I have been listening to a series of podcasts recently describing the upsurge in conspiracy theories, predominantly in the US. We had a Prime Minister in the UK who had some cake during COVID and received a penalty fine but remained very popular for some time. We have a presidential candidate with 34 felonies, offering a string of falsehoods (even substantiated as lies by his vice president nominee) who has the support of half of the nation’s voters – if polls are to be believed. Can people be so blind?
Who is for a (very) quick stop in Jericho?
In this week’s Gospel story – Mark 10:46-52 – we have Jesus and his entourage entering and immediately leaving Jericho. It wasn’t long enough for anyone to charge up their EV nor get additional rations. It would seem that the author of the Gospel just had to put a pin on the map to help the listeners grasp that they are on their way to Jerusalem still.
As the ‘caravan’ of disciples leaves the city they meet a crowd where a blind beggar is sitting alongside the road. I am not sure just how long he has been there. From other healings in the Gospel, could it have been many decades (John 5)? This beggar, named as Bar-Timaeus – which could mean ‘son of Timaeus’, more of which later – starts to shout out; in fact the Greek suggests that he is sobbing, crying out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me“. The crowd try to shout him down, why? Sounds legitimate, until we consider the context when this Gospel was perceived to have been written. To encourage any of the nearby Roman officials to consider that here within this crowd is a possible agitator, one able of sedition, would be so wrong. “Keep your voice down!” the crowd might be saying. But ‘Son of David’ suggests strongly that this is the Messiah: that’s political. The one that promises and then realises those promises. Do we hear that at elections?
Jesus stops. Yes, it isn’t often that Jesus is reported to standing still and calling others to him. Bar-Timaeus throws off his cloak : ooh gross. How many items of clothing would a blind beggar have if they have been sitting on the roadside? ‘Don’t look Ethel!‘
Jesus asks: “What do you want me to do for you?“. – just as he did at Mark 10:36. What, an immediate repeat? Bar-Timaeus’ sight is healed and then follows Jesus on the road – hopefully with his cloak now on…
Mark’s Gospel
In earlier Chapters (8-10) Jesus has been ‘on the way’. He heals a man in Bethsaida – amazing; then, he pops up a mountain for what’s known as the Transfiguration – very confusing; Jesus speaks about his death and the resurrection, to which the disciples are confused; the disciples argue about who will be the greatest, losing focus upon serving; the disciples don’t see the marginalised in their society, the ones who have no power; and then Bar-Timaeus comes upon the scene. I wonder why?
But Bar-Timaeus sees what the others do not. He is healed naked, and then leaves the confines of Jericho. He moves from the roadside, the margins, and takes up a place alongside Jesus ‘on the road/Way’. He leaves all that he has grown to become accustomed to, albeit blind – all those who may have helped him over those years; and seeks the challenge, of taking chances, of seeing justice with his own eyes.
We might see folk offering their cloaks in the next Chapter as Jesus rides into Jerusalem.
Other Synoptic Gospels?
Yes this story is also told in Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18: 35-43. In Matthew’s version we have two blind beggars, whereas in Luke’s rendition, there’s only one : none are named. In all 3 Gospels, the crowd rebuke the man/men for calling out to Jesus – must be a bit like the children calling out to Jesus earlier. “Seen but not heard”? The dialogue ensues and the man/men are healed, and they all walk off to Jerusalem. There is a semblance of a common story line, even if we can’t quite agree on who exactly actually gets healed. Did ‘Mark’ write the original, and the others also include this story in their Gospels?
Oh Concerns
There are concerns with this story. The ‘Son of David’ would be Solomon, who was, according to Jewish tradition, a healer. The same response from Jesus at the conclusion of the healings (Mark 5:34 and Mark 10:52) “your faith has made you well” can be seen. The author of Mark’s Gospel is also suggested to make a pun on the name of Bar-Timaeus, as in Hebrew, it could be translated as ‘son of the greatest honour’ – quite a u-turn from being unclean and on the side of the road, ignored by many as they pass. There’s a character in Greek mythology, known as Tiresias, who also sees truth, albeit blind; and a tenuous link to Socrates. Hence, some scholars believe that Bar-Timaeus is a literary invention. He is not seen nor heard again in the Gospel.
What do you think? Does the story alone help to emphasis the message without it being literally true: a metaphorical tale rather than a historical event?
What could it all mean?
The point that the author may be seeking to convey is that although the disciples – mainly, but we could also include the Pharisees, Scribes, Sanhedrin, local rulers etc – were blind to what Jesus was teaching them, others may also be blind to the real situation around them. Those around us are equally worthy of our love and attention. Those sitting on the roadside may appreciate – as might we – some time, some compassion as – like Jesus – we stand still and listen, engage and have a dialogue. Perhaps, even we might see more clearly the message of Christ then?
Besides all other things, what I noticed is, if these beggars or whoever Jesus healed did not shout or ask him to do it, Jesus would not have healed them. Although there is that woman who touched Jesus’ garment and got healed. The action originates from these people in order to be healed. I am just wondering if this has got something to do with – Matthew 7:7-8 NIV. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks and receives; the one who seeks finds; and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened”.
