The Gospel of Mark presents us with a journey: it is the way (from the Greek, hodos) which Jesus Christ forged, marching inevitably towards Jerusalem. This journey, leading to (and beyond) the grave, is the path we are beckoned to follow. The story of Bartimaeus reveals how we find ourselves on this path.

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. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Jericho was Christ's last stop before Jerusalem, and as he as about to leave, a blind beggar cried out for Him. I am struck by the blocking of this scene: Christ is on the road, Bartimaeus is cast off to the side, separated from Christ by the crowd. When the blind man cries out for Jesus, it seems unnatural, even cruel, that Christ should tell the blind man to come to Him. Doesn't Christ “meet us where we are at?” This trope is specious: it means to express that Christ grants his grace to all, regardless of circumstance, no matter how dire (which is wonderfully true). Yet we must not forget that Christ also beckons us towards the hodos that he has established for us. And so, when Bartimaeus comes to Christ, he is made ready for the journey – and he follows.


Bartimaeus shows us a marvelous kind of faith, not divorced from works, a faith which leaves no room for him but to cry out for Christ. It is in crying where his faith transforms belief into action. I have been blind, impeded, and strayed from Christ's hodos. May I ever cry out to Christ in faith.