"What do you want me to do for you?"

One of the major themes of Mark’s gospel is discipleship.  The gospel writer presents us with a series of portraits of discipleship.  Running through the whole narrative we have the lumbering, awkward, dense starts and stops of the apostles.  Who, like in yesterday’s gospel, don’t seem to understand what Jesus is saying or doing, even though they are faithfully following him.  Although they follow him, they don’t seem to understand where he is leading them, or what it will require of them.

Deaf to his comments about his having to suffer and die and rise, and deaf to how they have to do the same, they keep arguing about who will be greatest in the kingdom.

But into that story, Mark interjects characters who are very different from the continuous narrative of the apostles.  

Neg: We have the young man who wanted to know what he had to do to be saved…but Jesus loved him, and called him beyond that simple hope, towards full discipleship, but he let his wealth stand in the way.  And walked away sad.

Pos: And Mark gives us a few women, a roman centurion, and a blind street beggar.  These people step forward out of the crowd and demonstrate deep faith, and Mark contrasts them against the fumbling apostles.

If you remember, yesterday, while James and John are ignoring Jesus prediction of his death and resurrection they ask Jesus “Teacher, (*notice) we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  And Jesus replies, “What do you want me to do for you?”  And they ask to rule in his kingdom.  Missing the whole point.

Today, Jesus asks Blind Bartimaeus the same exact question, “What do you want me to do for you?”

But Bartimaeus answers, “Master, I want to see!”  Jesus gave him sight and he “followed on the way”  which is code for understanding and following Jesus—who is the way.  In asking to see Bartimaeus is requesting much more than physical sight.  He is asking to see as Jesus sees.  To want what Jesus wants.  To desire what Jesus desires.  

Such a huge difference!  “What do you want me to do for you?”

·        “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

·        “Master, I want to see!”

Make no mistake, Jesus asks of us, today in this Eucharist, the same question.  “What do you want me to do for you?”    How do you answer?  What do you want?  For him to do whatever you want?  Or to see as he sees, and want what he wants?