Mark 10:46-52
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.
Year B
October 23-29
October 25, 2015
Title: What do you
want?
Going deeper [my study of this text, which formed the background of my comments to the congregation]
[Mark 10:46-52 is the story of a
healing of the blind man of Jericho.]
[Discipleship
is at the heart of the gospel of Mark, and is most clearly articulated in
chapters 8 through 10. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark contains no birth
narratives, but jumps right into the active adult life of Jesus with his
baptism, temptation and the beginning of his Galilean ministry. Early in his
first chapter, Mark reports that Jesus is passing along the Sea of Galilee and
beginning to call his disciples, saying to them, “Follow me and I will make you
fish for people” (1:17). Immediately, they drop their nets and follow him. The
chapters that follow are full of descriptions of what it means to walk behind
Jesus “on the way” (10:52). Disciples are those who leave their jobs to follow
him (2:13-14), who proclaim his message and cast out demons (3:14-15), who do
the will of God (3:35), who understand the secret of the kingdom of God (4:11),
and who have faith — although this is an ongoing struggle for the disciples
(4:40). Followers of Jesus are also those who confess that he is the Messiah
(8:29). They deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him (8:34).
They understand that “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant
of all” (9:35), who receive the kingdom of God as a little child (10:15), and
who are willing to leave everything and follow Jesus (10:28).]
[Mark
likely wrote his gospel in Rome, for the benefit of those who were experiencing
persecution and standing in need of encouragement in their own discipleship. A
suffering community of Christians would clearly benefit from words of Jesus
such as, “those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the
gospel, will save it” (8:35). The message of Mark is not a spirituality for the
comfortable power-people of the day, but is instead what Stephen Barton calls
“a spirituality for the persecuted, the powerless and the done to.”[1]]
Mark 10:46-52
[This brings us, of course, to the
story of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus — a man who was certainly persecuted,
powerless and done to. His community needs to hear once again the theme of the
gospel — the glory and triumph of Jesus through apparent disaster and defeat.]
[Jesus is on the last phase of his
journey. He is on the way to Jerusalem, but before he sends his disciples to
prepare the way for his arrival, he meets one more needy person on the road.
This last healing provides the first title of Jesus as the descendant of David,
the son of a king. This story provides a good example of faith and following
the King who is going to Jerusalem not to reign but to become a ransom. It is
after a soteriologically weighty statement, namely, that Jesus came to give his
life as a ransom for many, that the journey brings Jesus, his disciples and the
crowd into Jericho.]
46
They came to Jericho .
[Presumably, nothing important happens here, for Mark only narrates that
they came in and then that they went out. Form Critics saw this odd double
mention of Jericho as evidence of the antiquity of the episode.[2] Nevertheless, the focus for Mark is what
happens when Jesus is leaving the village.] As
he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho , Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a
blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. [Mark narrates (“And when he
(Jesus) came out from Jericho and his disciples and the great crowd, the son
of Timaeus ....”) The introduction is rather startling. In the midst of a
mundane note about traveling, there is the unexpected introduction of a
character designated as the son of one named Timaeus. Mark also provides his
Aramaic name, Bartimaeus, but whereas he usually puts the Aramaic word first
followed by the Greek translation (3:17; 7:11, 34), here he has placed the
designation of “son” at the beginning of the introduction of this character. He
further describes this character as a blind beggar who is sitting near the
road, presumably to be near the traffic so that he could receive the maximum
amount of alms.] 47 When he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, [On this day, however, he receives not
alms, but information. He hears a stirring on the road and voices crying out,
“Jesus the Nazarene is here!” He does not want this opportunity to bypass him.
Upon hearing this proclamation, he adds his voice to the din and cries out in
order to address Jesus. Although not explicit, the picture Mark paints is that
these people have heard about Jesus. They know that this is a momentous
occasion.] he began to shout out and say,
“Jesus, Son of David, [what is truly interesting about this passage is the
address the beggar chooses to employ. The beggar addresses him as the Son of
David. The son of an unknown Timaeus is addressing the son of the king of
Israel. The only other mention of David previous to this address is in the
second chapter when Jesus recounts the story of David eating the bread in the
house of God (2:25). However, after this incident with Bartimaeus, when Jesus
enters Jerusalem upon the colt the crowds proclaim, “Blessed is the one who
comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor
David!” Jesus is clearly linked with the restoration of David’s kingdom. These
references culminate when Jesus asks how the scribes can say that the Messiah
is the Son of David if David himself calls him Lord (12:35-37). It becomes
clear from this reference that the title, Son of David, had messianic overtones.
