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Besides Reformation Sunday, this Sunday many worshipers will celebrate "Disability Awareness Sunday." Our lessons are well-suited for such a celebration. We conclude the book of Job with Job and friends repenting and God restoring. The Hebrews pastor continues his comparisons of Jesus and the Jewish priesthood by noting a physical challenge we all face: our own mortality. The gospel recalls one of the greatest healing stories in Mark, a person who may be physically challenged but quite whole in spirit and soul.

JOB 42:1-6, 10-17-HAPPILY EVER AFTER

The book of Job moves to a swift end with repentance and restoration. At the close of God’s barrage of questions, Job emerges humbled and changed. He now realizes that he has spoken presumptuously concerning God: "I was talking about things I didn’t understand" (v. 3). Job further humbles himself before God through self-effacing repentance. Next, God reprimands Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar instructing them to offer appropriate sacrifices and to ask Job to intercede for them. They too repent. Finally, the story ends as it has begun with Job once again enjoying God’s blessing of status, family, and wealth-only this time God has restored his fortunes double from what it was. Like the guy who has a close encounter with a supernatural being in Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Job continues to live and live and live; he finally dies "an old man who had lived a long, good life" (v. 17).

HEBREWS 7:23-28-IMPECCABLY PURE , FOREVER LIVING

The chapter which forms our lesson returns to comparisons between Jesus and the Jewish system’s priests that first appeared in chapter 5 (last week’s lesson). In this case, the writer points to a natural weakness in the sacrificial system: the priests were "prevented by death" from continuing in office" (v. 23); however, such is not the case with Jesus who "continues forever" (v. 24). Thus, Jesus is able to reconcile human beings with God and to intercede for every generation of people. The second contrast the writer makes concerns the character of those who serve as priests. Typical priests, for example, must provide sacrifices for their own sinfulness before attending to others. But Jesus, the writer asserts is sinless, holy, blameless, and undefiled, thus he is the perfect and efficacious sacrifice for all people and all times.

MARK 10:46-52-ON THE JERICHO ROAD

Today, we visit Bartimaeus, the one who sits by the Jericho road panhandling pedestrians. Mark tells this story with great relish and suspense-when Bartimaeus hears . . . he shouts out . . . many tell him to shut up yet he cries out even more loudly . . . Jesus stands still: "Call him here" . . . the crowd changes their tune-he’s calling for you . . . Bartimaeus comes . . . "What do you want me to do for you?" . . . "Let me see again" . . . "Go, your faith has made you well!" The story provides a window into the realm of seeing. The story of blind Bartimaeus is sandwiched between the disciples on their way to Jerusalem (who seem strangely obtuse at times) and the place of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. What do you see?