Mark 10:51-52 - Jesus, our Hope and Our Vision

Mark 10:51-52 “'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said,  ' rabbi, I want to see.' 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

It was early morning and a blanket of fog clung to the twisting and winding road. The beauty of the fog-covered landscape was intense; of course, my view of it was somewhat challenged since my visor was covered in bug splatter. That made riding home rather difficult. Fortunately I knew the way since I had ridden it many times. After all, it was my typical route to and from work.  After a long night of work, I was tired. The bug guts encrusting my helmet made seeing out of it hard, and the fog made seeing where I was going even harder. Just because I knew the way pretty well did not mean that I knew where all the hazards on the road were. I didn't know if or where there would be pieces of tire lying, or a board lying in the road, maybe broken glass at some point, and of course stopped or very slow moving cars. I had to slow down and make my way home as best as I could, going no faster than I could see and react.  Our vision is so important!

Not just physical sight, however, but spiritual vision is important. Good old Blind Bartimaeus was persistant in calling for Christ, desperately knowing that Jesus was his hope. During the Triumphal Entry, the crowds of Jerusalem, filled with Jews from around the world cried out “Hosanna” which means “Save [us] and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They also wanted something from Jesus. They wanted a political figure who would drive out the Romans and give them everything they felt the deserved that the Romans were taking as tribute. But Blind Bartimaeus who sat by the roadside outside of Jerusalem wanted Jesus to have mercy on him, personally. He was probably something of a fixture and a bit of local colour, he must have been since the Bible actually recorded his name while the names of many if not most of the others that Jesus healed were not. 

Blind Bartimaeus was probably whispered about, or used as an object lesson and warning for children. He was derided and scorned, and made his living begging. But when he had a chance for something, he was tenacious. He knew he had this chance when Jesus was passing by, and this might be his only chance! “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'” (Mark 10:47) Of course the noise this blind, smelly beggar was making was distracting the crowds who had gathered to watch Jesus. So they shushed Bart. He wouldn't quiet down. He pursued Christ with all the tenacity he could muster. He probably stretched out his hands and tried to make his way through the crowd, being jostled and shoved and kicked, trying to find a way to get to Jesus. He kept calling the same thing over and over again “Have mercy on me!” until Jesus heard him and stopped.  Bart didn't give up. He didn't stop. He pressed onward knowing that Jesus was his only hope. He had spiritual vision, which Jesus rewarded by giving him his physical vision.  The crowds in Jerusalem during Jesus' Triumphal Entry, however, only had physical vision and images of conquest and power dancing in their heads. To them, Jesus was a means to an end, and not their only hope.

This week, lets focus on the lesson Blind Bartimaeus teaches us. Lets press on towards Christ, not faltering, ignoring the catcalls and slurs from those around us, not letting them hold us up, but shouting ever louder and pressing ever harder towards Christ. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” should become our prayer this week.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
^{Dal­lan For­gaill, 8th Cen­tu­ry, translated by  Mary E. Byrne, 1905}