This title is used sparingly in the New Testament. It is found only in the
synoptic gospels, and appears there 14 times. Archaeological evidence has shown
that people were aware of those who stood in the line of David, so this could
be a simple acknowledgement of the one from whom Jesus descended. Moreover,
this title was also linked to those who were known for healing, so by employing
this title, the blind man could show his knowledge that Jesus had a reputation
for healing, and he wanted to benefit from Jesus’ gifts (Evans, “Mark”, 130,
132). Finally, based upon the reaction of the crowd, which hurries to silence
him, this title could carry revolutionary overtones about which the Romans
would have become suspicious. Without making a final decision about the
historical meaning, Mark seems to employ this address as a narrative
prefiguration to show that the blind man could see who Jesus really was, the
Son of David, the Messiah.] 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.” [Jesus comes to a
standstill and addresses a group of people to command them to call to the
beggar. Who is this group? Is it his disciples or the crowd around Bartimaeus
who have just told him to be quiet? This might very well be a rebuke against
those who had tried to silence him. Instead of squelching his voice, Jesus
commands those same people to draw him out of the crowd. The address to
Bartimaeus this time is very positive.] 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. [Bartimaeus
wastes no time.] 51 Then Jesus
said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man said to him, “My teacher, [This time, Bartimaeus addresses
him as rabbouni, a less weighty Aramaic term found only here and in John
20:16.] let me see again.” [His
request, however, is direct. He does not ask for alms, because he knows that
Jesus can provide what he truly desires — his sight.] 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your
faith has made you well.” [The first command is strange. Bartimaeus
is to “go” or “leave.” Jesus also proclaims, as he did to the woman with the
issue of blood (5:34), that the faith of Bartimaeus has saved him. Mark tells
the reader that the healing occurred immediately.] Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. [Bartimaeus
disobeys Jesus’ first command and, instead of departing, follows him on the
road. Mary Ann Tolbert suggested that Bartimaeus is the symbolic ideal.[3]
He perseveres in the face of the deterrence of the crowd and the command of
Jesus. The blind man sees who Jesus is, responds in faith, and follows Jesus on
the way to Jerusalem.]
[Mark thus
closes his section on discipleship with a profoundly positive image — those who
truly see Christ feel overwhelmingly called to follow his pathways and
purposes. They become imitators of Christ as they seek to become perfected
disciples. Bartimaeus’ journey was not easy. He began to follow Jesus just
when, from a human point of view, things began to degenerate. Jesus now enters
Jerusalem to play his part in the final scene of confrontation, prosecution and
execution. There would be little time for a new disciple like Bartimaeus to
enjoy approving crowds or balmy days of rest and study. Bartimaeus and all the
disciples were rapidly approaching the testing grounds for discipleship trust
in Jesus’ being and mission.]
Notes
The beggar calls to Jesus and asks
him to have mercy upon him, but
Despite the calls from many to be
silent, Bartimaeus cries out even more, asking for mercy from the Son of David.
He gets Jesus’ attention. They tell him to be of courage, to stand up, for
Jesus is calling him. He throws off his outer garment and springs up to come to
Jesus. Without being able to see and in the midst of this great crowd, this
must have been a treacherous journey. However, he makes it to Jesus, and Jesus
speaks to him directly, asking what Bartimaeus wants from him.
Jesus’ first reply to him is a bit
unexpected — he tells him to leave — but Moreover,
Introduction
Jesus
asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”
It
is almost as if Jesus is the servant, asking his master what needs to be
done. How did he say it? Maybe with a sigh from the weariness of it
all. Another person in need. Another problem to fix. "Master, let me receive my
sight." That is all. Chalk up another miracle. Is that not what religion is all about? Is that not why Jesus is here? He is supposed to meet my need. If he does not, I will move on to someone
else.
What
bothers me is that this has become the theme of our age. This is the "where does it itch"
style of ministry. A church's billboard
said, "Lonely? Come to our
church." "Depressed? Come to our church." "Anxious? Come to our church." Come to our church and get fixed. Every week the promise that Jesus could fix
whatever problem you might have.
Is that all religion is?
What do you want God to do for you?
Every pastor has heard these words: "We're leaving
this church. It just doesn't meet our
needs." And they leave. Every pastor has heard even more painful
words. "I'm not getting fed by your
sermons, pastor. Isn't that your
job?" And so, they leave. The main guideline for the church of today is
not "Have I been faithful?"
Rather, "Have I done for you what you wanted done?" The church is here to meet the felt needs of
people. "What do you want us to do
for you," we ask. If all we want is
a religion, a church, a Jesus, who will meet our needs, we are in trouble.
I do
not question the fact that we all have needs. We have problems. However, part
of what we are to do as a church is to help us get our minds off ourselves and
onto Jesus.
Yet,
THIS HEALING STORY IS ABOUT THE RESPONSE OF JESUS TO A MAN IN NEED.
William
Sloane Coffin put his finger on the problem I am sensing here:
The
trouble with much so-called evangelism in American Christianity is that it
begins with selfishness -- come to Jesus and get your life fixed, your marriage
healed, your kids made chaste -- and I don't see how you begin with such
self-centered selfishness and end up with Jesus who said things like, "You
find your life by losing it."
