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Cast Off Your Cloak! A sermon for October 27, 2024

Writer's picture: St Georges MiltonSt Georges Milton

Readings: Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52


Visiting his grandparents, a small boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out. He picked it up and found that it was an old leaf that had been pressed flat between the pages. “Mama, look what I found,” he called out.

 

“What have you got there, dear?” His mother asked.

 

With astonishment in his voice, the boy answered, “I think it’s Adam’s underwear!”

 

The creation of Adam and Eve is a central story to our faith, whether you believe it to be a literal or metaphorical account of humanity’s origins. As story, it has many potential interpretations and nuances, from doctrines like Original Sin to a rather interesting take I once heard on it. At an inter-denominational event, an indigenous pastor shared that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they took something from creation to cover themselves. The fashioning of the fig leaves into a makeshift covering was for him the first instance of human culture. This covering was not adequate for its purpose of course, and God used animal hides to make clothes for his children. The preacher was cautioning us not to take something that can be good (like culture) and turn it into a kind of idol when it is deemed to be of primary importance.

 

It was a fascinating take on the creation story, and it came to my mind as I reflected on our gospel story today. We’ve already heard the story of the rich young man who had a great many possessions (or rather, the possessions had him). He is a sad example of how attachment to things can impede our ability to follow Christ wholeheartedly. When Jesus told him to sell all he had to follow him, the young man went away despondent.

 

Contrast him with blind Bartimaeus. He was sitting by the roadside outside Jericho, begging for money from passersby. He gets wind that it is Jesus passing by and he calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” People tried to shoosh him, but he only cried out louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stops in his tracks, is still for a moment, then tells those shooshers to go and get him. They tell Bartimaeus, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 

 

So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.


Let’s not move on too quickly from this fascinating detail Mark includes in his story. Bartimaeus threw off his cloak. As a blind beggar, this cloak could very well have been his most cherished possession. It would’ve shielded him from the cold Middle Eastern night. During the day he could spread it out over the ground in front of him to collect the change tossed his way by passersby. Though living on the lowest of rungs in his society, Bartimaeus’ cloak was a sign of the little status he had, or modest security he enjoyed. And unlike the rich young man, he was all too eager to cast aside his one valued possession so that he could meet with Jesus.

 

If you think I’m making too much of this detail, note that the cloak is an important literary device Mark uses throughout his gospel. In chapter 5, “Jesus’ cloak plays a crucial role in the healing of the woman with the flow of blood (5:27-30). In another passage describing Jesus’ power to heal, Mark summarizes: “wherever he went, into small towns, or great towns, or into the country, they took those who were ill into the market-places, requesting him that they put their hands even on the edge of his robe: and all of those who did so were made well” (6:56). When Jesus walks in Jerusalem, the crowd lays down their cloaks as a welcoming sign (11:8). The partition of Jesus’ cloak in the final episode of the crucifixion culminates the process of torture he has been subjected to (15:24). The cloak plays different functions (source of power, divestment of power, humiliation, reverence, etc.). Still, they all share an understanding of the cloak as a sign of status.” 

 

The cloak as a sign of status. I wonder, what is the nature of the cloaks we wear? Do we hide our truest selves behind status and privilege? From what do we gain our security and identity? Are there times where we disguise our vulnerability? What do we pull over ourselves to shield us from the cold of night?

 

We all have coping mechanisms when dealing with pain and hardship. Little escapes from reality might give us momentary space to cope with challenging circumstances. We might distract ourselves with entertainment when we get overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. We might throw ourselves into work when we’re struggling with the consequences of life decisions we’ve made. We might seek new relationships when an old one is broken and battered. Or we might turn to fantasy, addictions, or other unhealthy patterns of thinking and behaving that keep us from facing hard truths about our lives and ourselves.

 

St. Paul had a tricky relationship with his religious past. In his view, he used his religious beliefs and practices to mask the sinfulness within his own heart. In his letter to the Romans, he tells his audience to follow his example of casting off the works of darkness in order to put on the armor of light. He then puts it another way, ‘clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.’ Paul knew from personal experience that it’s easy for us to feel justified in our beliefs and practices, to clothe ourselves in our culture, our status, our privilege. But true freedom is found when we may discern Christ’s voice calling us, and we are moved to throw off anything that may be holding us back.

 

In Bartimaeus’ case, he received the word, “Take heart, get up, he is calling you,” and his response was to cast off his cloak and come to Jesus. Face-to-face with his Maker, he is lovingly asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks us to name our desire, to give voice to the deepest longing of our souls. “My teacher, let me see again,” is Bartimaeus’ request.

 

The sight required wasn’t just his physical sight, however. The gospel writers frequently place stories of healing the blind around instances where people do not have the spiritual insight to understand Jesus and the ways of his kingdom. In this case, earlier in the chapter we have Jesus trying to teach the Pharisees about marriage, we also hear of the rich young man unable to heed Christ’s invitation to follow him, and we have the disciples arguing about their place in the kingdom. They are all blind to the ways of God whereas blind Bartimaeus can perceive Jesus through the lens of faith and his reward is a physical healing that transforms his life and impels him forward on the path to discipleship. Mark is not so coy in concluding this story with the words, ‘and Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way.’

 

Friends, what is it you desire from God today? I mean, really desire? What prevents you from naming this desire? Do you employ strategies that keep you from appearing truly vulnerable before God and others? How quickly do we say we’re ‘fine’ when we’re really not? Do we do this with God, as well as with neighbour and friend? How tightly do we hold onto things we’re better off letting go of?

 

Our Scriptures, from stories of Adam and Eve to the healing of blind Bartimaeus, speak to us of how God’s provision is always infinitely greater than our self-preservation tactics. So maybe God is speaking to us today about the need to cast off our cloaks in order to rush headlong into Christ’s arms? Maybe if we learn to truly be vulnerable with Jesus, he would bless us with a vision of who he truly is and that vision would impel us forward on the path of discipleship? Today let us heed the words to the Hebrews,

 


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1)

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