'"They came to Jericho. And as he 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, he 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 (Mk. 10:46-52)."'
The Gospels were written to inspire belief with the hindsight of Jesus’ ministry and his suffering death and resurrection. The needs of the communities the Gospels were addressing, and the theology of the evangelist writing were woven into the Gospel narrative.
Mark presents Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, as seeking out Jesus and addressing him as ‘Son of David,’ a Messianic title. Previously, only demons had recognized Jesus’ true identity. Throwing off his cloak was symbolic of casting off the old self. Bartimaeus professed his faith in Jesus’ power to heal and was immediately healed because of his faith. He was not only physically healed but also spiritually healed and became a disciple of Jesus. He followed Jesus ‘on the way’ to Calvary.
Lord God of our salvation, heal us of our blindness that we may see clearly to follow your Son ‘on the way.’ Help us to cast off our old selves and seek you with all our heart, and to work tirelessly on behalf of your kingdom. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
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