From Beggar To Follower
Preaching
Your Faith Has Made You Well
Preaching The Miracles
Miracle Nine
From Beggar To Follower
The Text
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. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 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." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 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." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus' healing and exorcising ministry comes to an end with this episode. After the healing of Bartimaeus, Jesus enters Jerusalem for the final confrontation with both the Judean and Roman leaders. Of the Marcan healing/miracle narratives treated in this book, this is the only one that takes place after the theologically decisive chapter 8, where Jesus explains about his death. For that reason, the healing of Bartimaeus' blindness has a symbolic meaning. Bartimaeus' words and actions in this narrative help us understand who Jesus is and how to respond to God's grace.
Background
Just as the ear enabled people to communicate, so the eye opened up the beauty of God's creation for people. For the Old Testament writers, the eyes were a gift bestowed by God. "The hearing ear and the seeing eye -- the Lord has made them both" (Proverbs 20:12). The J-source writer used eyesight as a metaphor for deeper understanding, for recognition of an existential or theological truth. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, "the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Genesis 3:7).
Two poignant stories from the Old Testament help us appreciate the deprivation of blindness. In both stories, not only did the blind person lose the ability to appreciate what the senses can tell us, but also the loss of eyesight had implications for relationships and satisfaction from life itself. The story about the end of Isaac's life is well known. Because he is blind, his wife and son are able to take advantage of him. Rebekah and Jacob fool him into believing that Jacob is Esau, so that Jacob is able to steal Esau's blessing. Isaac's other senses work well, but he is still vulnerable because of his failed eyesight. He is unable to protect himself from the treachery of his own family (Genesis 27). In the second narrative, the priest, Eli, is Samuel's tutor. Eli is old and his eyesight has begun to fail. Eli is still able to help Samuel interpret God's call to him, but Eli's failing eyesight is a metaphor for his increasing ineffectiveness. He is unable to control his sons, Hophni and Phineas. He cannot provide spiritual guidance for the people of Israel in the struggle with the Philistines. At the end of his life, Eli sits by the side of the road: old, heavy, and blind. When he hears how badly the battle with the Philistines has gone and that his sons have been killed he falls over in grief, breaking his neck. A one-time spiritual leader dies in a pathetic, disgraceful way (1 Samuel 2-4).
Bartimaeus hails Jesus as "Son of David." This is the first time in the Gospel of Mark that this title has been used. David, of course, is the great king who united Israel, established Jerusalem as the capital, and expanded Israel's territory. The prophets proclaimed a time when the Davidic empire would be restored. Jeremiah prophesied to the exiles that the Lord would restore Israel and Judah and bring them back to the land. Centuries after the time of the great king, Jeremiah promised, "On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them" (Jeremiah 30:8-9). Isaiah promises, "a shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1). In this prophecy, the leader who springs from the stump of Jesse (David's father) will usher in a time of justice, righteousness, wisdom, and even harmony in nature (see also Jeremiah 33:14-16). Those who, in Jesus' time, remained of ancient Israel still clung to this expectation that God would send a leader to restore the glory of David's time. Bartimaeus is the first character in the Gospel of Mark to make this connection with Jesus. This passage, however, reinterprets the coming of the Davidic messiah. No one expected the Davidic messiah to be a healer, but rather a warrior and ruler. Because Jesus did not lead an armed revolt against Roman imperialism, he did not fit the expectations of the people. Nevertheless, because Jesus can heal and vanquish the demonic forces he is a liberator. When Mark places the term "Son of David" on Bartimaeus' lips he asserts the political implications of Jesus' ministry. The time of liberation and salvation has begun. The breaking in of the dominion of God is a judgment on all human political structures. Bartimaeus' call to Jesus as "Son of David" was a challenge to the Judean officials and the Roman government.
