This is our last “in the way” narrative because next week, Yeshua/Jesus and His disciples enter Jerusalem. As such, this is the most climactic and revealing of Mark’s use of Isaiah 42:16 in highlighting the kind of blindness that was currently upon an Israel looking for a bloodthirsty Messiah instead of a Messiah determined to save not only Israel but also her enemies.
If you can’t see the podcast player, click here.
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 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.
This is a really long section to be covering but this is where the Gospel of Mark starts becoming really tricky to divide up into nice discreet sections. I mean, nothing about Mark is actually able to be completely compartmentalized, obviously, but there are some obvious places where you can break after an hour and some that you can’t. The section right before this, the third Passion Prediction, we covered back on the Passover and so to understand this in context, we will quickly review Yeshua’s/Jesus’s final and most complete prediction of His own betrayal, arrest, abuse, crucifixion and resurrection. Before this, they didn’t know where or when and now that they know where, Jerusalem, they have to be pretty darned sure the time is imminent. They also know that not only Jews, but Gentiles will be involved. Because of the scourging mentioned, they have to now know that He will die by crucifixion because scourging always accompanied that. So, we will read that again real quick before we start and then head on in to the wealth of material this week on our three blind men—James, John and Bartimaeus.
Hi, I am Tyler Dawn Rosenquist and welcome to Character in Context, where I teach the historical and ancient sociological context of Scripture with an eye to developing the character of the Messiah. If you prefer written material, I have five years’ worth of blog at theancientbridge.com as well as my six books available on amazon—including a four-volume curriculum series dedicated to teaching Scriptural context in a way that even kids can understand it, called Context for Kids—and I have two video channels on YouTube with free Bible teachings for both adults and kids. You can find the link for those on my website. Past broadcasts of this program can be found at characterincontext.podbean.com and transcripts can be had for most broadcasts at theancientbridge.com. If you have kids, I also have a weekly broadcast where I teach them Bible context in a way that shows them why they can trust God and how He wants to have a relationship with them through the Messiah.
All Scripture this week comes courtesy of the ESV, the English Standard Version but you can follow along with whatever Bible you want. A list of my resources can be found attached to the transcript for Part two of this series at theancientbridge.com.
First, that heartbreaking and shocking Passion Prediction leaving very little to the imagination before we head into the problem we see after each of the three predictions. Namely, the disciples will make it very clear that they are completely unaware of what sort of Kingdom they are going to be entering into:
10:32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
So many red flags are going up that you’d think James and John were playing for the Kansas City Chiefs (sorry David, my dear brother, and all other fans—the Superbowl was four days ago from when I wrote this and your pain is fresh in my mind). Let’s translate this for everyone who wants to see this in the best possible light far removed from the context of what has gone before and honor/shame culture: “Teacher, you just said that you are going to be crucified in Jerusalem and we are still willing to go with you so, in exchange, you owe us.” Okay, maybe that is a tad bit over the top but it captures what they are saying here. They are about to go through hell and want some assurances before it happens. They still aren’t sure about this being raised from the dead thing, that much is clear, but they do want to make sure that, regardless of what happens, they will come out on top in the end. I don’t know about you, but anyone who wants me to agree to stipulations before I hear what they have to say really worries me…
36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
“In your glory”—that’s what I want to cover first. This is eschatological language here. He has told them that He will die and be resurrected in three days. Now, unless they think this is symbolic language—and they might—they are looking toward the future eschatological Kingdom in such a way as they think that their idea of a Messianic age is imminent. They think He is going to Jerusalem to set up the kind of Kingdom they are familiar with suffering under. One where they are afforded positions of authority like they see with the chief priests or with the Roman bureaucracy. Yeshua knows this is where they are aiming because He addresses it later. But that’s what they want from Him, their heart’s desire is to be is right hand and left hand men, and if he says yes then be certain that the brothers will then divide over who is on the right (the far more elevated position) and who is on the left (still great but meh compared to the right). “When you inaugurate the Messianic Kingdom where Jews are on top and the wealth of the nations is pouring in and the Gentiles are crushed underfoot forever, we want to be the most honored guys at your side. You can do that for us, right, buddy?”
There’s ambition and there’s blind ambition. Their ambition is blind because they cannot see what is ahead. But they are about to get a big dose of reality. To sit at the right and left hand of the Monarch would give them the right to sit as judges over the rest of Israel and, by extension, the nations. This is no small or humble or servantly thing they are requesting. This isn’t just about seating arrangements although it would also put them at His right and left for the Messianic Banquet.
