Today we head back to the Biblical quadrant as Jude takes on Bartimaeus. Will Bartimaeus' attempt to dethrone Jude prove to be a lost cause? Or will he see his way to victory? These are the questions of the day.
In yesterday's saintly action, James Solomon Russell easily defeated Evelyn Underhill 66% to 34% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where he'll face the winner of Harriet Tubman vs. Julie Billiart.
And if for some shocking reason, you missed yesterday's nominally epic episode of Monday Madness with Tim and Scott, you can watch it here. It involves rivers of purple beverages, among other things.
Now go vote!
Jude
Jude is listed as one of the twelve apostles and is purported to be the writer of the epistle that bears his name. Tradition says Jude, along with Simon, traveled to Persia, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. Finally, he went to the city of Edessa to meet with King Abgar. Images of Jude often show him holding the Image of Edessa, a holy square of cloth upon which an image of the face of Jesus appeared. The Image of Edessa is considered the first icon of Christ.
This image came to Edessa when King Abgar wrote to Jesus asking him to come and heal him. Jesus replied, saying he would send one of his disciples. So impressed with the king’s faith, Jesus pressed his face into the cloth and gave it to the messenger to assure the king his disciple would visit. Some accounts say the disciple Jude was chosen to travel to Edessa to deliver the sign from Jesus. King Abgar was healed, and all the people under his rule converted to Christianity in response.
Jude is a disciple plagued with an identity crisis. He is distinguished from Judas Iscariot and also noted as Jude of James in Luke/Acts. He is referred to as the brother of Jesus in Matthew and Mark. In the apostolic lists of Matthew and Mark, no Jude appears, but there is a Thaddeus. Some biblical scholars have suggested Jude and Thaddeus are the same person, and Thaddeus was a nickname. Other scholars disagree, stating that Jude and Thaddeus are different people.
Jude is most commonly known as the patron saint for the hopeless and despaired and the patron saint of lost causes. This patronage inspired comedian Danny Thomas to found St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Thomas, awaiting the birth of his first child and struggling with his career, went to Mass and placed his last $7 in the offering plate. He offered prayers to Saint Jude to provide a way forward. Thomas recalls getting a job the next week that paid him enough to pay bills for a while. He then promised Saint Jude a shrine. Years later, Thomas kept that promise by founding the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, which serves as the fundraising organization of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the shrine Thomas founded in thanksgiving for Saint Jude.
Collect for Jude
O God, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Jude; and we pray that, as he was faithful and zealous in his mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus, literally “son of Timaeus,” was a blind beggar healed by Jesus in one of his last documented miracles. This miracle is recounted in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) with Jesus healing the blind man as he and his followers are leaving Jericho, just before the Passion.
Bartimaeus is one of the very few people healed by Jesus whose name appears in the gospels. This could be because Bartimaeus served the church after his healing and became a disciple of Jesus.
Bartimaeus is an example of faith. Total, complete, desperate faith. When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is around he starts shouting. He shouts: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” The son of Timaeus is asking the son of David, the Messiah, to have mercy on him. Even after people order Bartimaeus to be quiet, he continues to shout. Even louder. Because he understands who Jesus is. He has heard about him and believes and knows what Jesus has done and can do. Bartimaeus teaches us a prayer for desperate times: Jesus, have mercy on me!
Jesus, Mark tells us, stands still. Luke tells us Jesus stops, and then invites Bartimaeus to approach him. So Bartimaeus throws off his cloak and goes to Jesus—a symbol of giving everything away for a chance to be near Jesus; the action symbolizes his deep faith that he won’t need the cloak anymore. He knows he will be healed.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks. “Let me see again. I want to see,” Bartimaeus asks. With these words, he teaches us, believers and followers of Jesus, that we must ask for what we want when Jesus is near.
“Your faith has made you well. Your faith has healed you.” Bartimaeus’s faith stops Jesus, moves Jesus, and inspires Jesus to heal him.
According to Mark, after being healed, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the Way.
Collect for Bartimaeus
Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Bartimaeus, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with him attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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138 comments on “Jude vs. Bartimaeus”
Two messages of hope. Two messages of tough times. This was a hard choice for me. But a good read for the day.
I don't know if it's the same Bart, but St Bart.. of the Sherlock series, that's what tipped my vote his way. (They're all wonderful saints, so it's finding a "reason" to cast the vote 🙂
Wow! This was a tough one! It came down to my respect for St, Jude's Children's Hospital that I chose St. Jude
Voting for Bartimaeus especially because of this beautiful song from the Sacred Harp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=QogPDr0HT60
“Mercy, O thou Son of David!”
Thus poor blind Bartimeus prayed—
“Others by thy grace are saved;
Now to me afford thine aid.”
Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted,
Alms that none but he could give.
“Lord, remove this grievous blindness,
Let mine eyes behold the day!”
Straight he saw, and, won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.
And also for the Jesus Prayer, the heart of Eastern Christian monasticism and contemplation, which is based on the plea of Bartimaeus.
Haunting!
Thanks for this. I'm a big fan of Sacred Harp. I particularly appreciate the words, as otherwise it is difficult to detemine what they are singing; difficult for me, anyway.
The Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," must have come from this life-changing encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus, who, though blind, recognized the Saviour of the world; thus this saint has my eternal gratitude and my vote. I must say, however, that Danny Thomas needs to be added to a bracket of the future!
My father was a mail carrier; his route was in downtown Chicago. One of his stops was the St. Jude League which is the fundraising part of the National Shrine of St. Jude. It was one of the few places that he talked about. I thank the nominating committee for this unexpected gift of warm memories of my dad this morning and cast my vote for Jude.
I went with Bart. I attend a UCC parish and we use the Narrative Lectionary. That was our reading last Sunday, so I had to go with him.
Oh, Supreme Executive Committee, this matchup is both brilliant and dastardly. I've hovered over Jude and almost clicked, then Bartimaeus and almost clicked, and then back to Jude.... This has been going on for half an hour! I'm going with Bartimaeus because of the inspiration his story gives me during this time of discerning a call. That moment when Bartimaeus throws his cloak off -- I imagine that the feeling is something like one of those moments when you know without a doubt that God has just placed his hand on you and said, "Yup, that's me calling. It's okay, come!" Opportunities to walk by faith and not by sight abound in varying degrees and Bartimaeus is my favorite illustration of that, but the emotional ties to St. Jude are strong. My grandmother wore her St. Jude medal and touched it often as she told stories of raising five kids as a widow during the depression, and I am a whole-hearted supporter of St. Jude's Hospital. Well played, Supreme Executive Committee of Heart-wrenching voting choices. Well played!
Bartimaeus for the win!( ◠‿◠ )
Ok
I was pleased to read and learn about Bartimaeus, but as a devotee of lost causes I had to go with Jude.
Okay folks, now I am sings "Hey Jude" over and over in my head. given the current news it is a good thing to do.
I would have voted for Danny Thomas, but despite Jude’s efficacy in dealing with the lost he lost me with his written correspondence with the king. Oh, me of little faith! I clearly need Bartimaeus.
I would have voted for Danny Thomas, but despite Jude’s efficacy in dealing with the lost he lost me with his written correspondence with the king. Oh, me of little faith! I clearly need Bartimaeus. I meant to send this once; finger error.
Seems that you are truly following the “March Madness “ habit of putting really good teams (saints) against each other, thus eliminating some who should remain until later rounds. Today’s is a great example.
Sort of reminds me of what happens to the SEC!
Oops! I meant the king’s letters to and from Jesus.
St. Jude reported that St. Michael Archangel was a WIMP when confronting Satan and leaves the battle up to God. (Jude 1:9) Fake news in an epistle? In other followup thoughts. Just Like Lent Madness brackets, ST. PATRICK is a loser?? Boston and Ireland have cancelled all Parades.
My brackets are already, to quote the metaphor, TOAST.
It is so refreshing to have hard choices between the best of the best instead of the best of the worst. In the Len Madness contests, even if one votes for the loss-of-the-day, we still win with one of Christ’s own forever. Oh, that real life would follow. . .
I see what you did there. "Like."
Like
Just wonderin' what calendar Bartimeus is named. And his day.
I think anybody mentioned in the Bible is eligible.
A difficult decision today but, because I used to work at a Children's hospital (not St. Jude's) I am voting for Jude. For all the sick kids in all the hospitals.
I can’t wait to see who wins.
This has been the most challenging for me. The decision was finally made and I had to go with Jude. This is about faith and healing. The innocence of children touches my heart, and especially when they have a health challenge. So many are grateful for St. Jude Research Hospital..
Bartimaeus, for his all-in, exuberant, springing up in faith and into an unknown future -- unknown except for the presence of Jesus, that is.
Is this the third blind saint we've had in the brackets for 2020? What's going on here?
My vote is in honor of St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church in Cupertino, California.
My husband and I attended St. Jude’s in Cupertino in the 1970’s. Fr.John Buenz was rector. The Holy Spirit actively changed our lives .
I would like to be consistent and vote for the same kinds of reasons each day, but that doesn't work. If Jude's witness is the hospitals, is that Jude, or Danny Thomas? I am most moved by the brilliant write-up for Bartimaeus, the Collect, and, yes, 'Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner', prayed not only by Bartimaeus but also by the tax collector at the temple, whom Jesus compares to the Pharisee.
http://www.becomingrealandthriving.com
This is the toughest choice to date this year IMO. Jude seems appropriate because the whole of the world seems like a lost cause at the moment. Still, I went with Bartimaeus because that's just the kind of reckless faith I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trying to do good regardless.
Our first kid was born in June. We named him Jude. There is only one way I can vote.
As a member of the Lions Clubs International I should vote for poor,blind Bartimaus. However, lost causes, Beatles' songs, Danny Thomas (who I thought got his parenting skills and good looks from my father) w/those cancer kids hopeful faces that St. Jude gets my vote today.
(I also wanted to be That Girl too, w/flip in my hair. It's good to see Marlowe carrying on his legacy. St. Jude's has made a difference.)
I would be grateful to keep such faith as Bartimaeus. He had the words to answer Jesus' question. Sometimes I have no answer.
Today could be a close one. Saint Jude all the way.