Literary Analysis
It is instructive to compare the healing of Bartimaeus with the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida in chapter 8. The curious feature of that account is that Jesus seems to need two attempts to heal the man. Jesus puts saliva on his hands, lays his hands on the man, and then asks the man if he can see. The man can see somewhat but not clearly. His cryptic remark is that he "can see people, but they look like trees walking" (8:24). Jesus then lays his hands on the man's eyes again. After the second application the man can see. The placement of these two healing stories is important. The first story comes just before Jesus tells his disciples about his crucifixion. The second story comes after that announcement and just before Jesus goes to Jerusalem. The first story suggests that at this point in the Gospel of Mark, one can understand Jesus only partially. Jesus has been revealed only as the healer and exorcist who brings near the dominion of God. That is an important part of Jesus' identity but it is an incomplete understanding of Jesus. Bartimaeus, in chapter 10, can see clearly the first time. Mark may be saying that now, as Jesus and the disciples enter Jerusalem, we can see Jesus in his full identity as the healer who dies on the cross. In the verses just before the Bartimaeus story, Jesus defines himself as a servant. "For the Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (10:45). The healing of Bartimaeus is the signal that now the eyes of the disciples, and the reader, will be opened to who Jesus is.
Bartimaeus is a case study in assertiveness! When the crowd tries to shush him, he cries out even more loudly. As has been the case with the others Jesus has healed, Bartimaeus has little to lose and everything to gain by crying out. Nevertheless, we admire his courage. That Bartimaeus has heard of Jesus indicates that Jesus' fame has spread even to a person considered to be in the lowest social stratum, a beggar. Bartimaeus has probably had himself positioned in a high-traffic area so as to attract the most money. As Jesus and his entourage are leaving Jericho (after what must have been an uneventful visit, v. 46), Bartimaeus is in the right place at the right time. He sees his opportunity and takes it. The various crowds in the healing stories have played different roles. They sometimes help and sometimes hinder the person who needs healing. Here, the crowds try to silence Bartimaeus, but we don't know the reason. Perhaps their reaction to Bartimaeus indicates his lowly social status. Once Jesus calls Bartimaeus, the crowd changes its stance and tells him to "take heart." Bartimaeus' act of throwing off his cloak is a sign of his confidence that Jesus will grant his request.
Jesus' question to Bartimaeus is curious (v. 51). Surely Jesus knows he is blind. Jesus can read people with precision (2:8). Perhaps Jesus' question is a recognition that we all have multiple needs. Bartimaeus' answer suggests that he has not been blind from birth.
Bartimaeus is quite a contrast to the rich man who comes to Jesus earlier in the chapter (10:17-22). That man is rich; Bartimaeus is a beggar. That man can come to Jesus; Bartimaeus is lucky Jesus passed by. That man asks only for something after this life; Bartimaeus wants his life to change now. That man turns away from Jesus; Bartimaeus becomes a follower. Once again, Mark tells us that our need affects how we respond to Jesus.
Mark does not tell us what happened to the other characters who are healed. Bartimaeus becomes a follower. Mark lets us know that the real purpose of healing is to make followers of Jesus. Bartimaeus follows Jesus into Jerusalem, where Jesus will face the cross.
Theological Reflection
Repeatedly, Jesus (or the narrator) has commented on the faith of a person being healed or on the faith of those connected with the one healed. Certainly, Jesus is justifiably gratified when the people who come to him have faith. The question is what role faith has in the healing itself. Jesus heals people in cases where no mention of faith is made (1:40-45, where the man later disobeys Jesus). In his hometown, Jesus "could do no deed of power," presumably because of their "unbelief." (Mark says only that Jesus was "amazed at their unbelief," but Matthew is explicit that Jesus did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.) When Jesus raises Jairus' daughter, he exhorts Jairus "do not fear, only believe." We do not know if Jairus should "believe" to keep himself from despair, or because belief would facilitate the raising of his daughter. In some cases, Jesus assures a person that "your faith has made you well" (5:34, 10:52, see also 7:29). Taking all of the cases together, it seems safe to say that Jesus would not refuse to heal someone who had trouble removing all doubt or about whom Jesus was assured that the person would obey Jesus after the healing. Jesus' healing is a gracious gift, evidence that the dominion of God has come near. Jesus' comments praising the faith of people seem to be reassuring remarks to people who have overcome obstacles and impediments to get to Jesus. Certainly, Mark wants to encourage his readers to have faith and to persevere in seeking out Christ's power.
