bring this fragrant hope into stinking, rotten spaces where systemic injustice has eroded the natural ecology of human relations.
The main character in this story is Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus which in Hebrew has two root meanings. The first is ‘unclean’ and the second is ‘honour’. In this name is the intersection of two identities: one that is obvious at face value judgment of a man blind from birth. Culturally, he would have been considered cursed, unclean, despised, outcast and defiled. Yet in this same root name is the name of the true son, who is a son of honour, respect, dignity and worthiness, which must be discovered and reclaimed. His worth is apart from his disability — its an inherent human right.
This is the work of social justice agencies — creating a compassionate space for the unclean to become people of honour. This is a powerful gift to humanity, and It is an immense privilege to be a part of the transformation of individuals, communities and societies. The starting point for social agencies is this vision of knowing that what we see is only a distorted manifestation of creation. Beyond this obvious face of injustice in all its ugliness is a divine beauty waiting to be unlocked. Its always there and those who can see beyond the surface pain, suffering and evil in the world become like the disciples of Christ — agents of change. It requires moving from an understanding of disability as a defective medical condition to explaining discrimination as a social construction to ultimately fighting for the rights of the disabled as a human right to dignity and respect — in the image of God.
2. Listening to the Cries for Help
As a society, we are called to respond to cries for help which come in a myriad of voices: from the poor, marginalised, victims of abuse, people crying for a better life. We also respond to the cries of human rights defenders and justice activists. Like the Jericho people, society tries to silence the voice of those crying out. This silencing comes through shame and guilt at interpersonal levels. The hearers want those that are crying out to take responsibility for their condition, distancing themselves in judgements of sin, moral failing and irresponsibility. Why should we make your problem ours?
It also comes through social ostracization and rebuke, demanding social conformity. When people are different from us, when we do not have the capacity to integrate diversity without feeling fear and anger, the easiest is to force people to become like us or be hidden so we do not have to face the raw discomfort of seeing those wanting our attention.
The silencing rebuke also comes through the systematic clamping down of the media and voices of justice agencies who are harassed and often shut down. All around the world, powerful people and systems have opposed the work of human rights defenders who threaten their fragile power base. Social justice activists confronting systems of injustice pay the ultimate price of torture and death having the courage of their convictions.
For others, shutting out the voices of those crying for help may come from a place of compassion fatigue. There is a high incidence of stress and burnout amongst caregivers and social activists who have given of themselves without proper self-care and replenishment. For some this excessive giving off self is embedded in a saviour mindset; for others the motivation for entering social justice work may lead to cognitive and emotional dissonance when they experience a disconnect with their input and the change they want to see which is out of their control. These burned-out people want to shut out these shouting voices.
3. Oppressed by Systemic Fear
The very people that tried to silence Timaeus are the ones who have a change of heart and encourage him to approach the Rabbi. What happened? The more the people silenced him, the more Timaeus shouted out. All around the world we see poor, marginalised and oppressed people acting on their agency for change. When they see possibilities for hope and transformation in the symbols of social justice organisations, they speak up and ‘shout’ for the help they need seeing new possibility. The people that rebuked the blind man to be silent, experience a change themselves in their attitude and subsequent action now encouraging Timaeus not to be afraid of approaching Jesus. What happened?
Encouraged by the affirmation and reaching out of Jesus, the people become empowered through participating in the work of Christ. They become converted advocates of the transformational cause. For this change to happen they needed to be set free from their fear of siding with the marginalised; from their fear of inaction and impotence. Similarly, there are many people that are standing by on the sidelines who have the potential to be converted from being detractors based on fear and lack of awareness to become conscientized partners in social change. Jesus action of reaching out to blind Timaeus was also an act of reaching out to the people on the margins of inaction, fear and cynicism.
4. Partnership & Advocacy for Change
When Timaeus comes into Jesus presence, Jesus sees him for who he really is. Although the travelling party is passing through, Jesus stops, makes time and brings Timaeus into his compassionate gaze. He is not just a number, a social action project, a deliverable or a picture in the annual report. He is witnessed by Jesus in his fullness as a human being. This is the gift of social justice work that sees people more than project statistics accounted for in donor reports. Jesus sees Timaeus.
As was his usual custom, before undertaking any compassionate and justice action, Jesus always invites the person he is engaging with to join with him. Timaeus is not treated as a recipient of divine power in the anonymous passing touch of Jesus. Timaeus is invited by Jesus to move from being a helpless victim and recipient to becoming a partner in his healing and transformation. This is the power of the Gospel (good news). Social agencies that see the people they serve as partners and not beneficiaries invoke a deep-rooted agency which leads to personal and social responsibility. Jesus does it in his classical question “what do you want?”
