Greg Friedman, OFM

Scripture scholars suggest that this chapter of Mark reflects in part the chaotic times in which Mark’s community lived—perhaps in the midst of Roman persecution. Christians must have wondered if the end was near.

It’s important for each of us in the community to share generously in order for our local Church—as well as the global Church—to do the work of the Kingdom.

In our world if we focus on God first, then on loving others because of our relationship with God, we’ll have our priorities straight. And then we can properly evaluate everything else.

Like Bartimaeus, each of us is a person with some degree of faith. Like him, we want to see. Our deepest wishes, our courage when we take a risk, are all inside of us like they were in Bartimaeus.

The humanness of the disciples gives us hope that God will work in our lives and will patiently remind us–as Jesus does today–that true greatness comes through serving others.

To take the risk of letting go in a society that promotes “conspicuous consumption”, is indeed an impossible task without God’s help. And yet there’s an element of the Kingdom that pushes us to consider just that.

Jesus wants marriage, the relationship of man and woman, to be part of his proclamation of the Kingdom. It is in that most human of institutions–in the nitty-gritty of daily life–that God is at work.