Do
you know what you want? Yes, the man is in need, and the man cries out, but
Jesus asks him what he wants.
Your
vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside,
dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. — Carl Jung.
Ours is
a world where people don't know what they want and are willing to go through
hell to get it. -Don Marquis
I always
wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific. -Lily Tomlin.
We receive an insight in this story that I think is
important. The man knew he had a problem he wanted Jesus to fix. He was blind
and he wanted to see. Yet, the man did not stop there. The uniqueness of
Bartimaeus is that he followed Jesus along the way. He knew his desire was to
have a spiritual need met. This fact may well separate him from many others who
received healings from Jesus.
A sixth grade Sunday School teacher told the class of the
arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus.
He told of the soldiers carrying him away, how Pilate and the people
conspired to do Jesus in. A hand went
up. "Yes Bradford , what is it now?" "I wanna know where was the rest of
them?" "Rest of who,
Bradford?" "Them disciples,
where was they when things got rough for Jesus." "The disciples? Oh, they were long gone." "No, the rest of them," he persisted. "Where were they? Whatever became of all them that he helped,
the ones he healed? Now they had two
good legs to walk, two good eyes to see.
Where was they when them soldiers came to get Jesus?" "Well, I don't know, Bradford ." "Yea you do. They was just like most folks. They got what they wanted. Now they was gone."
What happened to all those he helped? Where were they for the remainder of Mark's
gospel?
YET, THIS IS NOT ONLY A STORY ABOUT THE RESPONSE OF
JESUS. IT IS ALSO A STORY ABOUT THE RESPONSE OF BARTIMAEUS TO JESUS.
Alone
among those whom Jesus healed in Mark, he is the only one with a name. He is remembered. Why?
Others asked for help. Others
jumped up excitedly to be healed.
However, in this case Mark gives us a clue. The most important words in this text are
not, "Have mercy on me." It is
not, "What do you want me to do for you." The most important are these: BARTIMAEUS
FOLLWED HIM ON THE WAY. Bartimaeus knew
he had a problem. However, it was not
just his blindness. He had enough
spiritual vision to recognize that Jesus could help him. He had enough faith to ask for help. Yet, he also knew what he needed at a deeper
level. That need could not be met with
receiving only his physical sight. He
needed his spiritual needs met. He knew
he needed to follow this Jesus in order for that to happen.
Maybe that is the real miracle here. God does not solve problems for us. God solves problems with us. There was a faith in Bartimaeus that erupted
from within. No one, not even the shouts
of the crowd, could calm him down. He
knew Jesus was the one to help him. In
the life of this beggar, God made a way when there seemed to be no way. For Mark, here is an example of
discipleship. Others try to quiet him
down, and Bartimaeus responds by shouting even louder. The man's faith is so strong it stops Jesus
in his tracks.
"Go, your
faith has made you well."
However,
unlike others, he did not go. He came
with Jesus. He followed him all the way
to Jerusalem and
the cross. It is likely he became a
leader in the early church. We know his
name.
Hans Lang tells of an old Russian he came to know. When they first became acquainted, he was
already 80 years old. He was banished
for 27 years in Siberia . His wife and five of his children died
there. What did he look for in life
now? "I have had many
blessings. I have experienced the
heights and depths of life. I have
nothing else now. Only this." Then he put his hand into his pocket and,
wrapped in a handkerchief, pulled out a cross.
"This is all that is left to me now. It is nothing. But on the other hand, it is
everything."
The most important words any of us
will utter in our Christian journey is not, "Jesus, fix my
problem." Rather, it will be,
"Jesus, make a way with me, be my partner.
I want to follow you, like Bartimaeus, along the way of life."
"In
the context of the new creation, these 'miracles' are not miracles at all. They
are merely fore-tokens of the all-comprehensive salvation, the unscathed world,
and the glory of God. They point to the bodily character of salvation and to
the God who loves earthly life. "There is a difference between salvation
and healing: Healing vanquishes illness and creates health. Yet it does not
vanquish the power of death. But salvation in its full and completed form is
the annihilation of the power of death and the raising of men and women to
eternal life. In this wider sense of salvation...people are healed not through
Jesus' miracles, but through Jesus' wounds; that is, they are gathered into the
indestructible love of God."
- Jurgen
Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions,
Margaret Kohl, trans., Minneapolis :
Fortress Press, 1993, pp. 107-108
[1]
(Stephen C. Barton,
The Spirituality of the Gospels [Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.,
1992], 63).
[2]
(Craig A. Evans, “Mark 8:27-16:20,” Word Biblical Commentary 34b
[Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001], 129).
[3]
(Sowing the Gospel: Mark’s World in Literary-Historical Perspective
[Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996], 191).
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