Bartimeus the Blind Homily Help
Sunday of Bartimaeus the Blind
2 Corinthians 10:1-7
Now I myself, Paul, urge you through the gentleness and clemency of Christ, I who am humble when face to face with you, but brave toward you when absent, I beg you that, when present, I may not have to be brave with that confidence with which I intend to act boldly against some who consider us as acting according to the flesh. For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ, and we are ready to punish every disobedience, once your obedience is complete. Look at what confronts you. Whoever is confident of belonging to Christ should consider that as he belongs to Christ, so do we.
Praise be to God always.
Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
This is the Truth. Peace be with you.
I. Biblical Resources
A. Exegesis of 2 Corinthians 10:1-7
[10:1–2] A strong opening plunges us straight into the conflict. Contrasts dominate here: presence versus absence, gentleness-clemency-humility versus boldness-confidence-bravery. Through the gentleness and clemency of Christ: the figure of the gentle Christ, forms a striking contrast to the picture of the bold and militant Paul.
[10:2b–4a] Flesh: the Greek word sarx can express both the physical life of the body without any pejorative overtones (as in “we are in the flesh,” ) and our natural life insofar as it is marked by limitation and weakness in contrast to the higher life and power conferred by the Spirit. The wordplay is intended to express the paradoxical situation of a life already taken over by the Spirit but not yet seen as such except by faith. Lack of empirical evidence of the Spirit permits misunderstanding and misjudgment, but Paul resolutely denies that his behavior and effectiveness are as limited as some suppose.
[10:3b–6] Paul is involved in combat. The strong military language and imagery are both an assertion of his confidence in the divine power at his disposal and a declaration of war against those who underestimate his resources. The threat is echoed in 2 Cor 13:2–3.
[10:7] Whoever is confident of belonging to Christ should consider that as he belongs to Christ, so do we.: these phrases already announce the pattern of Paul’s boast in 2 Cor 11:21b–29, especially 2 Cor 11:22–23.
B. Exegesis of Mark 10:46-52
Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52), is also found in a re-worked version in Matthew. Mark places the event late in Jesus’ ministry, just before his entrance into Jerusalem, and Matthew has followed his Marcan source at that point in his gospel also (see Mt 20:29–34). In each of the Matthean stories the single blind man of Mark becomes two. The reason why Matthew would have given a double version of the Marcan story is that he wished to add a story of Jesus’ curing the blind at this point in order to prepare for Jesus’ answer to the emissaries of the Baptist (Mt 11:4–6) in which Jesus, recounting his works, begins with his giving sight to the blind.
Son of David: this messianic title is connected once with the healing power of Jesus in Mark (Mk 10:47–48) and Luke (Lk 18:38–39) but more frequently in Matthew (see also Mt 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31).
The cure of the blind man (or men in Matthew) is probably symbolic of what will happen to the disciples, now blind to the meaning of Jesus’ passion and to the necessity of their sharing his suffering. As the men are given sight, so, after the resurrection, will the disciples come to see that to which they are now blind.
C. Supporting Biblical References
1. For the First Reading, 2 Corinthians 10:1-7
a. [10:2] 2 Cor 13:2, 2 Cor 10; 1 Cor 4:21.
b. [10:4] 2 Cor 6:7; 2 Cor 13:2–3; 1 Cor 1:25; Eph 6:10–14.
c. [10:6] 2 Cor 2:9.
d. [10:7] 1 Cor 1:12
2. For the Gospel Reading, Mark 10:46-52
a. [10:46–52] Mt 20:29–34; Lk 18:35–43.
II. Patristic Resources
A. For 2 Corinthians 10:1-7
Thus the heavenly King put on the armor of humility, and so conquered the bitter one (Saul=Paul)… This is the armor concerning which Paul said, that by it we humble those who exalt themselves against the knowledge of God (see 2 Cor 10:5). For Paul had received the proof of it himself. For as he had been warring in pride, but was conquered in humility, so is to be conquered every lofty thing which exalts itself against this humility. For Saul was journeying to subdue the disciples with hard words, but the Master of the disciples subdued him with a humble word. For when He to whom all things are possible manifested Himself to him, giving up all things else, He spoke to him in humility alone, that He might teach us that a soft tongue is more effective than all things else against hard thoughts. – St. Ephrem, Three Homilies
B. For Mark 10:46-52
At least imitate those blind men for whose sake the Savior left His home and heritage and came to Jericho. They were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death when the light came to shine upon them. For when they learned that it was the Lord who was passing by they began to cry out saying: “Son of David, have mercy on us.” You too will have your sight restored; if you cry to Him, and cast away your filthy garments (sins) at His call. – St. Jerome, Letters
III. Biblical Word Study
A. Christ: Question: “What does Christ mean?”Answer: “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach, or “Messiah.” “Jesus” is the Lord’s human name given to Mary by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:31). “Christ” is His title, signifying Jesus was sent from God to be a King and Deliverer (see Daniel 9:25; Isaiah 32:1). “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus the Messiah” or “Jesus the Anointed One.”
