Followers of Christ must look to the ministry of Christ as a model for our own pastoral ministry (that is, our ministry of providing Christian spiritual care): the life of Christ is an example for us to follow, and all our ministry derives from, and is participation in, his ministry. As the remaining physical representation of Christ in the world after his ascension, gifts of the Holy Spirit have been given to us “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13 NRSVUE, emphasis mine).
We can understand the first lines of the Acts of the Apostles—in which the author claims that the Gospel of Luke was an account of “all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven” (Acts 1:1-2 NRSVUE, emphasis mine), implying Acts is an account of what Christ continued to do in the early Church—as descriptive of us as well. We are “other Christs,” continuing the ministry of Christ today. To this end, we can look to certain moments in the ministry of Jesus (such as, for instance, his appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35) as illuminating models for our own pastoral ministry.
And yet, of course, we are not Christ—and a “savior complex” is a persistent and pernicious danger for the pastoral minister. So sometimes it is helpful to bring into clearer focus something we should always keep in mind: the way our ministry is unlike his, and the way we must always point beyond ourselves so that those to whom we minister seek Christ, not us. To that end, I propose the healing of Bartimaeus (Mark 10.46–52, parallels in Matthew 9.27–31 and Luke 18.35–43) as a helpful model for pastoral ministry, one in which minister and those ministered to can be represented by the crowd and Bartimaeus—who both regain their sight, but in different ways, and who both follow after Christ the true minister.
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way (Mark 10.46–52 NRSVUE).
Following Christ
It goes without saying that seeking after Christ personally is the prerequisite for Christian pastoral ministry; God can certainly use whatever faltering faith we have, but we are responsible for our own life of faith. Ministers can see themselves in the disciples and the crowd following Jesus as he leaves Jericho, who leads them to pass Bartimaeus, begging on the side of the road, calling out for mercy. As pastoral ministers, we should expect to find those in need of our ministry along our path— and if we do not, we must either adjust our vision (as the crowd does) or adjust our path.
Hearing from Christ
Seeking after Christ involves listening to him, and removing any distractions that stand in the way. Many in the crowd (perhaps even the disciples) initially reacted to the cries of Bartimaeus with rebuke. Upon hearing Christ speak, the crowd first became silent (if only for a moment, to hear his words). Ministers, like all followers of Christ, have a responsibility to cultivate a sensitivity to the voice of Christ and to intentionally listen—and the disciplines of silence, lectio divina, and contemplative or imaginative prayer are invaluable tools in this cultivation.
Turning to Christ
There will certainly come points wherein ministers fail, not just in that ministry ventures will flop (although that will happen as well!) but in that we will sin against those to whom we are responsible. Upon hearing the cries of Bartimaeus, many in the crowd (perhaps including the disciples) reacted out of anger—but then Jesus spoke, and they turned to him. Humility and repentance are essential to the life of every follower of Christ, and it especially behooves pastoral ministers to model them in our ministry. Ministry requires humility and repentance, not perfection.
Turning to Others
But turning to Christ after sinning against someone is only one part of repentance; we must also turn again to the one sinned against with fresh understanding and change. It is important to know that in the healing of Bartimaeus, there is a double miracle. First, Bartimaeus is healed and regains his sight in the presence of Jesus, and second, many in the crowd become able to truly see Bartimaeus for who he is: beloved of Christ. For Christians, this is a matter of seeing Christ in those to whom we minister.
Speaking the Message
Pastoral ministry involves words, conveying the message of Christ. Some components of that message can be drawn from the words the crowd spoke to Bartimaeus. They told him, “take heart”; do not be discouraged, because there is very good news: the reign of God is near. They told him, “get up”—how might you prepare yourself for entering the reign of God, and how might you participate in it now? They told him, “he is calling you”; Christ is the answer to your longings, and if you let them, you can follow those longings all the way up to him.
Guiding/Making Space
But pastoral ministry involves not just words, but also deeds. Upon hearing the message of Christ conveyed by the crowd, Bartimaeus jumps to his feet, tossing his cloak aside; people in the crowd either take Bartimaeus by the hand and guide him to Christ, or part to make way for him. These are two forms our ministry can take: guiding others to Christ (expressed more positively), or at the very least (and expressed more negatively), getting out of the way, making space for people to encounter Christ on their own terms. Both guiding and making space facilitate encounter with Christ.
Continuing on the Way
Immediately after he is healed, Bartimaeus “followed [Christ] on the way,” joining the crowd. What may first be understood as discreet moments of ministry eventually give way to long-term accompaniment on the journey, and those to whom we minister always also minister to us as well. Following after Christ means becoming a part of his body—the Church—and thus being embedded in a community of members dependent upon one another. Both minister and those ministered to “follow [Christ] on the way.”