Yes, I agree that the message for us is to stop by and talk to people who are marginalized by society, although in some parts of the world it is harder to do it than others. People in general can be so selfish that they do not look at the broader picture when they vote for their leaders or when they deal with people who are not like them.
It’s interesting when you compare this story with that in Matthew or Luke. Were there many beggars shouting or was this story metaphorical? (I’m with the latter)
If so, this is a story with a meaning not a historical account.
You can find a connection with Ask, seek, knock verses but given where they are grouped together in Matthew’s Gospel was this about discovering the kingdom of God? (Again, not in direct relation to prayer)
With regard to your last point, I can certainly see a parallel to a certain election concluding soon. There, marginalisation is the key it would seem.
“You can find a connection with Ask, seek, knock verses but given where they are grouped together in Matthew’s Gospel was this about discovering the kingdom of God? (Again, not in direct relation to prayer)”
James 5:14-16: NIV:
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If you have sinned, you will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Philippians 4: NIV:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 7:7-11: NIV: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds.
Mark 11:24: NIV: Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
So in the order that these were written:
James either 60s or 80s;
Philippians 62 when Paul was in prison.
Mark early 70s
Matthew late 70s – mid 80s
So we can’t base the Ask set phrase on the previous verses unless it was a well known speech from Jesus, which given the lack of flow in the Sermon on the Mount, it is perceived to be a collection of statements sewn together.
As I said in the series on James, many scholars favour the later release timeframe, so let’s leave that for a moment.
That leaves us with Philippians or Mark.
In Paul’s letter he speaks of telling God of what’s happening to us and the peace of God being received – not a materialistic answer. Would you agree?
In Mark’s Gospel, it is about faith. We are in the last few chapters of the Gospel approaching Jerusalem How might you have heard this read it to you just after the Temple had been destroyed (the Gospel was written after this calamitous event)? Could you, if disabled, pray for restoration of the body, if under Roman servitude, seek to be in power? What if the response didn’t materialise? We’re you of no faith?
So, to James. In those times healing would occur in many places not at the local GP. Getting appointments then was as fraught as it is now… You could go to the Temple…not the Jewish one but the Temple of Asclepius where words, oil and lotions would be applied. What caused you to be ill were the cosmic forces which purveyed everywhere. James had linked those forces to sin.
In all of these verses it speaks of being with God, knowing God. There you will be, in a spiritual sense, in a better place.
”In all of these verses it speaks of being with God, knowing God. There you will be, in a spiritual sense, in a better place.”
If prayers were meant for us to be in a better place in a spiritual sense, then what was the need for us to have a physical presence in this world ?
In almost every story of Jesus healing, Jesus talks of 2 things – “your faith has saved you” or “your sins are forgiven”. Does that mean people need healing physically because of their sins? Also, is it because of their sins that their prayers are not heard? As though the healthy people running around are all sinless.
However, with regard to faith, I think healing is directly proportional to faith in some cases, perhaps even scientifically (The Power of your subconscious mind -Book by Joseph Murphy)
We do not know how many times Jesus healed people. We do know those times that the authors felt compelled to include them in the text…which might emphasise their point.
What we described as sin is what keeps us from God, which is not a physical barrier. We may need to divorce ourselves of the notion of health and sin (or absence of) – the correlation is sketchy.
I agree that the desire to do something can be a significant factor in how we feel. So is desire, faith?
Well, I think the desire could be one of the factors for healing. If only you have a desire, you ask God for it.
But having a desire is not faith. Faith is a strong belief or trust in someone or something, even if there is no proof. Faith is often used in a spiritual context, and is considered a loyalty to someone or something. For example, you might have faith in God without having seen him.
It’s not just about healing, but it could be anything that you really want – of this world or spiritually, and it’s not something against God’s will. I think the outcome of “prayer” may not be something that can be seen in black and white. Perhaps, experiences of life with prayers, cause us to have faith in God such that you get a feeling that God is in control of every situation, and we are never forsaken. God would not just sit and watch people suffer eternally, just because the cause of suffering was the people themselves. The story of Job in the Bible is an example of faith.
Faith can be even in the form of superstitions for some people.
I just recollected, one of the preachers in our Bangalore Methodist church commented when someone died or was terminally ill, that we all suffer because of our sins. Unfortunately, the majority preach things so casually at times without thinking or reasoning, and most people have no issues with that.
That last paragraph had haunted me all day. Again to link sin with health or rather sin with ill health. It’s awful.
John 9: NIV: As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”.
So why do we link them together?
(Augustine 4thC)
Our sin is used a threat and was re-energised with the development of Ransom atonement and Anselm’s Satisfaction atonement theory (based upon a medieval understanding of life then – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_theory_of_atonement). If Jesus died because of the Roman’s hatred of being usurped, their dominion overthrow, not by force but love, then sin doesn’t have so much of a hold. I’m not saying ‘do what you want’, but we don’t need to damned by God each Sunday morning when Christ’s death and resurrection has given us the example to lead. Repent – that is, change direction – and go do and be.