We continue in Mark for our Summer Reading Challenge of 2022. Today’s reflections from Mark chapter 10 address the mercy and mission of Jesus the Messiah!
- Mark chapter 10 has six main movements: (1) Jesus’ teaching on divorce (10:1-12); (2) Jesus’ teaching about receiving and entering the Kingdom of God (10:13-16); (3) Jesus’ teaching about earthly and heavenly treasures (10:17-31); (4) Jesus foretells His death and resurrection a third time (10:32-34); (5) Jesus’ teaching on greatness and service (10:35-45); and (6) Jesus heals a blind man (10:46-52).
- The flow of today’s episode first look at the healing of Blind Bartimaeus and then briefly take note a couple other things in the chapter
Part 1: Blind Bartimaeus
- I have always been struck by the persistence of this blind beggar who sat by the roadside on the way out of Jericho. He hears that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was passing by. Unable to see what is happening, Bartimaeus begins to cry out and say “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- The response of those around him was to try and hush this crazy blind man. At their rebukes – “he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me'” (10:48)!
- Three quick thoughts: (1) Notice what Bartimaeus has heard about this Jesus of Nazareth – that he is the “Son of David.” This title, much like “Son of Man,” is heavy with messianic connotation, it is a title of kingship — that is, Bartimaeus was recognizing that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of the promise which God made to David in 2 Sam 7:12-16. The blind man could see Jesus clearer than the scribes and the Pharisees!
- (2) It is fascinating that Jesus’ three major predictions about his death and resurrection happen between two accounts of blind men being healed – the blind man at Bethsaida in Mark 8:22-26 and Bartimaeus here in 10:46-52. They serve as bookends, framing the blindness of the people in general and disciples in specific surrounding the true mission of Jesus (more on that in a moment).
- (3) I love this! When the crowd dismissed Bartimaeus as a crazy blind beggar, and unfortunate blemish in Jesus’ path — when they sought to silence him, Bartimaeus cried out all the more! Friend, when the world around you pressures you to not cry out to the Lord — cry out! Cry out to him!
- The response of those around him was to try and hush this crazy blind man. At their rebukes – “he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me'” (10:48)!
- What was Jesus response? He stopped. … And told those around him to “Call him.” Notice, the ones who sought to silence Bartimaeus, Jesus now enlists in calling the man. And notice how their tune changed — they say “Take heart. Get up; He is calling you.”
- Bartimaeus, clearly elated, throws off his cloak, springs up and comes to Jesus. And he makes his request to Jesus, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus says to him “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way” (Mark 10:52)
- I noted something here that I had never noticed before — Jesus say, “Go YOUR WAY” — then Mark repeats the use of the word “way.” Bartimaeus did not go about his business – “thank you, Lord, I’m heading home now” — No. It says that Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus “ON THE WAY.”
- And that provokes two questions: (1) of all the people whom Jesus healed, why do we know the name of Bartimaeus? Perhaps it is because he followed Jesus – did he become a life time follower of Jesus? We don’t know — but what we do know is that Mark took the time record his name and the name of his father (Timaeus).
- (2) What was “the way” on which Bartimaeus followed Jesus? That leads us to another fascinating aspect of this chapter.
- I noted something here that I had never noticed before — Jesus say, “Go YOUR WAY” — then Mark repeats the use of the word “way.” Bartimaeus did not go about his business – “thank you, Lord, I’m heading home now” — No. It says that Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus “ON THE WAY.”
Part 2: Jesus’ Mission
- The verse which immediately comes before the account of blind Bartimaeus receiving his sight is Mark 10:45 – a verse well worth memorizing – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” These words were spoken to the disciples as they jockeyed for positions of greatness.
- First, let us consider, Jesus is saying, “If I, I the Son of Man, the fulfillment of that messianic figure in Daniel 7 who would receive from the Ancient of Days an everlasting kingdom consisting, not only of Israelites, but from all peoples, nations, and languages – if I can to serve, such should by your attitude.”
- Second, Jesus uses this phrase, “give his life as a ransom for many.” He is giving a fuller picture to the significance and purpose of what he has now told his disciples three times – that he would suffer, die, and rise again (Mark 10:32-34).
- Now what does it mean that Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many?
- Jesus paints this picture John 10:15 – “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep”
- Paul describes it in this way in Galatians 1:4 – “[he] gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”
- And again in Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
- Or again in Titus 2:14 – speaking of Jesus, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
- All of this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:10-11 – “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”
- So we might put it this way: He has ransomed us, purchased us to (a) deliver us from the penalty that our sins deserve, (b) deliver us out of the darkness and evil that, not only surrounds us, but is also within us, and (c) to make us His possession – a people belonging to him ready to live out His purposes in this world.
- So this brings us back to this question – what was “the way” on which Bartimaeus followed Jesus?
- We see in Mark 10:32 that Jesus was on the road going to Jerusalem. And he tells his disciples in the next verse (10:33) that in Jerusalem the Son of Man will be delivered over to death. And what do we read following the account that “immediately [Bartimaeus] had recovered his sight and followed [Jesus] on the way”? We read Mark 11:1 – “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem…”
Conclusion:
- My friend, are you like Bartimaeus in need of Jesus Christ? Cry out to Him! Regardless of what the crowds are saying — call out to Him. If they try to silence you, cry all the louder. Call upon the Lord!
- Have you considered that Jesus died — he gave His life as a ransom to purchase you? And belonging to Him means being ready to live ouT His purposes in this world! Are you, like Bartimaeus, willing to follow Him in to Jerusalem where He will be rejected by the chief priests and killed? Oh come this day! Consider going over the second part of this episode again and meditating on what it means that Jesus gave His life as a ransom!