Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

Mark 10: 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

NBC 10:46-52 The healing of Bartimaeus (see Mt. 20:29-34; Lk. 18:35-43). This last recorded healing took place on the very road to suffering and death at Jerusalem. It is a picture of one in need with persistent faith being healed and, as a result, following Jesus. No doubt this was the story of many who followed Jesus, even during the terrible last week. Mark’s eyewitness remembered the man’s name, and Mark, as usual, translates it. Like many in the Third World, the man was simply known by his father’s name, but he may have been well known to the early church later.

Bartimaeus . A blind beggar who was healed by Jesus (Mk. 10:46–52). The name means ‘Son of Timaeus’ and may have been recorded by Mark because he was a well-known figure in the early church. The incident took place on Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem as he left Jericho, and is found in the other Synoptic Gospels, though with a number of differences. In Mt. 20:29–34 there are two blind men, while in Lk. 18:35–43 the healing takes place as Jesus is approaching Jericho. The story has been variously reconstructed, and it may be that Matthew and Mark refer to Old Jericho and Luke to New Jericho, which was to the S of it. The incident is remarkable for the persistence of Bartimaeus’ faith in Jesus as the Messiah.