The Bartimaeus story introduces a new christological title for Jesus: Son of David. The first and most important title for Jesus is in Mark 1:1: Son of God. The title Jesus uses for himself is Son of Man. Although other titles are used for Jesus (such as teacher in 10:51, and prophet in 6:4), these three titles are the most significant in Mark's Gospel. Son of God, which the human community understands only at the foot of the cross (15:39), refers to Jesus' relationship to God. Jesus brings near the dominion of God. Son of Man can refer to the existential side of Jesus, the Jesus who will suffer and die (8:31) and to Jesus' authority over such things as the sabbath (2:28).1 Son of David refers to the political aspect of Jesus' ministry. Jesus restores the Davidic kingship. Jesus does not oppose the Roman occupation in a military way, but serves as king by casting out demons and healing. Part of the job of a king was to protect and provide for his subjects. When Bartimaeus follows Jesus after having called him "Son of David" he is acting on his political loyalty. Jesus offers salvation and liberation that the Judean and Roman officials cannot.
In this story and in others, the word translated by the NRSV as "made you well" is the Greek word for "save," or "salvation." The popular misconception about salvation is that it has to do only with our "souls" after we die. The Greek word for soul as used in the New Testament does not refer to a disembodied "ghost" that lives on after we die. In biblical thinking, body and soul are inseparable. Salvation culminates in the liberation of the creation from its bondage (see Romans 8:21). Physical disabilities such as blindness and political corruption are manifestations of that bondage. Salvation refers to physical, spiritual, and cosmic wholeness. That wholeness begins now, in this life.
Pastoral Reading
I want to return to the discussion about the phrase, "your faith has made you well." On the one hand, we preachers want to encourage people to have faith, rather than to give in to despair. Faith can keep people courageous and hopeful even in the worst of situations. Nevertheless, the phrase "your faith has made you well" can have a downside. When people do not heal, the phrase Jesus uses can become a burden. People can believe that they have not gotten well because of their lack of faith. That can become a guilt trip. Additionally, such an attitude can make God seem cold-hearted. We can begin to believe that God waits up in heaven for us to muster enough faith. Trying to erase every shred of doubt can be a monumental task. A misunderstanding of this phrase can shift the responsibility for healing to our effort rather than God's grace.
In an article from the Internet, Daniel Yee writes about a study done on the effect of "optimism" on the survival rates of cancer patients. The patients in the study had the same form of lung cancer. The study found that optimism or a positive attitude made no difference in survival rates. Furthermore, the study suggested that trying to be optimistic became a burden. Patients believed that they had to conceal their true feelings in order to maintain optimism. Optimism did help some patients in other situations lead a better quality of life, and make healthy lifestyle choices.2 Might not the same phenomenon apply to our exhortations to people to "have faith?" Having faith does not necessarily mean that we do not experience down times, times when we need to be honest with our frustration, and times when we need to ventilate our feelings. Faith can be continued trust in God even when hope for a "cure" has faded away.
The only experience I have had pastoring a person who was completely blind was in a hospital setting, and I did not have much contact with the patient. I have been pastor to people who encountered vision impairment. Cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma are common problems. Many parishioners have expressed to me their frustration at not being able to drive or read. Their freedom and their ability to learn were both limited. Some of them wanted to lead in worship -- to serve as a lector -- but could not do so. Some them had trouble following the liturgy in the bulletin or reading the hymns. Kathy Black explains with sensitivity that blind people are forced to trust others without being quite sure whom they can trust.3 The church should be on the forefront of addressing the social, worship, and employment needs of blind people.
Preaching Strategies
As the last of the healing stories in Mark, this passage helps us interpret all of the preceding stories. Mark has given the reader only meager information about how the other people healed by Jesus have responded. Simon's mother-in-law served Jesus and the others in her house. The leper in 1:40-45 went out proclaiming the word even though Jesus had admonished him not to say anything. The crowds who witness the healings often respond in wonder and amazement (see 5:42). In the Bartimaeus story, Mark pushes the reader to a proper understanding of the expected response to the grace, power, and healing offered by Jesus. The real contribution of this passage to the cycle of miracle stories in Mark is the emphasis at the end of the passage on Bartimaeus following Jesus. All of the miracle stories in Mark lead to this one. The appropriate response to Jesus' grace is to follow. As Simon's mother-in-law and the leper demonstrate, proclamation and service are part of that following. A sermon from this passage can move from the grace offered by Jesus to the discipleship modeled by Bartimaeus.
A sermon on this passage can reflect the irony that has run through all of the healing stories in Mark. That irony is that Jesus, the healer and life-giver, will be crucified. Chapter 11 begins Jesus' approach to Jerusalem, the place of his death. When Bartimaeus follows Jesus he follows to Jesus' death. If we can safely assume that having his eyesight restored enabled Bartimaeus to reclaim his previous life and employment, the irony is that he now risks his newfound life by following Jesus. Jesus has called his disciples to take up their crosses (8:34-38). Another irony is that Jesus has cautioned his followers in chapter 9 to tear out an eye if it causes them to stumble (9:47). Jesus is calling his followers to accept the values of the dominion of God. The dominion of God includes health and wholeness, but pursuit of that dominion sets up a conflict with the demonic forces of the world.
The preacher can move from an announcement of the gospel as gift -- health and wholeness -- to an announcement of the gospel as demand -- discipleship and conflict with the demonic forces. Research studies have indicated that such things as church attendance and prayer can lead to longer life.4 That is part of the gift of the gospel. We should not simply accept the gift of good health. We are called to respond by living sacrificial lives in confrontation with the evil of the world.
A sermon on this passage can exposit the implications of Bartimaeus calling Jesus "Son of David," a political term. If we look at the description of what the offspring of David will accomplish politically (Isaiah 11:1-5) we have an affirmation of the church's mission in advocating for the role of government in caring for the poor and meek.
____________
1.ÊJack Dean Kingsbury, The Christology of Mark 's Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983).
2.ÊDaniel Yee, "Optimistic attitude provides no help against cancer," Associated Press Archive, February 13, 2004.
3.ÊKathy Black, A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Disability (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), p. 59.
4.ÊChester L. Tolson and Harold G. Koenig document in their book, The Healing Power of Prayer (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003), the positive effects of prayer on stress and the immune system.
From Beggar To Follower
The Text
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. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 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." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 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." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus' healing and exorcising ministry comes to an end with this episode. After the healing of Bartimaeus, Jesus enters Jerusalem for the final confrontation with both the Judean and Roman leaders. Of the Marcan healing/miracle narratives treated in this book, this is the only one that takes place after the theologically decisive chapter 8, where Jesus explains about his death. For that reason, the healing of Bartimaeus' blindness has a symbolic meaning. Bartimaeus' words and actions in this narrative help us understand who Jesus is and how to respond to God's grace.
Background
Just as the ear enabled people to communicate, so the eye opened up the beauty of God's creation for people. For the Old Testament writers, the eyes were a gift bestowed by God. "The hearing ear and the seeing eye -- the Lord has made them both" (Proverbs 20:12). The J-source writer used eyesight as a metaphor for deeper understanding, for recognition of an existential or theological truth. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, "the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Genesis 3:7).
Two poignant stories from the Old Testament help us appreciate the deprivation of blindness. In both stories, not only did the blind person lose the ability to appreciate what the senses can tell us, but also the loss of eyesight had implications for relationships and satisfaction from life itself. The story about the end of Isaac's life is well known. Because he is blind, his wife and son are able to take advantage of him. Rebekah and Jacob fool him into believing that Jacob is Esau, so that Jacob is able to steal Esau's blessing. Isaac's other senses work well, but he is still vulnerable because of his failed eyesight. He is unable to protect himself from the treachery of his own family (Genesis 27). In the second narrative, the priest, Eli, is Samuel's tutor. Eli is old and his eyesight has begun to fail. Eli is still able to help Samuel interpret God's call to him, but Eli's failing eyesight is a metaphor for his increasing ineffectiveness. He is unable to control his sons, Hophni and Phineas. He cannot provide spiritual guidance for the people of Israel in the struggle with the Philistines. At the end of his life, Eli sits by the side of the road: old, heavy, and blind. When he hears how badly the battle with the Philistines has gone and that his sons have been killed he falls over in grief, breaking his neck. A one-time spiritual leader dies in a pathetic, disgraceful way (1 Samuel 2-4).
