(Mk. 10:52).

We end this chapter on following Jesus, with the gift of sight, which the blind man by the roadside, Bartimaeus, retrieves his sight by crying out to Jesus. Jesus stops, even though everyone wanted the blind man to keep quiet.  It is time to ask for the gift of sight, like so many blind people healed by Jesus: “Lord, let me see!” Wishing for it is already an authentic prayer, one of those that will be heard. To see Jesus, to discover the demands of the Kingdom on our journey, to prepare ourselves for the cross, for misunderstanding, for criticism, in short, to follow Jesus, is not always easy. To go up with Him to Jerusalem is for a few. At the hour of the cross, it was only Mary, his mother, his mother’s sister, Magdalene, and the disciple whom Jesus loved who were present. The others had been terrified. What does our following of Jesus look like?