Seeing the Unseen

Read Mark 10:46-52

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. –Mark 10:46 

Jesus healed many people in Mark’s Gospel. A man with leprosy. A woman with a flow of blood. A Syrophoenician woman’s daughter. Adults and children afflicted with “unclean spirits.” A blind man, a deaf man, a lame man. What do all these people have in common? We don’t know their names. The only name we’ve encountered so far was Jairus, the father of a little girl that Jesus raised from the dead. This final healing story in Mark’s Gospel is significant because, of all the people whom Jesus healed, Bartimaeus is the only one whose name we know. Which should prompt the simple question for us—Why?

There are several possible answers. One of which is that, of all the people that Jesus healed, Bartimaeus is the only one who became a disciple. Others, such as the man from Gerasene, wanted to follow Jesus after their healing. But in every case, Jesus told them to “go back” to their homes and families (and in many cases forbade them to tell anyone who had healed them). Jesus did the same with Bartimaeus—he said to him, “Go.” (Not come.) Bartimaeus did not go, however; instead, he followed Jesus along the road. (v. 52)

Mark tells us that Bartimaeus “threw off his cloak” when Jesus approached him (v. 50). This wasn’t just an act of excitement; it was a symbolic act of surrender. In the same way that Simon and Andrew “dropped their nets” to follow Jesus, Bartimaeus’ surrendering of his cloak represented his desire to leave behind his old life and embrace a new life in Jesus’ presence. While not one of “the Twelve,” it is nonetheless likely that Bartimaeus became a known and recognized leader within the early Christian community—hence he was named.

Another significant feature of Bartimaeus’ story is how he addressed Jesus. Bartimaeus did not cry out “Healer!” or “Rabbi!” from the side of the road. He called out “Son of David”—a Messianic title. Although he was blind, he was able to see Jesus’ true identity. In fact, this was the first public declaration of Jesus as the Messiah in Mark’s Gospel—Peter’s confession a few chapters before took place in a private moment among the disciples. It is significant that Mark placed Bartimaeus’ story right before the Triumphal Entry, when all of Jerusalem would hail Jesus as their King. By faith, Bartimaeus saw and proclaimed that which could not be perceived by sight alone.

Finally, we should consider that Bartimaeus’ name has symbolic meaning as well. Mark tells us that he is the “son of Timaeus.” Even if you don’t know Biblical Hebrew, perhaps you can deduce that “Bar” means “son.” We’ve seen this previously in our devotions. When Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus praised him and said, “Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah.” A person’s formal name would include their father, kind of the same way that my wife uses my middle name whenever I’ve done something really good or bad. (Usually it’s the latter.) In this case, Jesus was not only praising Simon, but he used his full and formal name because he was about to change his name to “Peter”—the Rock.

There’s another well-known disciple whose name starts with “Bar.” In the book of Acts, we meet a disciple named “Joseph” who was from the region of Cyprus. However, that was not the name the disciples used for him, nor the name by which he is remembered. Instead, the disciples gave him a nickname: Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” His name represented a quality that he exemplified. It is very possible that Timaeus was an actual person who fathered Bartimaeus. But the word “Timaeus” has a specific meaning in Hebrew—it means honor.

Specifically, the Hebrew verb timè means to “value” or “esteem.” In a previous church, we used a children’s curriculum called “252 Basics,” which featured a monthly “virtue” and definition. I’ve always remembered the way they defined honor as "letting someone know you see how valuable they are.” Bartimaeus addressed Jesus with the highest honor. He did not cry out “Jesus, son of Joseph,” but instead declared him as “Jesu,s Son of David.” Even though he couldn’t see Jesus, he addressed him with the highest esteem.

In turn, Jesus saw and honored Bartimaeus. The crowds around Bartimaeus rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but Jesus saw more than a “blind beggar.” Jesus saw a person of faith and courage—someone who could become his disciple.

Bartimaeus’ story leaves us with a singular question—how well do we “see” the people around us? Do we recognize that each of them has a name, that they are known and valued by God? Even if we do not know their name, we can treat others with the same kind of honor that Jesus showed. How might you show someone exceeding and unexpected honor today, in order to share the good news that God loves and values them?

Help me not be like the crowds, O Lord, who wanted only to keep Bartimaeus in his place. Help me to be like You, O God, who gave him a place of honor in Your story. Help me to see people and to treat them with the same kindness and grace that You gave to Bartimaeus. Amen.