In ancient Israel, when someone was given a position of authority, oil was poured on his head to signify his being set apart for God’s service (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:1). Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed in such fashion. Anointing was a symbolic act to indicate God’s choosing (e.g., 1 Samuel 24:6). Although the literal meaning of anointed refers to the application of oil, it can also refer to one’s consecration by God, even if literal oil is not used (Hebrews 1:9).
There are hundreds of prophetic passages in the Old Testament that refer to a coming Messiah who would deliver His people (e.g., Isaiah 61:1; Daniel 9:26). Ancient Israel thought their Messiah would come with military might to deliver them from decades of captivity to earthly kings and pagan nations. But the New Testament reveals a much better deliverance provided by Jesus the Messiah—a deliverance from the power and penalty of sin (Luke 4:18; Romans 6:23).
The Bible says Jesus was anointed with oil on two separate occasions by two different women (Matthew 26:6–7; Luke 7:37–38), but the most significant anointing came by way of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). Jesus’ title of “Christ” means He is God’s Anointed One, the One who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies, the Chosen Savior who came to rescue sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and the King of kings who is coming back again to set up His Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14:9).
B. Son of David: Refers to the Messiah, who was expected to be a descendent of King David and the rightful heir to his throne (Is 9:7); Ezek 34:23-24). Many hoped he would have the power to heal sickness and drive out unclean spirits (Matt. 15:22) much like the original Son of David, King Solomon (Wis 7:22). Here the confession of faith of Bartimeaus is ironic, he is able to see the Messainic presence of Jesus clearer than most others in Mark’s Gospel who have sight.
According to St. Bede the Venerable in his In Marcum, the blind man represents the Gentile nations who have taken off their blindness to have faith in Christ.
Sample Homily
In our first reading Paul must once again address the turmoil of the Corinthian community. Corinth was in many ways the “Las Vegas” of the ancient Greco-Roman world. So while there may have been a certain attitude of “openess to new things” among the Corinthians, and a desire by some to find a fulfillment greater than the “hedonism” and self-indulgence which was often common to the pagan life-styles of the late ancient world; this free-wheeling culture of Corinth presented unique difficulties in trying to establish a Christian community there.
Now Paul is faced with those who may question his Apostolic Authority and the validity of his teachings. He has been critisized by some in the Corinthian community for his stern and punishing letters, but that when he comes to them in person he is always meek and mild. In response to these attacks he reminds them of the gentle, kind, and loving Christ, whom he is a disciple of, and that the authority of his preaching will be validated by the unity and constructiveness it brings compared to the destructiveness fo those who attack his authority.
Paul reminds us therefore, that we Christians, we Catholics, we Maronites are ambassadors of Christ, not of ourselves. We must allow the healing, gentle love of Christ to come out in us, as we represent him as ministers of the Gospel. The Church reminds us especially in these days that we are all ministers of evangelization, and to be true evangelizers we must allow the love of Christ to shine forth in us to others.
In the Gospel from Mark we hear of the healing of Bartimeaus the blind man. We should remember that in the Judaism of that time it was thought that disabilities like blindness were due to sin; either the sin of the blind man himself, for exanple, or his ancestors. In many places in the New Testament we see Jesus seems not to agree with that assessment for what is the cause of such disability. Yet. the blindess of Bartimaeus is indeed a symbol of the darkness of sin, the blindness of sin, which we all have. Bartimaeus is in some sense all of humanity, living in the darkness of our own making, and unable to cure ourselves. Entering into our darkeness comes the Light of Lights, the Word of the Father, Jesus the Christ. He heals us all in the same way Bartimeaus is healed – by faith. Faith in Christ changes the world of darkness, faith in Christ heals that which is most wounded and disabled in us. Like Bartimaeus, if we hear his voice – run to him, and in faith be healed.