Tim's son was blind, unemployed, and reduced to begging by the side of the road. Even th0ugh he was blind and adrift, he wasn't completely unaware of important events going on around him.
Now this sounds very familiar to us today, but it's an ancient story. Tim's full name was Timaeus, and the family was Jewish, living in Judaea at the time of Jesus, so his son went by the moniker Bar Timaeus (Bar being the Jewish equivalent of the Irish/Scots Mac). The road wasn't the Bell Road offramp of I-17, for example, but the road between Jerusalem and Jericho (a fewer lanes and no on/off ramps). But he still had a physical challenge, he was still unemployed, and still dependent upon the charity of strangers.
Still sound familiar?
In this story, Jesus heals Bar Timaeus' blindness, removing his challenge and presumably clearing all sorts of obstacles, but there is much more to the story, both particular to Bar Timaeus and particular to our own spiritual lives.
First, Bar Timaeus wasn't content to remain in a state of permanent victimhood, and when Jesus came by, he tried to reach out as best as he could, shouting into a crowd and perhaps not pointed in quite the right direction. The kicker is people tried to shush him, trying to keep this blind beggar out of the Lord's way and interfering with what was going on.
Second, despite the obstacles, Jesus heard Bar Timaeus' plea for mercy, and He healed his blindness.
Third, upon regaining his sight, Bar Timaeus got up and followed Jesus. Not got up and continued his old life in Jericho, not got up and began a whirlwind tour of the known world, not got up and began a high-powered career in Jerusalem. No, he got up and did what was likely the most financially unrewarding action and followed Jesus. He became a disciple.
Now that's gratitude...
Let us consider what this story means for us, and what the Evangelist wants us to do with this passage. Part of each of us needs to identify with Tim's son, knowing our blindness, our groping in darkness, our spiritual benightedness. Part of each of us also needs to realize we are trying misguidedly to hush those crying out to the Son of God for mercy. Instead of trying to hush the blind around us asking for God's mercy we should be joining with them, and listening to hear the Master calling for us.
We need also to trust Him. It was Bar Timaeus' faith that healed the blindness. It was faith that removed the cobwebs and shadows that clouded his vision. Likewise, it is faith that will clear our vision, to behold the Son and in Him the likeness of the Father.
But that is not enough. No, like Bar Timaeus we need once we can see begin to follow Jesus and become His disciples. The vision is only the beginning. The rest of the journey is to follow the Master's teaching and to continually grow into the salvation and healing offered to us. Recovery from blindness takes a while. Shapes must be relearned, perspective reperceived; we must relearn to distinguish colour, to judge size and proximity, and in our spiritual lives it is no different. Recovery needs a guide, and our Master is our guide in our spiritual recovery.
Yes, there will be stubbed toes and face-plants, derailments and gaffes, but our Lord is there ready to guide us back on the path if we but follow HIm. So let's not wallow in blindness and impede others from escaping the shadows. Let us instead open our eyes and follow Him Who is our Light.