38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
Why does He say, “You do not know what you are asking?” Well, on one hand, because they think they are asking for position but there won’t be that sort of position within Yeshua’s inaugurated New Creation reality. Never in their lives will they know anything other than the sort of authority that comes with servanthood, rejection, and suffering. On the other hand, because we know the rest of the story, we know that two criminals, two actual rebels, will hang on crosses to His right and left side at the moment He comes in His glory as the Son of God, on display for the world to see. Their expectations couldn’t possibly be more misguided or off-base.
And what is this cup and this baptism? What’s this language about? In the Hebrew Scriptures, repeatedly (and this is important because of the third prediction He just gave) the cup of God’s wrath is a symbol of being handed over to your merciless enemies, and specifically the Gentiles. Let’s look at the use of the cup in Isaiah 51, and this will be a review from when we covered this last year:
17 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up. 19 These two things have happened to you—who will console you?—devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God.
21 Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine: 22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; 23 and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over.”
Remember, from that series—the Servant of the Servant songs is portrayed as the perfect representative of Israel. In every way Israel is tempted and succumbs, the Servant is tempted and remains faithful. Every effect of the cup of wrath poured out on Israel is going to come on the Servant and He will remain faithful. He will bear the burden for His people so that Yahweh can remove the cup of staggering—that sin nature on the inside that causes His people to stumble. The cup of wrath will pass from His people and will instead be drained to the dregs by the enemy and His demons, and sin and death will be gutted of their monopoly on humanity. That cup will be emptied by the only one who can swallow it all and remain steadfast, the only one who loves enough to do it. And so, this will be a particular type of baptism and one of the interesting things about the Greek word baptisma is that it was never used to translate anything in the Septuagint and only occurs nineteen times in the New Testament. That makes it really difficult to assign meaning to other than when it refers to actual washings, which obviously it does not in this case. Yeshua was already baptized by John and I imagine they all were. So, we must be looking at a metaphor here for His coming ordeal.
39 And they said to him, “We are able.”
This sounds like last week’s teaching on the Rich Young Ruler where he asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Oh yeah, whatever we need to do, we can totally do. Whatever works you want, we’re your guys. But this isn’t about that. Far from it. Instead, this is their Peter moment, “Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And then he is literally the only one who actually denies Him. I have noticed that Yahweh seems to intensely dislike our bragging and when we do it, we open ourselves up to be tested. It’s like the enemy is waiting in the wings and as soon as we say, “I would never…” simply because we have never faced a stiff enough temptation, then he is like totally allowed to send temptation our way. At least that’s what I have noticed with some folks and especially when they have a calling on their life. I am not talking about the braggarts who just boast about everything, I am talking about people who lean on their own strength and do not acknowledge their need for God’s empowerment and mercy. I think that every person I know who has gone on to deny our Savior first said exactly what Peter said and they crumbled under temptation. So, I never say that because good grief, I know I am capable of being an idiot. I am just not aware of how much of an idiot I am capable of being in the future—I only have past failures to go on and those are bad enough, thank you very much. No confidence in my flesh. Nope.
“…And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized…”
Yeshua is about to drink of the cup of the wrath of all the forces of the enemy, poured out on Him through the agency of the Jewish leadership and the Gentile rulers. And the same thing will happen to them in the future. They will endure the wrath of the Jewish leadership. They will be arrested and beaten and rejected and killed—in Jerusalem and Judea and the Galilee and in the Gentile nations. They will never enjoy the kind of power and authority and comforts and the kind of life they saw and coveted. They thought they would be at the top but they would become the servants of all the world and even the servants of those they despised. They thought they would work for Yeshua but they were going to have to live and die for Him instead.
40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
Of course, we know immediately that this refers to the two criminals crucified to His left and right. In the Kingdom, it refers to whoever—we just have no idea. Maybe it will not be one of the Twelve at all. It won’t be me. I am about 120% sure of that. Maybe even more.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.
Unspoken truth, “…because they all wanted to ask first.” Come on now, this is an honor/shame society. It wasn’t that the brothers simply asked for better seats, they asked to be in authority over and above the other ten. This was a straight up power play, and they were all angry they hadn’t thought of it first.
