Pastor Daniel Meeter, of Old First Dutch Reformed Church (Seventh Avenue and Carroll Street), is a blogger. His blog, Old First, is just a couple of months old. But it gets you inside the head of one of the most thoughtful and spirit-full members of our community. We were talking a few weeks back and he told me that he was going to mention one of the homeless of Seventh Avenue in his Sunday sermon. I tried to get over to the service that Sunday at 11 a.m. but life and Boo-at-the-Zoo intervened. I  am glad to see that he posted that sermon, as well as other sermons and observations on his blog. Here’s an excerpt:

One morning last week, on the church’s front steps I found Robert
sleeping. He’s the panhandler who has taken up residence in the shelter
of our building. He’s been drinking 24/7 and he worries me. I have told
him that during school hours he can’t sleep here, because the Nursery
School parents get upset. I figured if I had to wake him up to move him
at least I could feed him. I bought him a coffee and a fried egg
sandwich. I woke him up. He sat up, I gave it to him, and the first
thing he said was, "Dear Jesus thank you for this food. Thank you for
everything you’ve given me. Please bless me like you bless other
people. Amen."

When he asked Jesus to bless him like other
people I found myself feeling the need for God’s mercy. Sometimes your
soul cries out for mercy. "Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy
upon us. Lord have mercy upon us." Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

The
blind man Bartimaeus is a panhandler. His spot is just outside Jericho,
on the road up to Jerusalem, and he’s there because the pilgrims who
are going up to worship at the festivals will be generous with their
alms. Jesus passes on his way up to Jerusalem—this is just before Palm
Sunday. Jesus no longer is hiding his identity. He is the Messiah, the
Son of David returning to the city of David in order to set up the
kingdom of God.

And to the Son of David the blind man cries for
mercy. What does he mean? What they say on Seventh Avenue? "Anything
will help. Anything will help." A little extra cash from the royal
purse? A disability pension from your new government? Or is it please
don’t exclude me from your kingdom just because I have a Gentile name
which I got from my Gentile father? Or please don’t exclude me because
I am unkosher, being blind, and not allowed in the temple, and barred
from all the rituals and practices? What does "Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me" mean?

photo by Dope on the Slope (found on Flickr).