First Presbyterian Church Of San Anselmo

Mark 10:46-52: Bartimaeus recognizes that his condition as a blind beggar is not normal, and so he cries out.  The crowd attempts to silence him.  The crowd always has a stake in pretending that something that really is abnormal – in this case, blind begging – is normal, because it means no one has to change.  If being a blind beggar is just normal, then the society doesn’t have to ask, “Why are some people forced to beg in order to survive, while others have more than enough?  Why aren’t we taking steps to fix that?"  The Church is constantly challenged to decide whether to sign on with the silencers or the silence breakers.  This story reminds us that breaking the silence has deep roots in the biblical witness.