Breaking the Word

   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. (Mk 10:46-52)

Before meeting Jesus, Bartimeus was a blind man. He was sitting by the roadside. He was begging. This is the description of the man. All these go to say that he was dependent on people, he was alone and he had nowhere to go. His image was so negative that he was not considered as one of the people. He was told to keep silence and not even permitted to appeal. 

After encountering Jesus, he got back his sight. He was able to see. He was following Jesus (he was not seated on the roadside). He was one among the people who followed Jesus. He had a goal in life. Because he was on his way. He was not begging anymore. He threw away his cloak.

The reasons for this transformation are two. They are: he had faith and there was Jesus whom he encountered. If there has to be a change in life or there has to be a transformation then these two things have to be present. One is faith in God. Most of the people have this, at least in a small percentage. But the second one that is to encounter Jesus in one’s life is what is lacking. 

… "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise."

 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish (me) to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”…

 Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you… (Mk 10:32-45)

Jesus was fully conscious of his destination: Jerusalem. He was also aware of the things that will happen to him in Jerusalem. Jesus proclaimed this publicly to his disciples. There were no secrets for Jesus about his life, his destination and the happenings.   

The disciples, particularly James and John, had a plan for their own destination. Their life, their following and all the rest of it had a purpose. Even in God’s kingdom they wanted their positions secured. They did not do the work just for the sake of it. They wanted a gain out of whatever they did. They were ready face any sufferings and any amount of sufferings provided that get their positions secured.

Jesus proposes a new destination to his followers. Their thinking, their life and thir doing must be centered around the other person. Jesus’ disciples should not be bothered about positions and authority and exercising of authority. The disciple should not be worried about himself and that is why he should be ready to lay down his life as a ransom for the others.