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
The insult here is worse that it appears on the surface. This isn’t just a teaching moment. He’s telling them that they are acting like the Romans, whom they despise. He’s saying, “Why do you hate the Romans? It’s because of how they treat people, and the reason they treat people that way is because they have the kind of power and authority that you are asking for. Do you really think that you are so different? That you would be immune to the evil they do if you had that same power and wealth? It was not so long ago that the nation had seen what happens when “Torah Observant” Jews finally had political autonomy when they ousted the Seleucids from power in the late second century BCE. The only reason Rome was in charge was because of the civil unrest and outright war between the Hasmonean Priest-Kings, who were increasingly and unspeakably brutal. Being Jews and having the Torah and knowing the Temple service and having the daily sacrifices and even performing them personally didn’t prevent the sorts of abuses that come with that sort of ambition and power. Yeshua says, “You know…” or in other words, “you are not ignorant of the way the world works and how the people you aspire to be behave.” Throughout the Gospels, we catch glimpses of exactly the sorts of things the disciples would do if suddenly given that sort of authority. James and John wanted to slaughter the Samaritans. Peter took up a sword and cut off a man’s ear. Who knows what the others were thinking about. I don’t want to know what the others were thinking about…
43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
Greatness in the Kingdom is not to be had through wealth or status or violence or by any normal human institution. Those are all incompatible with how the Kingdom works. Think about it, Yeshua told us that the Kingdom of Heaven was invading, or infiltrating the earth through Himself and His ministry and what did He do? Well, not what they wanted him to do. For one, He was fighting absolutely the wrong enemy. So, how does He begin this—the first command is bad enough—“whoever would be great among “you” (the Twelve) must be your (the Twelve’s) servant.” So, this is an easier “love your neighbor, well, who exactly counts as my neighbor” sort of expression and the Twelve could then pretend the rest of the way to Jerusalem how committed they are to serving the other eleven. Almost anyone can make a show of serving their own group of friends and colleagues. But Yeshua is about to blow that out of the water.
44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
BUT, whoever wants to be the very greatest, first, must be slave of all. Not just the Twelve, but all. Of course, Yeshua is describing Himself because He will not only act the part of servant toward the Twelve at the Last Supper when He strips down and washes their disgusting first-century, never seen antibacterial soap or foot powder in their lives, feet, but He is also going to suffer and die on behalf of the world. Even the Gentiles and Samaritans. When Yeshua says “all” in this case, it is not hyperbole, He is calling them and us all to get over ourselves and be beneath everyone. Not in a self-defacing, mock humility sort of way but a self-sacrificing and real way.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Remember, again, this is right on the heels of the third Passion Prediction and this is (in my opinion) actually the last line of it. This time, He states the reason for the three predictions and the reason for His death. He’s saying, “Even I, who goes around working miracles and healing and raising the dead and setting every demon to flight, and multiplying bread and fishes—even I, even the Son of Man came for the purpose, not to be heralded and treated like a worldly king but to serve the humanity that I created in the beginning (because, remember, John says that Yeshua is the Word through whom all things were created), by fixing what only I can fix, and to give my life, as the source of life itself, to redeem men from their enslavement to the Pharaoh of sin and death and all the outward trappings of following the Beast Kingdom. And I will do it by giving up my life to the very people who, on one hand, claim to be the religious experts and the doorkeepers to the Kingdom of Heaven and, on the other hand, those who claim to have brought peace to the world—namely, the Jewish leadership and the Romans.” And He is giving His life as a ransom for many, polys, from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 53’s rabbim, the many whom the Servant would die for. Yeshua came for this reason, this wasn’t plan B. This was always the plan. Like the clockmaker fixes the clock, so the Creator fixes the creation. No one else can do it. No one else can restore us to image-bearer status through the inauguration of the New Covenant promised by Yahweh through Jeremiah that would not give us more Laws but new hearts that would desire more than external obedience, but would submit to radical internal transformation. But, the thing is, we had to see the cost. We had to see how serious our level of bondage was, the lengths that Yahweh had to go to in order to overcome and to allow us to overcome through His draining death and oppression of its power by filling it to the full with life and non-violence. We had to see the reason why we owe Yeshua our undivided allegiance as the King to whom God has, in His own words, turned over all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). The resurrection proved His right to make that claim and to expect our absolute allegiance in response.
And, I have to add this important thing—Yeshua speaks of what He will give in response to their talking about what they want. At this point and until after the resurrection, they are completely blinded to what kind of King He is and what it means to be a true follower. Which is why this seemingly sudden change of topic actually isn’t a change of topic at all—with Mark it rarely is.
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.
The pilgrim trail from Galilee, from about a third of the way down between the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, across to the eastern side of the Jordan river until you were across from Jericho. At that point, they crossed over, travelled through Jericho and then on from there to Jerusalem. This means that they are “almost there” or about fifteen miles as the crow flies. But, it’s a rough fifteen miles on the Roman roads—there is an altitude change of 3400 ft! That makes for somewhere between 6 and 7 hours of walking for a relatively healthy person. Without breaks. Now, this says they came to Jericho and says nothing about what they did there—the only thing recorded is their leaving along with His disciples and a great crowd, which is not polys ochlos but instead hikanos ochlos. As this is an entirely a different sort of crowd from those who are generally following Him, that is probably why they used a different word. These are pilgrims heading to the feast and not followers hanging on His every word. I do find it really interesting that polys is used of the crowds that follow Him and hikanos used for general crowds. Not all Israel will be saved sort of thing.
