Mark 10:46-52 Let me see again

As Jesus 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.

This healing joins with the restoration in Bethsaida, Mk 8.22, to bracket the three predictions of Jesus' death. The image seems to be that the disciples have new sight, new insight into Jesus ministry, suffering, and the cross, and what it means to be a disciple.

The irony is that Bartimaeus starts to follow Jesus at the same time that Jesus is moving towards the Cross.

Very good comparison was made today in our Sunday School class, comparing "So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus" with the previous reading of the Rich Man whom Jesus told to sell all his possession and follow.

Bartimaeus, being a blind beggar, may only have had the cloak as his sole possession.

The comparison then is that Bartimaeus did what the rich man, and I, am not ready to do.

I will have to ponder this one, very interesting point.