Lange Commentary - Mark 10:46 - 10:52

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Lange Commentary - Mark 10:46 - 10:52


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

2. The Passing through Jericho. Mar_10:46-52

(Parallels: Mat_20:29-34; Luk_18:35-43; Luk_19:1-28.)

46     And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway-side begging. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called: and they call50 the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

See on the parallels in Matthew and Luke.—From Ephraim and the desert, Jesus, with the Twelve and His trusted Galilæan dependents—who had joined Him at this point or before—turned to Jericho, where He united His company with that of the great Galilæan-Peræan band going up to the feast, which had come from Peræa over the Jordan. Upon the question of time, and Jericho itself, and the difference among the Synoptists in regard to the healing of the blind, consult the notes upon Matthew. Like that Evangelist, Mark passes over the narrative of Zacchæus, and gives instead all the more exact account of the healing of the blind man. The fundamental idea of Luke’s Gospel demanded that the favor shown to the rich publican should not be omitted. Matthew and Mark are so intent upon depicting the great procession to the feast in its unity, that they cannot linger upon another episode, such as that of Zacchæus, in addition to the healing of the blind man. Matthew, indeed, might hesitate through modesty to record prominently so many instances of favor shown to the publicans; and Mark would probably prefer to omit a new remembrancer of the embittered hatred which subsisted between the Jews and the Romans—writing as he did so much for Roman Christians. Moreover, the occurrence with Zacchæus was not properly a miraculous history, such as both these Evangelists mainly record at this time.—Now, while Matthew gives an account merely of the departure from Jericho, Mark mentions also the entrance. In his account of the departure, he describes the great numbers that accompanied Jesus, and records the full name of the blind man, Bartimæus, the son of Timæus. Luke joins him in saying that this man was a beggar. Mark, again, has the specific note that he, Bartimæus, began to cry aloud. The words of the people to the blind man, “Be of good courage, rise; He calleth thee”—the conduct of Bartimæus generally, and his casting away his garment, and standing up, and coming—are all characteristic touches of painting which Mark alone gives. Only Matthew records the compassion of Jesus, and the fixing His eyes upon the man. Mark also omits “Receive thy sight.” The word of healing is condensed, and the conclusion is briefer than Luke’s, touching only the main points.

Mar_10:46. Bartimæus.—The patronymic áַּø èִîְàַé is made into a proper name (after the analogy of Bartholomew and others); as it is explained by the additional clause, “son of Timæus.” This last seems to place Timæus among the number of well-known Christians. Meyer: Probably a Christian who afterwards attained distinction. And this might be true, notwithstanding the fact that he had allowed his son, a blind man, to beg on the highway. But, if we read with Codex A. and the Text. Rec., “a son of Timæus, Bartimæus the blind man, sat and begged,” it is plain that this is an account of him more precise and consistently carried out, which however seemed too full and specific to most copyists. According to it, Bartimæus, the blind man, was himself a personage well known to Christians as a monument of the Lord’s miracle, as was probably also Simon the Leper; and the designation “a son of Timæus” would distinguish him, not merely from the father, but also from other sons.

Mar_10:47. And when he heard.—He therefore believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the son of David, that is, the expected Messiah. He thus bore testimony to the widely-scattered seed of faith, and especially to the renewed stimulus given to the Redeemer’s cause, since the beginning of the festal journey, amongst the masses. But the blind man might also have heard on his hill-top of the recent resurrection of Lazarus, which took place in his own neighborhood; and this might have been matter of many silent night-ponderings in his blindness.

Mar_10:49. And Jesus stood still.—We now have reached the great crisis. He now hears the loud cry of the people—Messiah! See on the parallel of Matthew.Be of good comfort.—Meyer: èÜñóåé , ἔãåéñå , öùíåῖ óå : most affecting asyndeton.

Mar_10:51. Rabboni, øַáּøּðִּé , my Master.—If the Yod is taken paragogically, it means merely “master” (see Meyer); but even then it has so emphatic a sense as to be almost equal in personal reverence. Bartimæus adhered from that time to the Lord. He followed Him, praising God, Luke says; he followed Him in the way, in the procession, says Mark. He immediately joined the festal company of Jesus’ triumph. It was, indeed, the triumphal procession of the Prophet, and not yet that of the High Priest: this is formed by the living Church, even as the risen saints will be the triumphal procession of the King.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. See on Matthew and the previous notes.

2. The contrast in the sentiments of the people round Christ: type of the contrast between the hierarchical and the evangelical Church. In the former, the poor and wretched are threatened, and bidden to keep silence, when they cry directly to Christ; in the latter it is, “Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.” It was natural that those who surrounded Christ should be led, by the thought that His kingdom was beginning, into conventional notions as to the value of courtly customs and hierarchical order; but it was also natural that the mercy of our Lord towards the wretched should scatter all such mists.

3. The casting his garment away was an expression of joyous boldness and zealous haste, and a removal of all impediments.

