Signs of the Kingdom Coming—Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 23B (Mark 10:46-52)

Mark 10:46-52 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ 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.” ⁵⁰ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ 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.” ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

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                The Revised Common Lectionary has focused on Mark 10 for four weeks. During these four weeks, we’ve watched as Jesus and his disciples have moved from Galilee toward Jerusalem. In this final reading from Mark 10, Jesus reminded the disciples that he had a different vision for God’s realm than the one they envisioned. Instead of seeking dominion, he had come into the world not to be served but to serve (Mk. 10:43-45). As we’ve seen Jesus has been trying to convey to the disciples that when he arrived in Jerusalem, he wouldn’t be taking the throne of David but would instead suffer and die, though, three days later he would from the dead. Despite his efforts to convey that message, they were not ready to hear it. Here in verses 46-52, Mark speaks of one last encounter leading to a healing before entering Jerusalem in seeming triumph.

                Having been spending time on the far side of the Jordan River, Jesus and his disciples reach the city of Jericho. As they left the city a large crowd followed them. From somewhere near the road, a man named Bartimaeus, that is, the son of Timaeus, who was blind and sat by the roadside begging for help (begging was the ancient social net), heard that Jesus was passing by. Mark tells us that when Bartimaeus heard this, he called out to him. Bartimaeus yelled out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on Me!” He may have been blind, but it seems he had heard stories of this Jesus who could heal. He seems to have heard the rumors that Jesus thought to be the Son of David. That, this Jesus might be the Messiah, the one who would sit on the throne of David, restoring the kingdom of Israel. What Bartimaeus declares here is a precursor of what is said by the crowd as Jesus entered Jerusalem (Mk. 11:1-10).

                As is often the case, whether it was children or the sick and injured, people around Jesus tried to keep them at a distance. To at least some of the people in the crowd, Bartimaeus was a distraction. He was not only blind, but he was a beggar. He was a “nobody.” Perhaps the crowd viewed him as a sinner who was cursed by God. That was the accusation made against Job in the passages being considered along with the readings from Mark 10. So, why would Jesus, assuming he might be the Messiah, would want to deal with someone like him? But remember, Jesus already told his disciples that he came not to be served but to serve. Responding to Bartimaeus would fulfill that calling, even if the disciples and the crowd still didn’t understand his mission.

                Bartimaeus may have been physically blind, but he seems to have understood something that the disciples, who had spent considerable time with Jesus, could not see. While we need to be careful using disability as a metaphor, could it be that while Bartimaeus couldn’t see with his eyes, he could see with his spirit what others failed to see? That would include the disciples who had been jockeying for influence and power when Jesus came into his kingdom. As Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus asking for mercy, he may have two kinds of mercy in mind. There was the physical blindness that he sought relief from, assuming he knew that Jesus was known for healing people. But, Bartimaeus might have wanted more than that. He may have desired to share in God’s realm with Jesus.  

                To get a sense of what Bartimaeus is asking for when he requests mercy from Jesus, we need to attend to how this word mercy is used. Ron Allen and Clark Williamson point out that the Greek word translated here as mercy is eleō, which is used to render the Hebrew word hesed in the Septuagint. The Hebrew word hesed speaks of steadfast love and covenant loyalty. Therefore, it’s likely that “Bartimaeus seeks not just mercy (or pity), but a sign of hesed and to be welcomed into the covenantal community” [Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews, p. 160]. This makes considerable sense since in the ancient world as well as today people with disabilities often get pushed to the side, whether intentionally or not. Bartimaeus had likely felt excluded and marginalized because of his physical blindness. What Mark might be signaling here is that things would be different in God’s realm, which Jesus would inaugurate in his death and resurrection.

                Because Mark generally has a reason for telling the stories he tells, there may be something here besides another healing story. Jesus had been telling the disciples that he would suffer and die in Jerusalem, and they were now heading toward Jerusalem, the disciples were still clueless as to Jesus’ destiny. Could the healing of Bartimaeus, which takes place right before his entrance into Jerusalem, reveal something important? Again, we must be careful in using physical disability metaphorically and spiritually, but Mark seems to be doing something here that draws on the contrast between physical and spiritual blindness.

                After the disciples or other followers tried to silence Bartimaeus, he cried out even louder, which caught Jesus’ attention. Therefore, Jesus responds to Bartimaeus’ request for mercy by having Bartimaeus brought to him. Interestingly, after he is told Jesus wants to see him, he throws off his cloak, jumps up, and heads toward Jesus. Whether he has help or not, he heads toward Jesus. When Jesus asks him what he wants from him, Bartimaeus, simply says: “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus answered by telling him that his faith had made him well. Using Mark’s favorite word, we’re told that Bartimaeus was healed immediately so he could now see. Since he could see, he joined in the crowd following Jesus. While the RCL skips the Triumphal entry (saving it for Palm Sunday), it’s worth stopping here to take note that the next stop on this journey takes Jesus to Jerusalem (Mk 11:1-11). Bartimaeus can see, physically and spiritually, and now joins the team (so it seems).  He can see the realm of God in a way the disciples still couldn’t. He’s not looking for a throne next to Jesus, just a place at the Table. What he sees and seems to understand is something that others will grasp as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, mounted on a donkey, while the crowd hailed him the Son of David. Did they catch the message from Bartimaeus?

         The question for us as we conclude this lengthy conversation about Jesus’ sense of mission, one that leads not, at least not immediately, to glory but to the cross, concerns our own sense of calling as followers of Jesus. At a time when at least some who claim to be followers of Jesus seek dominion, what might Jesus be saying to us? Jesus did tell the disciples that he came not to be served but to serve, whatever being the Son of David meant to him, it did not involve seeking power over others. This is a good reminder for Christians in the United States as they go to the polls in November. Democracy in America is a good thing, but it’s not the kingdom of God. So, let’s not confuse the two! It’s a good thing to participate in the governance of the nation, but God’s realm is bigger than any nation. Because of that, we are called to give our ultimate allegiance to the one who goes to the cross as the servant of all. 

Healing of the Blind Man at Jericho, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56661 [retrieved October 22, 2024]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MCC-41326_Genezing_van_de_blinde_te_Jericho_(1).tif.