Sunday 27 October 2024
Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." (v. 52)
Background
Today’s reading is one of the pivot points in the gospel narrative. Jesus and his followers have left Jericho (v. 46) and are on the road to Jerusalem, where in a few hours Jesus will be greeted by cheering crowds welcoming him as evidence of “the coming kingdom of our ancestor David” (Mark 11:10). It will mark the start of a new phase in Jesus’ ministry and mission, and the final days before his arrest and execution.
And yet before that triumphal moment, among the crowds we witness the first person to shout at him, and to publicly declare that Jesus is “the Son of David”. Up until this point few people in Mark’s narrative have referred to his messianic status in this way. We’d heard indications of this understanding from those who were thought to be possessed by unclean spirits (Mark 1:24), as if it was the spirit’s understanding, and then Peter at Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:29), but each time Jesus had told them to keep quiet about this. Now the situation is different, time is of the essence and the real understanding of Jesus' identity is becoming clearer. This time it’s the crowd, not Jesus, who tells the man to be quiet (v. 48), but Jesus stops, listens and then gives the man what he is asking for (vs 49-52).
By naming Bartimaeus, Mark gives the story much more prominence. It is the last healing miracle in the gospel narrative and it’s no accident that this is a blind man who sees who Jesus really is. It stands in contrast to the disciples’ previous failure to understand and demonstrates that through faith it is possible to see the full truth of God, which in turn leads to discipleship. For not only is this man physically healed, he now leaves behind his life of begging to follow Jesus towards Jerusalem (v. 52).
To Ponder
- How do we ensure everyone is seen, heard and listened to and that we give respect to all people?
- How would you respond to Jesus’ question “What do you want me to do for you?”
Prayer
God of all, we pray for those whose lives are impacted by physical or psychological problems that make it difficult for them to engage with others. Help us to remove barriers so that all people can flourish and all can fulfil their calling to be your disciples. Amen.
Bible notes author: Dr Richard Vautrey
Dr Richard Vautrey is a local preacher and church steward in Leeds, and a former Vice-President of the Methodist Conference. He works as a GP and is a former chair of the BMA's GP committee.