As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Gospel Trivia:
The gospel passage on Bartimaeus is immediately preceded by the account of James and John jockeying for the prime positions in Jesus' Kingdom, only to be rebuked by Jesus' admonition that "those who wish to be great must be the servant." The two disciples misunderstood the purpose and mission of Jesus -- they thought of being in power, while Jesus thought of serving and sacrifice.
It will take the faith of Bartimaeus to bring home the message to the disciples and early Christians for which the gospel was written. The following "trivia" would help us better understand this message:
- Jericho - this is the last "pit stop" before Jerusalem, where Jesus is crucified; Mark makes use of this venue to preach the faith required of a disciple.
- Bartimaeus - when the name of the person is mentioned, this usually means that the gospel writer wants to emphasize the story as especially important (just as the names of Jairus and Zachaeus were mentioned).
- "son of David" - this connotes the kingship of David but also includes the suffering that goes with it, which the blind man understands; unlike in previous occasions, Jesus does not ask Bartimaeus to stop from assigning the title to him, only because Bartimaeus understands suffering comes with discipleship.
- "threw aside his cloak" - the cloak is used to gather the alms given to a beggar; throwing it aside means giving up everything to follow Jesus
- "followed him on the way" - for the early Christian disciples, following the teachings and life of Jesus was referred to as The Way.
Mark reveals the "blindness" of the disciples, or those who follow Jesus and expect a reward or believe that they can earn God's favor. Discipleship, as symbolized by the blind man, includes a strong dose of suffering and faith to see through that suffering.
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 87-88.
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