The Gospel of Mark, Rightly Divided
Mark 10:46-52 | Session 42 | Mark Rightly Divided
Mark 10:46-52 | Blind Bartimaeus
Verse 46 -
There is much confusion about the healing of blind men in Jericho, and the various accounts in the gospels are often taught as one and the same, when they are clearly different. It is a case of our principle that "things that are similar are not the same." The key words in verse 46 are "as he went out of Jericho." Note that Luke 18:35-43 has a different account and says "as he was come nigh unto Jericho" (Lk. 18:35). Furthermore, Matthew 20:29-34 has yet another account which takes place "as they departed from Jericho," (Mt. 20:29), and involves two blind men. Thus at Jericho, a total of four blind men were healed.
Those who attack God's word point out these various accounts as discrepancies, not recognizing the differences. Academics who seek to defend such attacks attempt to make these the same accounts because they have so many similarities. It is almost as if the academics do not think that Jesus could have said the same or similar thing at similar circumstances. Rather than denounce these as discrepancies or come up with convoluted reasoning as to how entering and exiting are one and the same and two is the same as one, etc., I think it is best to take it as three accounts of four blind men. This saves the embarrassment of creating artificial scenarios to overcome the obvious dissimilarities in the accounts.
For example, the oft-mistaken website, Got Questions says the following:
The other issue in question is whether Jesus was entering Jericho or leaving it. Bible commentators cite the fact that at that time there were two Jerichos—one the mound of the ancient city (still existing today) and the other the inhabited city of Jericho. Therefore, Jesus could have healed the two men as He was leaving the ancient city of Jericho and entering the new city of Jericho. [FN1]
FN1] Did Jesus Heal Two Blind Men (Matthew 20:29-34) or One Blind Man (Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43)?" [GotQuestions.org](http://GotQuestions.org), [www.gotquestions.org/one-two-blind-men.html. Accessed 3 July 2024
The explanation is, quit simply, laughable. Whether the ancient mound (which was very unlikely a thoroughfare) or the modern city, Jericho was (and remains) Jericho.
For a comparison of the three accounts, see The Companion Bible, appendix 152.
The healing of four blind men at Jericho could also have been symbolic of the spiritual blindness and ultimate healing that Israel would hopefully soon be healed of, although the text does not make such specific application.
In a humorous linguistic twist lost to modern readers, we actually do not know the name of "Bartimaeus." In the original text, we have two languages: Aramaic (a form of Hebrew) and Greek. In Aramaic, it is "bar Timaeus," and in Greek (translated), it is "son of Timaeus," both identical in meaning. Mark simply included both the Aramaic and the Greek. We do not know who Timaeus was, but because he is named, he must have been prominent to some.
Verse 47 -
Bartimaeus, begging by the roadside, heard that Jesus was passing by and began to call out, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me." By calling Jesus the "Son of David," he was proclaiming his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Since Jesus had not done much ministry in Jericho, and presumably Bartimaeus had not traveled much outside of Jericho, it is evident that the fame of Jesus was widespread, and that many had accepted Him as Messiah even without having met Him. This speaks to the messianic confirmation of all that Jesus had said and done. There was really no conclusion that could be made save that He was Messiah.
Verse 48 -
The crowd was telling him to be quiet and not make a scene. This could have been because they did not believe it was dignified, they did not agree with him, or they did not want to attract attention from the Roman authorities. There may also be other reasons we haven't considered. There is no indication that the crowd disagreed with Bartimaeus's assessment. An excited pro-Jesus crowd likely wouldn't be overly concerned about protocol, so I suspect they were worried about the legal ramifications of political unrest that could be harshly prosecuted by the Romans.Whatever the issue, Bartimaeus wasn't deterred and "cried the more a great deal.”
Verse 49 -
When the crowd heard that Jesus wanted to talk to the man, the crowd responded positively, "Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee." This seems to testify that the crowd's evaluation of Jesus was positive, not negative. In other words, they also were believers.
Twice in the verse we have the verb "called." This can be compared to the Luke and Matthew accounts to see different verbs for the three different settings.These variations highlight different actions taken in each account, emphasizing the distinct nature of the three settings.
Gospel
Verse
Highlighted Difference
Mark 10:49
And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
commanded him to be called (indirect calling)
Luke 18:40
And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
commanded him to be brought
Matthew 20:32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
called them (directly)
Verse 50 -
Upon hearing that Jesus was calling him, Bartimaeus immediately came forward, "casting away his garment." The casting aside of the garment may have been for speed (leaving his coat behind) or may have been symbolic in some way (for example, a blanket used for warmth but also for collecting alms or communicating blindness).
Verse 51 -
Jesus gave a simple question: "What do you want from me?" and Bartimaeus gave a simple answer: "Let me see!" He used the Aramaic word "rabboni" (translated "Lord"). Since this is the second Aramaic word, it indicates that the man was both Jewish and in a region that spoke Aramaic often, rather than pure Hebrew. The use of original language words on the part of an author writing in Greek also gives an authenticity to it, sharing the full nuance of what the man said.
Verse 52 -
Bartimaeus was "made whole" in his sight by his faith, which led him to cry out to Jesus. Jesus told him to "go thy way," not as a command to "get out of here" but rather to "make a good life for yourself, do whatever you want to do." The man chose to follow Jesus "in the way" toward Jerusalem, where Jesus would soon be crucified.
This is a good example of how great experiences lead to great devotion. Under grace, the believer doesn't have to have a list of commandments. Rather, the teaching of grace reminds them of the blessings God has given.