Bartimaeus hails Jesus as "Son of David." This is the first time in the Gospel of Mark that this title has been used. David, of course, is the great king who united Israel, established Jerusalem as the capital, and expanded Israel's territory. The prophets proclaimed a time when the Davidic empire would be restored. Jeremiah prophesied to the exiles that the Lord would restore Israel and Judah and bring them back to the land. Centuries after the time of the great king, Jeremiah promised, "On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them" (Jeremiah 30:8-9). Isaiah promises, "a shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1). In this prophecy, the leader who springs from the stump of Jesse (David's father) will usher in a time of justice, righteousness, wisdom, and even harmony in nature (see also Jeremiah 33:14-16). Those who, in Jesus' time, remained of ancient Israel still clung to this expectation that God would send a leader to restore the glory of David's time. Bartimaeus is the first character in the Gospel of Mark to make this connection with Jesus. This passage, however, reinterprets the coming of the Davidic messiah. No one expected the Davidic messiah to be a healer, but rather a warrior and ruler. Because Jesus did not lead an armed revolt against Roman imperialism, he did not fit the expectations of the people. Nevertheless, because Jesus can heal and vanquish the demonic forces he is a liberator. When Mark places the term "Son of David" on Bartimaeus' lips he asserts the political implications of Jesus' ministry. The time of liberation and salvation has begun. The breaking in of the dominion of God is a judgment on all human political structures. Bartimaeus' call to Jesus as "Son of David" was a challenge to the Judean officials and the Roman government.
Literary Analysis
It is instructive to compare the healing of Bartimaeus with the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida in chapter 8. The curious feature of that account is that Jesus seems to need two attempts to heal the man. Jesus puts saliva on his hands, lays his hands on the man, and then asks the man if he can see. The man can see somewhat but not clearly. His cryptic remark is that he "can see people, but they look like trees walking" (8:24). Jesus then lays his hands on the man's eyes again. After the second application the man can see. The placement of these two healing stories is important. The first story comes just before Jesus tells his disciples about his crucifixion. The second story comes after that announcement and just before Jesus goes to Jerusalem. The first story suggests that at this point in the Gospel of Mark, one can understand Jesus only partially. Jesus has been revealed only as the healer and exorcist who brings near the dominion of God. That is an important part of Jesus' identity but it is an incomplete understanding of Jesus. Bartimaeus, in chapter 10, can see clearly the first time. Mark may be saying that now, as Jesus and the disciples enter Jerusalem, we can see Jesus in his full identity as the healer who dies on the cross. In the verses just before the Bartimaeus story, Jesus defines himself as a servant. "For the Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (10:45). The healing of Bartimaeus is the signal that now the eyes of the disciples, and the reader, will be opened to who Jesus is.
Bartimaeus is a case study in assertiveness! When the crowd tries to shush him, he cries out even more loudly. As has been the case with the others Jesus has healed, Bartimaeus has little to lose and everything to gain by crying out. Nevertheless, we admire his courage. That Bartimaeus has heard of Jesus indicates that Jesus' fame has spread even to a person considered to be in the lowest social stratum, a beggar. Bartimaeus has probably had himself positioned in a high-traffic area so as to attract the most money. As Jesus and his entourage are leaving Jericho (after what must have been an uneventful visit, v. 46), Bartimaeus is in the right place at the right time. He sees his opportunity and takes it. The various crowds in the healing stories have played different roles. They sometimes help and sometimes hinder the person who needs healing. Here, the crowds try to silence Bartimaeus, but we don't know the reason. Perhaps their reaction to Bartimaeus indicates his lowly social status. Once Jesus calls Bartimaeus, the crowd changes its stance and tells him to "take heart." Bartimaeus' act of throwing off his cloak is a sign of his confidence that Jesus will grant his request.
Jesus' question to Bartimaeus is curious (v. 51). Surely Jesus knows he is blind. Jesus can read people with precision (2:8). Perhaps Jesus' question is a recognition that we all have multiple needs. Bartimaeus' answer suggests that he has not been blind from birth.
