They came to Jericho. As Jesus 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.
The story of Bartimaeus, apparently incidental, forms an important part of Mark’s teaching on discipleship. Firstly, it constitutes the closing of the discipleship section. This started in Mark 8:22-26, with the story of the man who recovers his sight in two stages and closes here with the story of another blind man. In between, the teaching on discipleship is not understood by the disciples because they have not yet understood what kind of Messiah Jesus is to be. In a word, the disciples are blind and stand in need of (double) healing. This is the first public acclamation of Jesus as Messiah and an important moment after the confession at Caesarea Philippi in Mk 8:27.
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. In this story Jesus cures the blind man, Bartimaeus. Recovery of sight in the Bible is often a metaphor for coming to faith. Perhaps during your life you have had moments of insight, of deeper understanding, of appreciating who Jesus is for you. What was it that helped you to see more clearly?
2. Who was the ‘Jesus person’ who helped you to see more clearly? Perhaps, as a parent, a teacher or a friend, you have also been a ‘Jesus person’ for another and helped her or him to a clearer understanding of the meaning of life, love and faith.
3. To get to Jesus, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak so that he would not be impeded. What have you had to discard in order to be able to see more clearly (e.g., an assumption, a prejudice, a rigid opinion)?
4. “Your faith has saved you” Jesus said to Bartimaeus. Recall situations in which you have been grateful for the faith that is yours because in some way it saved you.
The journey towards faith has many dimensions. Firstly, there is our need (expressed in the Gospel as blindness). Secondly, the courage to name our need, even in the face of opposition. Next comes our encounter with Jesus and our cry for help, guidance, healing. Naming our need is insisted upon by Jesus as an essential step, because faith is so much more than believing lots of doctrines. More fundamentally, it is an act of trust, a putting of myself in relationship and being able to receive from God whatever it is we need. This is the faith which makes us well.