In a seeming callous way, Jesus seeing a blind man shouting for help still insists on asking him what he wants. To the contrary, this is an expression of humility and servanthood. To all those in the crowd, the man’s need for sight is obvious. Yet in Jesus’ asking, he engages the man at a psycho-spiritual level inviting a deeper awareness and consciousness. The man is socially defined by his disability yet Timaeus is much more than his physical impediment.
Social justice agencies that see people holistically have the potential of bringing individual and social transformation. There are a host of social justice issues that need attention. It is sad to see social justice agencies surgically dissecting people and communities according to donor-funded criteria. This isolated attention misses the power of an intersectional, holistic and systemic approach. This is the gift of advocacy which raises up voices that speak on behalf of and with the poor and marginalised.
Advocacy goes beyond compassionate acts of service delivery that meet the immediate need, giving much-needed aid, building infrastructure and providing essential services. Advocacy addresses systemic issues getting to the root causes of injustice and oppression. When the root is cut off — evil can bear no fruit. This was Jesus ultimate mission as he challenged the religious and political authorities of his day. He was advocating for a new kingdom of grace, love and justice. This required an active pushing against powerful people and institutions that diminished the dignity of people.
‘What do you want” recognises community agency in shaping and co-creating the change that they desire — not what is imposed on them. In this way, social justice work moves from being instrumental, in doing good work as an end in itself. Instead of being determined by the people for the people. The people and agencies who determine and define what is needed express their ‘power over’ others albeit in a benevolent way. “We know what is good for them”. This has been the dominant colonial NGO mindset embedded in patriarchy — saving the poor and oppressed from their unfortunate conditions.
5. Ethical Contribution & Attribution
In this story after Jesus engages Timaeus, understanding his specific need and desire to be able to see, he is healed. This is not a magical act imposed by the powerful on the less powerful. Jesus recognises and publicly acknowledges the faith of Timaeus in his zealous desire to be healed. In the story, as an act of entrusting himself to Jesus, Timaeus jumps up in anticipatory faith throwing off his most expensive garment — his cloak. His whole identity was wrapped up in this which he gives up discovering in his nakedness a newness of being.
Jesus doesn’t take absolute divine credit for the healing. There is a powerful clarity that Jesus brings to his mission, not distracted by popular accolades or even the strategic fantasies of disciples in building a great organisation. He is not driven by fear or favour. This clarity and security of mission allows Jesus to genuinely acknowledge that Timaeus’ healing was a participatory process. He came into the divine mystery of healing as a willing agent of faith. Jesus confirms his healing by simply saying “ Go -your faith has made you well.”
6. Sustainable Change & Impact
Jesus healing ministry was not an end in itself. He came to save the sick, lost, oppressed and those in bondage. For what and so what? Their healing was the platform for a deeper, maturing faith journey that would lead to progressive growth, self-sustainability and witness to others of God’s love and grace. A biblical understanding of wholeness (salvation) is bringing people to live fully in the image of God. In the Christian tradition, this faith journey is called discipleship. It requires a followership, as participation as part of a transformational journey with others in the Kingdom of God.
Timaeus does not heed the instruction of Jesus after he is healed. Jesus says to him to go back to his place and people. Instead, Timaeus immediately follows Jesus as one of his new disciples. In a short engagement, the blind beggar is transformed into becoming a disciple of Christ. Timaeus did not know what he was signing up for. The Jerusalem mission would be the ultimate act of social and human justice and sacrifice in the death of Christ.
Social justice activism is not an end in itself. We are called to be mindful of the social, economic and political context that our social partners most often return to. What does our help mean for them in a wider systemic context? How do we partner with those we assist to be better equipped to deal with their contextual issues and in them also becoming agents of change? How do we do this in a wise and compassionate way so that the marginalised and oppressed don’t feel burdened or guilty to make good of the benefit they receive?
What if our partners could replicate their powerful experiences of social justice into the spaces, they find themselves a part of? This requires a ‘discipleship’ model of capacity building so the network of change agents can be expanded in contextually relevant ways and staying true to the mission of social justice. This culture of ‘paying it forward’ breaks the bondages of entitlement and dependency.
The social agency becomes both a hospital for emergency care, healing and therapy as well as being a training centre of those healed to bring healing to others. Jesus taught us that both the acts of compassion and mercy as well as social activist capacity building and empowerment are necessary for sustainable justice impact. May His Kingdom come.