Bartimaeus is quite a contrast to the rich man who comes to Jesus earlier in the chapter (10:17-22). That man is rich; Bartimaeus is a beggar. That man can come to Jesus; Bartimaeus is lucky Jesus passed by. That man asks only for something after this life; Bartimaeus wants his life to change now. That man turns away from Jesus; Bartimaeus becomes a follower. Once again, Mark tells us that our need affects how we respond to Jesus.
Mark does not tell us what happened to the other characters who are healed. Bartimaeus becomes a follower. Mark lets us know that the real purpose of healing is to make followers of Jesus. Bartimaeus follows Jesus into Jerusalem, where Jesus will face the cross.
Theological Reflection
Repeatedly, Jesus (or the narrator) has commented on the faith of a person being healed or on the faith of those connected with the one healed. Certainly, Jesus is justifiably gratified when the people who come to him have faith. The question is what role faith has in the healing itself. Jesus heals people in cases where no mention of faith is made (1:40-45, where the man later disobeys Jesus). In his hometown, Jesus "could do no deed of power," presumably because of their "unbelief." (Mark says only that Jesus was "amazed at their unbelief," but Matthew is explicit that Jesus did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.) When Jesus raises Jairus' daughter, he exhorts Jairus "do not fear, only believe." We do not know if Jairus should "believe" to keep himself from despair, or because belief would facilitate the raising of his daughter. In some cases, Jesus assures a person that "your faith has made you well" (5:34, 10:52, see also 7:29). Taking all of the cases together, it seems safe to say that Jesus would not refuse to heal someone who had trouble removing all doubt or about whom Jesus was assured that the person would obey Jesus after the healing. Jesus' healing is a gracious gift, evidence that the dominion of God has come near. Jesus' comments praising the faith of people seem to be reassuring remarks to people who have overcome obstacles and impediments to get to Jesus. Certainly, Mark wants to encourage his readers to have faith and to persevere in seeking out Christ's power.
The Bartimaeus story introduces a new christological title for Jesus: Son of David. The first and most important title for Jesus is in Mark 1:1: Son of God. The title Jesus uses for himself is Son of Man. Although other titles are used for Jesus (such as teacher in 10:51, and prophet in 6:4), these three titles are the most significant in Mark's Gospel. Son of God, which the human community understands only at the foot of the cross (15:39), refers to Jesus' relationship to God. Jesus brings near the dominion of God. Son of Man can refer to the existential side of Jesus, the Jesus who will suffer and die (8:31) and to Jesus' authority over such things as the sabbath (2:28).1 Son of David refers to the political aspect of Jesus' ministry. Jesus restores the Davidic kingship. Jesus does not oppose the Roman occupation in a military way, but serves as king by casting out demons and healing. Part of the job of a king was to protect and provide for his subjects. When Bartimaeus follows Jesus after having called him "Son of David" he is acting on his political loyalty. Jesus offers salvation and liberation that the Judean and Roman officials cannot.
In this story and in others, the word translated by the NRSV as "made you well" is the Greek word for "save," or "salvation." The popular misconception about salvation is that it has to do only with our "souls" after we die. The Greek word for soul as used in the New Testament does not refer to a disembodied "ghost" that lives on after we die. In biblical thinking, body and soul are inseparable. Salvation culminates in the liberation of the creation from its bondage (see Romans 8:21). Physical disabilities such as blindness and political corruption are manifestations of that bondage. Salvation refers to physical, spiritual, and cosmic wholeness. That wholeness begins now, in this life.
Pastoral Reading
I want to return to the discussion about the phrase, "your faith has made you well." On the one hand, we preachers want to encourage people to have faith, rather than to give in to despair. Faith can keep people courageous and hopeful even in the worst of situations. Nevertheless, the phrase "your faith has made you well" can have a downside. When people do not heal, the phrase Jesus uses can become a burden. People can believe that they have not gotten well because of their lack of faith. That can become a guilt trip. Additionally, such an attitude can make God seem cold-hearted. We can begin to believe that God waits up in heaven for us to muster enough faith. Trying to erase every shred of doubt can be a monumental task. A misunderstanding of this phrase can shift the responsibility for healing to our effort rather than God's grace.
