46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Finishing his teaching on service, Jesus and the disciples arrive at Jericho. As they leave that city, surrounded by a large crowd (other disciples, their families, hangers on?--we simply don't know), they come across a blind man begging.
The story plays on the irony that the man can't see anyone and everyone else wants to be blind to his existence. We are told his name, Bartimaeus, which is unusual in Mark (we are only given a few names in previous healings--Simon's nameless Mother-in-law, the name of the demons that inhabit the man (Legion) and the name of the father of the girl Jesus heals (Jairus)--only here are we given the proper name of the man actually healed). And Mark feels the need to explain the name. This seems entirely unnecessary, as it is a simple hebrew construction where "bar" means "son of". This seems to indicate that Mark's original readers would not have spoken Hebrew and needed to understand that the name indicated relationship. But, it provides a pause for those who know Greek, as they realize that the fathers name means honor. So this blind man is both Timaeus' son, but also a son of honor as he will prove as the story progresses.
But this Son of Honor is by the side of the road, begging. Is Mark talking about the way the Gentiles have often been treated. They are blind in need of hope, but on the outside looking in. Though they are according to Jesus adopted sons (bar) of the Jewish tradition, they are left at the side of the road begging. Is Jesus' last miracle not just that he heals a blind man, but also that he forces the Jews to recognize that his message extends to the Greek speaking gentile world?
Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus with a title rooted in Jewish tradition. "Son of David," he cries, "have mercy on me." Of all the things that Jesus has been called so far in Mark (Messiah, Son of God, Teacher, Lord) this is the first time Jesus is called son of David. Having been introduced as son of Timaeus, it seems appropriate that he refers to Jesus as a son as well. He is blind not only physically, but spiritually as well as he does not see Jesus as son of God. It was common in the teaching of the day (as we will find out later) that the Messiah was to be the son of David, so this was a title of honor that had significant political and religious implications (although, Jesus will later deny this identity in a dispute in Jerusalem).
The crowd tries to shout him down. His presence has always been a burden on the community as a blind man in that day could not fend for himself. He was an utterly dependent person. And the community appears to have wanted to put on their best chamber of commerce face for Jesus and they would rather the disciples meet the mayor than the town beggar.
But he will not stop, he can not see, but he can speak. He is not seen, but he is heard. "Call him," Jesus says. This is the word used for gathering disciples, so Jesus instructs the crowd and disciples to invite him in to the community. The group does a remarkable about face and act almost as if the calling of Bartimaeus has been their idea. The blind man is incredibly excited and tosses away his cloak, which likely was the modern equivalent of a violin case or hat used to collect money. So when he tosses away his cloak, Bartimaeus is leaving his old life behind.
Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants. Unlike James and John who respond to this question with a desire for an honored place, Bartimaeus merely wants to see. He does not want to aggrandize himself, but has a desire to be whole. I suspect that Jesus took this to mean not only a restoration of his physical sight, but also a clarifying of his spiritual sight moving him to understand that Jesus is not merely the son of David, but also the son of God.
In the final healing of the gospel, Jesus again seems to have the ease of the early miracles. There are not complications, just the command to go. And not surprisingly, the son of honor joins the group to follow Jesus on the way. His response is so different from the disciples who have on the way been arguing about who was the greatest.
Next stop, Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment