Let me see again

Mark 10:46-52
The healing of blind Bartimaeus
 
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010%3A46-52&version=NRSVA
 
In last week’s reading, James and John asked Jesus for a special favor. Jesus responded, “What is it you want me to do for you?” (v.36). In today’s reading, Jesus asked Bartimaeus a similar question when he cried out for mercy. Bartimaeus is blind, sitting by the road, when he heard Jesus walking by. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” he shouted (v.48). Even when many try to quieten him, he shouted louder because he believed Jesus could make him well.
 
Despite being in a crowd, Jesus heard the blind man’s call, and said, “Call him here” (v.40). When he was brought to Jesus, he asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v.51). It may seem obvious to the reader that since he is blind, he would want to be healed. He indeed answered Jesus by saying, “Let me see again” (v.51). Several other translations say his response was “I want to see.”
 
The word “again” indicates that he had his sight before, but we don’t know Bartimaeus’ story or even who he was other than “son of Timaeus” (v.46). “Bar” means “son of,” so Bartimaeus literally means “son of Timaeus.” So, who was Timaeus? There is no other mention of Timaeus or Bartimaeus in the bible, but the footnote in The Harper Collins Study Bible, suggests that “the name Timaeus may have reminded some members of Mark’s audience of Plato’s praise of sight in his dialogue of that name” (p. 1745). Plato’s Timaeus explained the human eye is what connects the soul with the external world, and that it is through seeing that humans understand the world.
 
Bartimaeus was a biblical character who perhaps did not understand the world. His blindness disconnected him, but he wanted to see again and believed Jesus was the one who could recover his sight. The gospel writer of Mark probably wanted to expand on Plato’s ideas that when our sight fails and we feel disconnected from the world, Jesus is the one who can reconnect us.
 
Placed along with the other stories in Mark 10, this request to “see” seems important to highlight. All the biblical characters in this chapter had some form of blindness that kept them from understanding Jesus’ way of life. The rich man was focused too much on his material possessions, James and John were blinded by ambition, and Bartimaeus’ physical ailment made it difficult to follow Jesus. Perhaps the gospel writer wanted to point out that everyone has a blindness that can disconnect us from Jesus’ way.
 
Yet, Bartimaeus shows us that faith in Jesus can make us well. And, once Jesus spoke the words, “Go; your faith has made you well,” he “immediately … regained his sight and followed [Jesus] on the way” (v.52). Bartimaeus’ faith was what healed him, according to Jesus. Perhaps the gospel writer wanted to illustrate that faith in Jesus has the power to make us well. No matter what blinds us – our material wealth, our ambition, or physical ailments – our faith can make us well. Our blindness may make us feel disconnected and lost, but our faith can reconnect us and send us along Jesus’ way of compassion and love.
 
Reflection Questions:
If Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?” How would you respond? What do you want Jesus to do for you?
What is your blindness? What gets in the way of following Jesus?
Do you want to see?
Do you think faith can make you well?

Pray:
Pray for a faith that can make you well.

Action:
Remove something in your life that prevents you from seeing.  
 
*New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.