In an article from the Internet, Daniel Yee writes about a study done on the effect of "optimism" on the survival rates of cancer patients. The patients in the study had the same form of lung cancer. The study found that optimism or a positive attitude made no difference in survival rates. Furthermore, the study suggested that trying to be optimistic became a burden. Patients believed that they had to conceal their true feelings in order to maintain optimism. Optimism did help some patients in other situations lead a better quality of life, and make healthy lifestyle choices.2 Might not the same phenomenon apply to our exhortations to people to "have faith?" Having faith does not necessarily mean that we do not experience down times, times when we need to be honest with our frustration, and times when we need to ventilate our feelings. Faith can be continued trust in God even when hope for a "cure" has faded away.
The only experience I have had pastoring a person who was completely blind was in a hospital setting, and I did not have much contact with the patient. I have been pastor to people who encountered vision impairment. Cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma are common problems. Many parishioners have expressed to me their frustration at not being able to drive or read. Their freedom and their ability to learn were both limited. Some of them wanted to lead in worship -- to serve as a lector -- but could not do so. Some them had trouble following the liturgy in the bulletin or reading the hymns. Kathy Black explains with sensitivity that blind people are forced to trust others without being quite sure whom they can trust.3 The church should be on the forefront of addressing the social, worship, and employment needs of blind people.
Preaching Strategies
As the last of the healing stories in Mark, this passage helps us interpret all of the preceding stories. Mark has given the reader only meager information about how the other people healed by Jesus have responded. Simon's mother-in-law served Jesus and the others in her house. The leper in 1:40-45 went out proclaiming the word even though Jesus had admonished him not to say anything. The crowds who witness the healings often respond in wonder and amazement (see 5:42). In the Bartimaeus story, Mark pushes the reader to a proper understanding of the expected response to the grace, power, and healing offered by Jesus. The real contribution of this passage to the cycle of miracle stories in Mark is the emphasis at the end of the passage on Bartimaeus following Jesus. All of the miracle stories in Mark lead to this one. The appropriate response to Jesus' grace is to follow. As Simon's mother-in-law and the leper demonstrate, proclamation and service are part of that following. A sermon from this passage can move from the grace offered by Jesus to the discipleship modeled by Bartimaeus.
A sermon on this passage can reflect the irony that has run through all of the healing stories in Mark. That irony is that Jesus, the healer and life-giver, will be crucified. Chapter 11 begins Jesus' approach to Jerusalem, the place of his death. When Bartimaeus follows Jesus he follows to Jesus' death. If we can safely assume that having his eyesight restored enabled Bartimaeus to reclaim his previous life and employment, the irony is that he now risks his newfound life by following Jesus. Jesus has called his disciples to take up their crosses (8:34-38). Another irony is that Jesus has cautioned his followers in chapter 9 to tear out an eye if it causes them to stumble (9:47). Jesus is calling his followers to accept the values of the dominion of God. The dominion of God includes health and wholeness, but pursuit of that dominion sets up a conflict with the demonic forces of the world.
The preacher can move from an announcement of the gospel as gift -- health and wholeness -- to an announcement of the gospel as demand -- discipleship and conflict with the demonic forces. Research studies have indicated that such things as church attendance and prayer can lead to longer life.4 That is part of the gift of the gospel. We should not simply accept the gift of good health. We are called to respond by living sacrificial lives in confrontation with the evil of the world.
A sermon on this passage can exposit the implications of Bartimaeus calling Jesus "Son of David," a political term. If we look at the description of what the offspring of David will accomplish politically (Isaiah 11:1-5) we have an affirmation of the church's mission in advocating for the role of government in caring for the poor and meek.
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1.ÊJack Dean Kingsbury, The Christology of Mark 's Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983).
2.ÊDaniel Yee, "Optimistic attitude provides no help against cancer," Associated Press Archive
3.ÊKathy Black, A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Disability (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), p. 59.
4.ÊChester L. Tolson and Harold G. Koenig document in their book, The Healing Power of Prayer (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003), the positive effects of prayer on stress and the immune system.
