From Darkness to Light
Thirtieth Sunday - Year B
Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52
“When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming” (Ps. 126:1). As the crowd, together with Jesus and His disciples, was leaving Jericho on their pilgrimage to Zion for the feast of Passover, a blind beggar sat by the road. He could not join the pilgrimage because he was still in captivity. Yet he knew by faith who could bring him back to Zion. “Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst” (Jer. 31:8).
Jerusalem, 754 meters above sea level is an image of paradise, and Jericho located 258 meters below sea level an image of the world. Thus Origen, the great Christian biblical scholar of the third century writes: “the man whom the Gospel describes as going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and falling into the hands of brigands is an image of Adam being driven out of paradise into the exile of this world (Luke 10:30). Likewise, the blind men in Jericho, to whom Jesus came to give sight, signified the people in this world who were blinded by ignorance, to whom the son of God came”.
In chapter eight, in Bethsaida of Galilee Jesus performed gradual healing of a blind man but the cured man was sent home (Mark 8:22-26). Today, Jesus is already in the vicinity of Jerusalem and instantly heals another blind man. This time, however, the healed person follows Jesus on the way (Mark 10:46-52). In between these two stories of healing physical blindness, the Gospel narrates the spiritual blindness of the disciples who could not grasp the meaning of Jesus’ purpose in life (Mark 10:45).
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:36.51) Jesus asked the sons of thunder and Bartimaeus. James and John wanted glory seats and the blind beggar wanted to see. Who is then blind and who can see? “Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent” (Mark 10:48). Preventing others from coming to Jesus is yet another example of blindness. Jesus is accessible to everyone but those around Him tend to block the way and often send people away (Mark 6:36; Mark 10:13-14). Jesus had to interfere telling those who tried to silence Bartimaeus: “call him” (Mark 10:49).
“He threw aside his cloak” (Mark 10:50). The Christian life is characterized by putting behind our former way of life to begin a new life in Christ. Saint Paul compares the two types of life to darkness and light (Rom. 13:12). Jesus has “come as light into the world, that whoever believes in [him] may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46). With his cloak “threw aside” Bartimaeus leaves behind his darkness and enters the light. "God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in” his heart (2 Cor. 4:6).
The prayer, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me” (Mark 10:47), reaches the ears of “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:5-6). As the “Son of David”, our Lord is the promised Messiah-King who opens the eyes of the blind (Is. 29:18; 35:5). As our High Priest, Jesus constantly intercedes on our behalf with the Father (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:24-25). Therefore, if we believe, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer (Matt. 21:22; Mark 10:52).
When the Gospel was written, the pagan world was worshiping the sun. Yet, the sun cannot illuminate the darkness of a blind man, the darkness of sin, and the darkness of death. But the Son of God can. This truth is proclaimed in today’s verse before the Gospel: “Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). Amen.