4. Mark intimates the dignity of the crisis in which the Lord now stands, by the circumstance that He heals the blind man simply by words: “Go thy way, thy faith,” etc. We know from Matthew how they are to be explained in detail; nevertheless, it is observable that Mark, who earlier records the sighing, the anointing with spittle, etc., introduces here so few intervening circumstances.

5. The Lord declared, by act and deed, that He would have no courtly state in His kingdom, no intermediate personages between Him and His dependents; that He was come, not to rule, but to minister. And, so far as this goes, our history is an acted illustration of the former section.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See on Matthew.—The beginning of the procession of Christ was the opening of blind eyes.—Light must be diffused in the world.—The fame of Bartimæus the best fame for all men; the best reputation for all Christians. (He was a blind man, a beggar; he believed and importuned; the Lord took pity upon him, and healed him.)—With the name of Christ the names of those whom He saved are immortalized.—The most beautiful homage with which Christ was publicly hailed as Messiah: Have mercy on me!—It is a pitiable thing when the cry, “Lord, have pity on me” (the êýñéå ἐëÝçóïí , to wit), becomes a dead formula in our poor Christendom.—How Jesus can transform the harsh threateners of the wretched into compassionate comforters and helpers.—The three words of true Christian sympathy and help for the wretched: Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.—Through the compassion of Jesus and nearness to Him, one is taught to preach the Gospel even unconsciously.—How the helping “Go thy way” of the Lord to Bartimæus and others becomes a glorious and encouraging announcement, “Come unto Me.”—All the uncalled ceremonialists in the royal procession of Christ are unable to suppress the cry of faith sent forth to Him.—The ear of the King detects the lamenting cry of the blind beggar through all the tumult of the crowd.—Thus the royal procession is magnified by the cry of misery.—A blind beggar can arrest the course of it; a blind beggar, turned into a seeing disciple, can advance it and add to its dignity.—The true petitioners of God throw away for ever the beggar’s array.—Mendicancy appears or vanishes as men are guided: 1. It appears in the ancient priestly and royal states of this world; 2. it vanishes in the kingdom of Christ. Compare with this passage Joh_9:8; Act_3:2; Act_4:34.—Men may at first hinder the beginnings of Christianity, and then agree afterwards to further it prematurely and rashly. (The first three centuries, and the three following, are examples.)

Starke:—Luther:—Blindness and poverty cause a double distress: so it is in spiritual matters, when both are rightly felt and mourned over.—Canstein:—The preaching of the Gospel is a perpetual announcement that Jesus is near; and we should, knowing our misery, incessantly and confidently cry aloud to Him for His mercy.—Luther:—Sufferers oftentimes meet with scanty sympathy and poor intercession.—Cramer:—It would be a sore thing if the good God were as easily wearied as men are with our praying and beseeching.—Quesnel:—We should let no opportunity pass of getting good either to body or soul, for such opportunities do not always return.—Hedinger:—In prayer we should let nothing interrupt or divert us.—The simplicity of faith in prayer holds fast and holds out.—Luther:—God’s call is even in spiritual things the beginning of actual cure.—He who truly wants salvation must disencumber himself of all embarrassments and come to Christ.—Hedinger:—He who would see, must acknowledge his blindness.—Luther:—Faith is counted of such high dignity that salvation is ascribed to it, although the work of God.—Hedinger:—Christ is our Physician and our Light.—Faith is the best of all medicine.—Canstein:—Those who receive gifts follow their benefactors. Ought we not then to follow Christ?—He is indeed our greatest Benefactor.—Rieger (with reference to those who murmured):—Those who stand around are often unaware how much harm they may do by light words, and how easily a tender germ is trodden down and ruined.—The inward earnestness of the blind man broke through everything. Happy he who lets himself be restrained from faith and the cry of faith by nothing under the sun.—Things are continually occurring which might have a tendency to turn us in part or wholly away from Christ. What then? So much the more does the blind cry out, and faith believe; and the more it is hindered, the more it is helped.—The Lord was not always so willing to be followed by those who were healed; but in this last journey to Jerusalem an exception was admitted. Envy was not now to be excited; it had reached its highest point. Praise, on the other hand, was now, by all the wonderful works of God, to demonstrate its power against “the enemy and the avenger.”—Gossner:—The blind man runs to Jesus without seeing Him; so must we hasten to Him in faith, though we see Him not.

Footnotes:

Mar_10:46.—We read, with A. and Recepta, õἱüò without the Article, and ὁ ôõöëüò with the Article. [Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Meyer, following B., D., L., Ä ., omit it.] So also ðñïóáéôῶí , although important Codd., including B., L., Ä ., Tischendorf, and Meyer, read ðñïóáßôçò . See the Notes.

Mar_10:47.— Íáæáñçíüò , Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer.

Mar_10:49.— Åἶðåí öùíÞóáôå áὐôüí : B., C., L., Ä ., Tischendorf, Meyer.

Mar_10:50.—Instead of ἀíáóôÜò , Lachmann and Tischendorf read ἀíáðçäÞóáò , after B., L., D., Ä ., Vulgate, &c.

Mar_10:52.— Áὐôῷ instead of ôῷ Ἰçóïῦ .