Remember I told you that Mark was likely written for a Roman Christian audience? A mixed group of Jews and Gentiles where Gentiles would be the majority but they would all be Greek speakers? And that we know this because of all the Latin loan words thrown in? Well, we don’t have any latin loaners here but it is really odd to be translating Bartimaeus, which is Aramaic, into the Greek son of Timaeus unless much of the audience was unfamiliar with such an obvious appellation. And where is the blind beggar sitting? The word translated roadside is hodos. Our Isaiah 42:16 word for all of our “on the way” references.
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!”
This is really interesting in that, he’s calling out to the “Son of David” which is a messianic title, not for conquest but for mercy. This isn’t about genealogy. He doesn’t know anything about that and you probably couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting someone descended from the kingly line of David. Bartimaeus recognizes who Yeshua is and He doesn’t need working eyes in order to do it. Was the crowd saying it? Did the Holy Spirit whisper it to him?
48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
And I want you to notice that Yeshua doesn’t refuse the title. The man has used it twice now, identified Yeshua as the rightful Davidic King.
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.”
And all of a sudden—you know how fickle people are—all of those people who were rebuking him because in an honor/shame society they don’t treat the disabled or women or children with respect, but especially not children or the disabled. Folks figured that the disabled were somehow afflicted and had it coming. Sad but true. I was just in a conversation on social media today where people were claiming that folks with diabetes were plagued with demons even though the Bible is clear in the difference between demonic oppression and sickness and if you have been following this series that is no shock to you. When I pointed out that there is more than one type, and that they have to be treated differently, all hell broke loose. Truth is that people are still very superstitious and judgy about sicknesses that they don’t understand. And I say this as someone who has performed actual deliverance when necessary. I know demons are real, but most stuff ain’t demons. But people love to have something they figure is under either their control or about sin to point to. Thank God Yeshua wasn’t like that. But anyway, now that Yeshua says, “call him over” oh they can’t do enough for him.
50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
And I love this—he tosses aside his most valuable possession. A beggar’s cloak is where he collected alms and the day when pilgrims were headed to a festival were your best days all year. And cloth wasn’t easy to come by. For a poor man, a cloak was what you slept in and what kept you from freezing in the winter. This man doesn’t go after Yeshua half-heartedly!
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.”
Where have we heard that question before? “What do you want me to do for you?” Oh, that’s right—right after James and John approached Him. What did they want? Unlimited power! Well, second (and third) only to Yeshua, of course. But this precious man, all he wants is to recover his sight—he used to be able to see and wants to see again. Unlike the disciples, unlike Israel, he knows he is blind but he remembers what it is to see. He also knows that there is only one way for it to happen—through Yeshua. I just can’t get over how beautiful this truly is.
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.
No touching this time. No mud. No spit. No casting out of demons. Just a proclamation. Yeshua says “Go your way” and way is hodos. Once this man can see, he follows Yeshua on the way, also hodos. Just to show you the monumental meaning of this, I want to read from Isaiah 42 again. This self-manifestation of Yeshua as Yahweh in the flesh, Yahweh’s creative word in the flesh, we need to read this again:
“…And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, “You are our gods.” Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord? He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear. The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.” (Is 42:16-25)
Yeshua is going around trying to lead blind and deaf Israel in the way ordained by Yahweh for Him to restore all of humanity to Himself, and some follow and some don’t. But they are all blind and we all are in one way or another. But we follow, knowing we are blind and trusting that He will cure us bit by bit—sometimes in big ways and sometimes in small ways. But we have confidence in the way we do not know because He has never steered us wrong before. Even though we largely do not understand. We are every bit just as guilty as the disciples as wanting a military Messiah to destroy our enemies and sweep all of our problems away but Yeshua deals with out enemies by saving them, not by hurting them. Look back on the story of Cain and Abel. It is not in Yahweh’s nature to give up easily. Abel is hardly mentioned but Yahweh is constantly talking it out with Cain, trying to reason with him and even places a mark on him to keep him alive so that he can repent and do right again. This is one determined God.
And the formerly blind man follows. BOOM. That means exactly what it sounds like it means. Who didn’t follow? The rich young ruler! The more blindness is removed, the more ardently we will follow Him. The more we will leave everything (a beggar’s cloak and alms) behind. And I have mentioned before that no prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures ever cured blindness. No one cured blindness period, prophet or not. Let’s quickly go over Isaiah 6 real quick about the curse of blindness on Israel for their disobedience and then to a Psalm before closing out:
“Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Is 6:10)
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. (Psalm 146:5-8)
What God gives, He can also take away but what He takes, only He can give back. Next week tune in for the entry into Jerusalem.
