Gospel Reflection
The authorship of the Gospel which bears the name of Mark is unknown. The Gospel writer was influenced by the stories, wisdom and leadership of Peter until Peter’s martyrdom sometime between 64 and 67 CE. The Gospel of Mark was probably written between 65 and 70 CE, after the death of Peter and towards or at the end of the four-year war between Israel and Rome. This was a time of turmoil, violence and great suffering. By 67 CE, Nero, the Roman Emperor had already killed many of the leaders of the Christian community in Rome.
Mark and many of his Christian contemporaries held strongly the early Christian apocalyptic hope for the end of the world and the imminent second coming of Jesus. Mark thinks of himself and his Christian community as caught up in events that indicate that the end of the world and the end of history is near at hand.
According to tradition, Mark’s Gospel was written in Rome. The Gospel of Mark was written for a Christian church that was made up for the most part of Gentile Christians. Scholars think that the community for whom Mark wrote needed affirmation and encouragement as they dealt with problems of being members of a small and often persecuted Christian community struggling to preserve its identity and integrity amidst the cultural and religious pluralism and upheaval of the Greco-Roman World.
Mark 10:46-52 is to be read in the context of ‘seeing’ and ‘being blind’ in the sections and passages that precede and follow it. The faith and persistence of the blind Bartimaeus is a sort of lens bringing into sharp focus the faithlessness and spiritual blindness of many who encounter Jesus earlier in Mark’s Gospel.
Mark 10:46-52 is a reference point as Jesus moves to Jerusalem, the centre of power and authority in Judaism. In Jerusalem, faithlessness and spiritual blindness are portrayed in all their malevolence, vindictiveness and deadliness. The blind Jewish leaders seem to be victorious as Mark narrates Jesus’ passion and death. But at Mark 16:1-30, first the hint, then the reality, of Resurrection begins to restore the sight of Jesus’ followers, blinded and broken as they are by grief and despair. Like Bartimaeus, Jesus’ followers begin to ‘see’ once more (Mark 16:1-30). Mark wants the persecuted and suffering Christians of his own time to ‘see once more’ as well.
The story of Bartimaeus reminds us that being blind can be understood in both a literal and a metaphorical way. Physical blindness may be a disability but it is not a condition that is morally blameworthy. In fact, we have many examples of blind people who are entirely admirable from a moral standpoint. They work with their blindness and accomplish much that is good and worthy in their own lives and the lives of others. Blind people also bring out unselfish behaviour in others.
Many maintain that narcissism, an excessive pre-occupation with oneself, is a growing sin of our times. Narcissism makes us blind to other people, to human need, and to action for a better world. Narcissism is a form of spiritual blindness and a denial of reality. We can all engage in narcissistic behaviours to a greater or lesser extent. The Bartimaeus story, understood in its context, challenges our narcissistic tendencies and offers instead the example of Jesus, the Man for Others.
Jesus’ gift to Bartimaeus is not only his sight but also his status in the community. By reaching out to the outcasts of society, Jesus brings general acceptance to them. How might you be able to bring general acceptance to the ‘outcasts’ at our school? What would happen if those students seen as unpopular were suddenly being given sincere attention and friendship by popular students?
Bartimaeus’ response to Jesus’ healing is to become his follower. Jesus tells him, ‘Be on your way’. Bartimaeus chooses then to follow the way of Jesus. If Bartimaeus had been given sight, and yet failed to recognise God’s blessings in his life, would that have been much of a success story?
You have been given many blessings by God. Do you always recognise your good fortune? Are you grateful to God for all you have? How are you a success story? What response would Jesus want you to give, as a demonstration of your thankfulness for all you have been blessed with?
Prayer
O Jesus Christ, teacher and healer,
you heard the cry of the blind beggar
when others would have silenced him.
Teach us to be attentive
to the voices others ignore,
that we might respond
to heal the afflicted
and to welcome the abandoned
for your sake and the sake of the gospel.
Teach us to be persistent in prayer
and give us courage to ask plainly
what we need from you,
that we might act in your name
by the power of the Spirit
through the ministry entrusted to us
for the sake of the gospel
Amen
