+Z’ev

Today’s assigned readings:

2 Samuel 15:19-37, Acts 21:37-22:16, Mark 10:46-52

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!”
Mark 10:47-48

All three of the best known prayers in the Christian tradition are scriptural prayers - as are most of the more ancient hymns. The Our Father and the Hail Mary both come from the Gospels (albeit via a process of liturgical evolution). And here, before that same process of evolution, is the beginning of the Jesus prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me, a Sinner. Although it’s got several versions, longer and shorter.

Originally used as here - an ejaculatory prayer - it eventually evolved into the monastic tradition known as “hesychasm“, where the Jesus prayer is used as a mantra, repeated over and over, along with “an elaborate system of asceticism, detachment from earthly cares, submission to an approved master… especially perfect repose of body and will” one may be granted “to see a mystic light; which is none other than the uncreated light of God.”

To many the practice of hesychasm sounds (rightfully so, I think) very Buddhist or even Hindu. It works best in a monastery, although many laity, especially among Orthodox converts, take up the practice one way or another.

My own experience with it was suggested to me by my confessor: as some of my readers will know I didn’t have a drivers license until just over a year ago. Driving made me quite nervous, but the first thing I decided to do with go on a long drive (5+ hours) and surprise my mother on Mother’s Day. This caused me to have to drive through downtown Atlanta, GA, on a weekend on the way there and during Monday rush hour on the return trip. Fr H suggested using the Jesus Prayer.

OK… this is not the point in the story where I tell you about the bright light that surrounded the car and kept me safe despite my foolhardy first roadtrip. Thank God I don’t need to go there. This is the place where I mention how calm I was able to stay despite the rush hour traffic. I learned to turn off the radio and, in the words of my Pagan teachers, “Ground and centre” in the Jesus prayer, so that I could concentrate on what I was doing. Since then I’ve used the prayer as a blessing on every long drive I’ve taken. I’ve discovered other places where the calm centre of peace generated by the Jesus Prayer is not only welcomed, it’s imperative.

By the way, other than Fr H, I know no other Orthodox Priest who would have suggested this. In fact I know webpages that would decry the mere suggestion that the Jesus prayer is what it clearly is. So don’t tell anyone else, ok?

There is so much other stuff in this passage from Mark!

What heals Blind Bartimaeus?

What does Jesus say does it?

Why he jumps right up and says “look what I did!”. This would be fine, of course, because Bartimaeus as been yelling after him all along and the people clamouring too. It would make perfect sense for Jesus to say, “Look what I did!”. Instead, he says something more important, something he always says… “your faith has made you whole.” Your faith. Bartimaeus’ faith. Faith.

Does that mean matters of doctrine? Specific points of “the Creed” or “the Confession”? What is “Faith”?

I know the Jesus prayer works. I’ll stick with that.

(An interesting question occurred to me as I wrote this meditation: I wonder if the famous “Jesus Fish” - where the Greek word for “fish” is an acronym for “Jesus Christ Son of God, Saviour” - is an early form of the Jesus prayer?)